Italy | USC Education Abroad

Keeping My Hobbies Alive Overseas

Not everything about going abroad has to be brand new. Some things can still feel like home. For me, the biggest example is dance, something I have done for as long as I can remember. I danced competitively from ages 9 to 18, and currently minor in dance at USC. For this week, I wanted to write about how dance has kept me grounded for my first few weeks in Milan. When I was narrowing down my schools roughly a year ago for the IB requirements, I was pretty certain that none of

Europe

Jordan Tucker

Mar 22 min read

How to Spend Your Birthday Abroad (feat. The Winter Olympics)

If you're reading this, I'm assuming you are interested in going abroad at some point during college. There's a decent chance your birthday will also happen during your time in another country. Coming from someone that usually doesn't plan a lot for her birthday, I knew I had to make this one special. I'm writing this after an incredible weekend where I turned 21 this past Monday. Along with sharing my experience, I want to explain what made my special day feel so great. Befo

Europe

Jordan Tucker

Feb 183 min read

Observations from Milan

Hi everyone! I’ve been in Milan for a little over a week now and I wanted to come on here to share some views and some of my initial observations. It’s been quite a great experience so far and I am ready to share what the rest of the semester has in store! Observation 1: There are a LOT of dogs. When walking on the street, you will see all kinds of different dogs, most of which are purebred and distinct. I even saw one with a raincoat and matching boots on a rainy day. I live

Europe

Jordan Tucker

Feb 112 min read

Clips from Journal Entries Before Leaving Abroad

Hi everyone! My name is Jordan and throughout this semester I will be blogging about my experience at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy! For some background, I am a junior in the International Business program with a second major in Economics and minors in Spanish and Dance. I am typing this in Milan, but gathered my thoughts about leaving for abroad beforehand, so before the fun part, I want to talk about my feelings leading up to landing in Italy from past personal journal

Europe

Jordan Tucker

Feb 32 min read

Where My Study Abroad Journey Begins

Ciao, Gamecocks! I’ve officially arrived in my new home, Florence, Italy, and have spent the past 48 hours adjusting to an entirely new lifestyle. Florence is incredibly bustling, especially considering how narrow the streets are. For comparison, I’d describe it as similar to Charleston: a beautiful, historic city with the commotion of a much larger city, like Chicago. Street vendors in Florence The biggest shock so far has been how accustomed Italians are to living among suc

Europe

Hannah Fleming

Jan 262 min read

Favorite Florence Study Spots!

1. 25Hours Hotel This was hands down my favorite study spot and the place where I was consistently the most productive. Located inside a luxurious and modern hotel themed around Dante’s Divine Comedy, its rooms are inspired by Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. In the lobby, you'll find a stylish mix of a café, restaurant, lounge, and courtyard. What made this space stand out was that, unlike most cafés in Florence, you weren’t expected to purchase anything to stay and study. The d

Brooke Barba

Nov 21, 20253 min read

SAI Viva Experiences!

The study abroad program I chose was called SAI, and it was a third-party program that partnered with my school. I am so glad I chose this program, as I found everyone to be super helpful, and I got to meet students from schools all over the U.S. One of my favorite parts of SAI was that they offered Viva activities throughout the semester that were included in our tuition. Every Wednesday, the next week’s activities would be announced, and you could sign up. Now I will go thr

Brooke Barba

Nov 21, 20253 min read