Italy | Panthers Abroad
Florence, Italy| Jojo West| Summer 2019 | Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design and Visual Communications
Why did you want to study abroad and to this location specifically?
I have never been out of the US and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity provided. I felt a study abroad was the safest and most cost-efficient way for me to travel to another country and get a full experience while being able to take courses to graduate on time. This location specifically because of the school we attended which is Santa Reparata International School of Art had the courses available for me to take that applied to my program.
In what ways was this country the most different from living in the U.S.?
Outside of the language barrier and obvious cultural differences due to location, a few differences I noticed were the food and living lifestyle. I knew Italians had great taste in food but the way it’s prepared, and the portions were amazing! I realized when I went across the ocean, Americans over-eat. After eating in Italy, I wasn’t tired, bloated and I felt full! Definitely changed my diet when I came home. Along with food, the cultural lifestyle the Italian people live (specifically in Florence) was interesting. The city has a loud-noise curfew in the residential areas, you can park however and wherever you can find a space, air-conditioning is scarce (electricity is different there…) and if you tip your server, its disrespectful. The best thing though is the wine. Phenomenal!
What did a typical day look like for you?
Monday — Thursday: I would wake up to the street cleaners and loud Italians getting ready for their day. Once dressed and leaving, I would stop at the coffee bar on the corner and get either a crema, which is like a coffee ice cream drink or an espresso to get ready for the day. Lucky for me, my apartment was a 5-minute walk to campus. I had Art History in the morning learning about renaissance artists; Michelangelo, Caravaggio and Bernini. We would have lectures in class some days, but we had the privilege of being in the prime location of museos and gallerias to see and be in the presence of the art we were learning about. After class, we would go out and explore Florence, eat and have fun until our next course, which was our studio electives. Intro to Photography: Discovering Florence through Photography was my studio and I had an amazing experience with this.
Friday: This is the day we would have field trips to other regions in Italy. We traveled to Tuscany, Venice, Siena, Portovenere and I took my own personal trip to Rome.
How much did this trip impact your educational experience and in what ways?
It impacted my educational experience immensely. Going abroad was a dream come true considering my college journey but also my financial background. I didn’t go about college in a “traditional” way and being an older student kind of made me feel like an outsider at UWM. So, going to Florence was my way of getting a true college experience before I graduated. While I had a great time in Italy, I was still taking courses. I take grades very seriously and unfortunately did not do as well in my history class. I was upset at first, but I realized that sometimes, grades just don’t matter and living in the moment was most important. I can raise my GPA again, but I can’t get back those memories and experiences of being in another country.
What was your favorite memory from the trip?
In Venice, we attended La Biennale which is one of the largest art exhibitions in the world. Being in that space with all of the art was so inspiring and it encouraged me to look at and process my own art in a personal perspective.
This could be you! Check out the options we have for studying abroad here. If you’re interested in learning more, the Center for International Education is located in Garland Hall, Room 138 or can be contacted at (414) 229–4846 and cie@uwm.edu.
