My Study Abroad Experience: Gilman Scholarship Project

*This bog post is a required part of my follow-on project for the Gilman Scholarship I received.*

How I Learned About Study Abroad Opportunities

Coming into college, study abroad was always something my mom encouraged me to look into. Because of this, we attended the orientation meetings about it and I kept my ears open for programs recommended for my major by my professors. As an underclassman, I would recommend researching study abroad opportunities and think about the type of program you want and if you want to go during a summer or semester. The study abroad office and website is a great resource if you are looking for information on study abroad!

I knew I wanted to do a group study program where other NC State students were there, so I mainly looked into NC State Prague until I realized Florence was an option. Once I had this realization, I knew this was where I wanted to go.

You do not have to do a group study program or even a program listed on NC State’s website, you can find your own program or become an exchange student as long as you are able to transfer your classes correctly! I just knew I wanted a group study because I was going alone and had never travelled before!

Pre-Departure Preparations

I do this thing where I try to act like I don’t care about something I’m worried won’t happen because I try to convince myself not to get my hopes up so I won’t be disappointed. This was me pretty much all of the study abroad application process. The summer, even the year before, people would ask where I was going and I was always hesitant to answer because I was scared I wouldn’t get in. I was the same way when applying to colleges. 

I learned when I met with my study abroad advisor that, at least at NC State, if you do not get into the program you apply for (unlikely), they will help you find another program and make sure you still get to go abroad that semester. They recommend only applying for one program because the fee is something like $400, and they are there as a resource if you don’t get in for some reason. 

There is one thing about the study abroad application process- it makes sure your responsible.

There are so many technical things you have to handle- your application, pre-class approval, your passport, your student visa, health insurance- it makes sure you can handle what you are getting into.

How I was able to afford Study Abroad

I faced many moments of financial-related panic during the application process, such as the moment I realized I needed nearly $4,000 in my account to prove to the Visa office that I wasn’t going to be on welfare, that made me think study abroad may not be an option for me. 

I knew at this moment that I needed to start applying for scholarships. I am lucky that my financial aid package covers nearly all of a typical NC State semester and that it transfers to study abroad, but a study abroad semester costs nearly twice as much as an in-state NC State semester. However, if you are an out of state student, it is probably cheaper to study abroad!

Like I said, after seeing this cost breakdown and realizing I needed $4,000 sitting in my account, I knew I needed to start applying for scholarships. I learned about the Gilman Scholarship through my study abroad office because there were alumnae presenting their follow-on projects. The Gilman Scholarship is available to 2-4 year university students that are studying abroad and receive the Pell Grant in their financial aid package. If you receive the Pell Grant, definitely apply for the Gilman Scholarship! It requires a follow-on project but it is an amazing honor and networking opportunity! They give out over 3,600 scholarships each term for up to $5,000!

Departure Day

The anxiety levels are through the roof. The idea of getting on an 8+ hour plane to live in a new country where I know no one was terrifying.

I flew from Charlotte, NC to my layover in Munich, Germany then to Florence, Italy completely alone. Other than a short flight to NYC when I was 16, this was the only time I had ever flown. Navigating the airport and tackling this adventure alone was definitely something that made me grow as a person.

Arrival

When I arrived in Italy I was terrified. No kidding, if you would have offered for me to fly back home the second I got there, I would have left. If I had known my experience was going to be cut drastically short, I probably wouldn’t have been as scared as I was. The thought of being in a foreign country with no one I knew for nearly 6 months was a lot to take in, and the jet lag wasn’t helping. 

My Roommate 

Change is always something that has been really hard for me to navigate. Coming into college my freshman year was tough. I didn’t have any girl friends at NC State, and I didn’t know how to make them. Friendship groups formed very quickly around me and I found myself alone most of the time.

Luckily, NC State and LdM placed me with the best roommate I could ever ask for. Seriously, she was a lifesaver for me and is now my best friend. Her name is Emily and she is the sweetest, kindest, friendliest roommate you could ask for and she is outgoing- something I needed. I don’t know how my study abroad experience would have been without her!

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The social environment while studying abroad was completely different from what I experienced in college. Everyone was super friendly and welcoming and wanted to make friends and plans with each other. I became friends with girls I’ve known since freshman year but never been close with. 

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The friendships you build in study abroad really are very close. You just cling to each other because you’re in this foreign place and you have things in common, you’re here together.

Welcome to Florence!

I studied abroad at Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy and it was the most amazing experience. The classes I took were Trend Forecasting, Visual Merchandising, Fashion Entrepreneurship, Luxury Brand Management, and Italian. My Trend Forecasting and Visual Merchandising classes had field trips to Milan and museums around Florence and my Luxury Brand Management class had trips to the luxury stores! I loved getting the fashion industry perspective from my Italian teachers and learning about the industry from those actively working in it!

Florence is such an amazing place to study abroad because there are so many fun things to do and great places to try!

One of our favorite things to do was climb the hill, or the Piazzale Michelangelo! Its this huge hill of steps but once you get to the top you have the most beautiful view of Florence and you can sit and drink wine while listening to live music!

Another thing I did that was a favorite of mine was sitting outside the Duomo eating cheese and drinking Aperol Spritz at restaurant on the corner!

Emily and I tried allllll the gelato and let me tell you, SBrino is the place to go! We actually lived on the other side of the Arno river, across from the Pitti Palace and the Boboli gardens! I was a little bit of a walk to get to class, but we loved getting to see the river and her beauty every day!

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How to Travel While Abroad

When thinking about studying abroad, I was terrified I wouldn’t make any friends and would miss out on traveling and other opportunities. I was also nervous about planning trips on my own because I have never traveled alone before. Because of this, I was so excited to see that Lorenzo de Medici offered weekend trips through the school nearly every other weekend. We had the option to sign up for all of them before arriving in Italy and be guaranteed to get our requests or we could sign up a few days after we got there but may not get all our picks. Studying abroad alone was a really daunting idea for me and the thought of these trips was the one thing that felt more excitement than fear, so I signed up for all of them so I knew I would be able to travel even if I didn’t make friends. I actually wouldn’t recommend doing this. You’re going to make friends, I promise. Even if you think you won’t, you will. And you’re going to want to travel with them. I only ended up going on the Rome trip with the school due to COVID, and luckily Emily had signed up for this one too, but there were so many times Emily was making plans and I wished I could go with her but I had committed to the school trips. The school trip was amazing and I’d reccomend Rome woth the school, but I would wait to sign up until you get there so you can plan with your peopel.

Even if you are worried about traveling with your friends, I promise it is so much easier than you think. Traveling on your own is easier than you think and even if you want a more structured trip, there are several travel companies, such as Bus2Alps and Smart Trips, that will be spamming you with flyers and information on the first day. They will seem kind of sketchy with their aggressive approach, but we went to Interlaken with Bus2Alps and it was amazing. You can do everything they offer (transportation, housing, activities) or you can select what you want to use them for and build your own trip! Read more about my Bus2Alps experience here!

I recommend waiting and planning trips with your friends, but you should definitely think about the places you want to go and even if your friends don’t want to, make sure you go everywhere you want to go so you don’t regret it!

Rome

I went on the Rome trip with the school and I would recommend their trip. Rome is huge so it was very helpful to have the bus there to transport you from the Vatican to the Trevi Fountain to the Colosseum and the Ruins! The school will make sure you see all the amazing sights you need to see in Rome and that you get your Lizzie McGuire moment!

Venice

Emily and I did Venice in a day by waking up early and taking the train there and back! It was not as difficult as you would imagine, you just have to make sure to switch trains when you are supposed to. We went to Venice during the carnival so we got to see the city and all its beauty as well as the fun costumes and festivities!

Interlaken, Switzerland

We visited Interlaken, Switzerland with Bus2Alps and it was literally the peak of study abroad! We rode the bus there Thursday night, stayed in a hostel, and came back Sunday! While we were there we went paragliding, kayaking, hiking, and did a cliff walk up on First. I loved Switzerland because it was beautiful but also because we really experienced this trip rather than just looking at sights and museums. Read more about my Bus2Alps experience here!

COVID

On the way home from Interlaken, we started hearing rumors about Milan study abroad students being sent home and worrying that the same would happen to us. We heard a lot of back and forth rumors throughout the week, and unfortunately were told we had to leave the next weekend. We were heartbroken and wanted to stay more than anything.

The Impact Study Abroad Had on Me

Study abroad changed my life forever. It provided me with a best friend, exposed me to new experiences and cultures, and gave me the college experience I’d always dreamed of. Since my study abroad experience ended so early, it has made me appreciate experiences and happy moments with people I love so much mroe. It has made me want to travel the world and experience new things more than I ever did before.