Student Journals: AIFS in Florence, Italy

Gilbert Jones
Texas Tech University
Richmond in Florence, Italy

Gilbert Jones and a friend tour the Ferrari Museum in Maranello.

Before coming abroad, I was told that studying abroad would change my life. However, it is not until I arrived in Italy that I truly understood the magnitude of that statement. The broad range of experience and lifelong friendships have made the last three months in Italy some of the best times of my life. There are several programs to choose from when deciding to go abroad. While some programs drop you off in the middle of the city and wish you well as you try to find housing, meals, and take in all that this amazing city has to offer, Richmond guides you though what could otherwise be a difficult transition and helps you soak up as much or as little, it is your choice. When speaking with friends who had studied abroad previously and evaluating Richmond to their programs, there is no fair and equal comparison to make. The level of involvement in each student’s life and well being is unparalleled; the commitment of the professors and staff is unmatched; the happiness experienced while being in Italy is unlike I have felt in the United States. Beginning with a three-week orientation on the beach, which is unique to Richmond, to the last weeks in Italy, everything has been well planned and executed with military precision.

The housing options are surrounded by history, and the landlords genuinely care about the safety and security of the students. Not everything has been easy or perfect, but the good outweighs any possible flaws and this has been an experience I will neither forget nor regret. Studying abroad has changed me forever and it has been something that I will take with me forever as a cherished memory during my undergraduate career.