Academics in Florence

With the semester in full swing, I can finally say with confidence that it will be a great one. Though the weekends are filled with travel, weekdays are consumed with class time and a new reality of life as a Florentine. Before I came to study abroad in Florence, I was uncertain about daily routines. After being here a month, I can see that every course of mine brings immense promise:

Quite the grand entrance to the CEA Center in Piazza della Repubblica.

Bulletins of current information lines the walls of the CEA Center.

Beginning Italian

Beginning Italian is a challenging class for those of us with no experience with the language, but it’s balanced out by the simplistic and elementary assignments that make homework enjoyable. My professor continues to bring high energy into the classroom, which ensures enthusiastic participation from every student. I enjoy this course for many reasons, and deeply appreciate the relevance. Unlike previous language courses I have taken, there is an eagerness to learn quickly and wholeheartedly when immersed in such an applicable environment.

Communication & Global Competence

As you will notice, each course takes on a new level of meaning when taken abroad. A class such as Communication & Global Competence could easily be taken at a university back home, but would fail to achieve the same effect. Despite the monotony of college course lectures, the material continues to hold its intrigue with each passing day. Often times, I find myself losing interest quickly in classes which seem to hold no application to daily life or to a future career. In regards to Communication & Global Competence, however, an appreciation for its purpose when taken abroad is much more easily reached.

Great Masters: Leonardo, Michelangelo, & Rafael

There is no class greater than Art History to take while in Italy. Back home, a course such as this is nothing more than an identification of the works and pure memorization without the intrigue. Abroad, however, the reality of discussing pieces that rest within walking distance is inexplicable. It’s obvious that art history classes, especially of Renaissance art, will never achieve the same impact in America. More often than not, we are listening and learning within the museums themselves. What’s more, a field trip to Rome is never something to complain about.

A class trip to Santa Maria Novella Church for Great Masters.

Book Arts

I am currently enrolled with CEA in the Studio Art, Printmaking & Fashion Design program. As a hybrid student, I attend class both at the CEA Center as well as the Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA). Florence is known for two things: leather and paper. As an advocate for all things Italy, I wanted to choose courses that held a strong correlation with the culture. This semester, I am taking Book Arts at SRISA. The art school is about a 15 minute walk from the CEA enter, and caters to study abroad students exclusively – only a handful of which are with CEA. I enjoy the course tremendously, as it is a wonderful way to meet more study abroad students and take a break from the lecture class style.

A typical setup for my studio course at SRISA.

A beautiful sight at the end of a long day of classes, Piazza della Repubblica.

Chandler S. is the Fall 2016 CEA MOJO Blogger in Florence, Italy. She is currently a junior studying Graphic Communications at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

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