For the past month and a half, I have been eating, digesting and doing a bit of studying in Florence, Italy. As an Art History major, I am thrilled to be immersed in the birthplace of the Renaissance, learning from amazing professors and directly engaging with the pieces I am learning about. Yet, having to navigate a new city on your own, in a country with an unfamiliar language and culture, can often be a difficult transition, and not as glamorous as you’d imagine…. Like the time my roommates and I walked across town in search of a grocery store on our second day in Florence, carrying our 30 pounds of food back with us, only to realize we lived a block down from a large supermarket. A classic study abroad fail….

My walk to class!

Yet, in just a matter of weeks, I have learned so much about myself, about art history and also, a lot about my career goals and future. Although developing career skills may not be the first thing that comes to mind when picturing your general study abroad experience, I have developed important characteristics that can be easily translated into my professional development. I believe that by challenging myself while abroad, I will become more confident and self-assured when faced with the professional world. I can apply the skills I have learned to navigate yet another new place, once I graduate and enter the “real world”.

My apartment’s view.

For example, communication is a very valuable skill I have gained due to the language barrier here in Italy. Although many do people speak English, and I have a background in Italian, nonetheless, proper communication can be a challenge. For example, trying to explain to my elderly landlords, who don’t speak a word of English, why the wifi isn’t working once again in the 300-year-old apartment, did not always go over smoothly. From this trying experience, and still not successfully being able to explain the concept of wifi in Italian to an elderly couple, I gathered that learning how to communicate with varying personalities under all sorts of circumstances is very important. In the professional world one is inevitably faced with working with people whose opinions and viewpoints clash with your own.

While in Europe, I have had the opportunity to travel to many different countries and cities. From this experience, I have learned that planning ahead is vitally important to success, especially when things go wrong. Having a back-up plan and thinking of strategies ahead of time will come in useful when your connecting plane is delayed, making you miss the only flight departing home that day. This skill can be directly applied in the professional world, as life never really goes according to plan. Coming prepared, being aware of what could go wrong, and having a plan to work around these bumps becomes invaluable.

In addition, being abroad also expands your horizons. This sounds stereotypical, but in reality, when you’re able to travel to cross a continent alone, without getting severely lost, or ending up in a different place than expected, you gain tremendous amounts of confidence in your ability to be a real “grown up”. Personally, I was able to spend half my time in France when I was growing up, so I have always had an inclination towards travel, and living abroad. Yet, my time spent in Italy on my own, without the security of my family or friends, certainly has reinforced the fact that I will be successful working and living abroad after graduation. Without going abroad, I would not have built the confidence to recognize this as a potential opportunity.

Finally, studying abroad makes you stand out and be more interesting. Having the ability to say that I studied Art History in Florence for 5 months while becoming well versed in Italian language and culture is incredible. It instantly makes oneself a more well-rounded and interesting person. Drawing on those experiences gives you a depth other people may not have and provides you with many stories to share with others, which may then become points to connect upon.

Firenze!