Should I choose SEMESTER at SEA or STUDYING ABROAD in florence, ITALY?

Question

My parents told me that I would have to choose one of them...it seems impossible. If i go to semester at sea i would go with my best friend. but I just dont know if i could be away from home a whole semester! if i went to florence it would be alone, and it would be more educational. AH! help!

Answer 1

I actually did both of these - Semester at Sea my junior year of college, and got a post-BA certificate for one year in Florence.

I would say do Semester at Sea.  I went to so many countries on this program that I would have never gone to on my own.  I don't know what the current itinerary is, but when I went on SAS, I visited Cuba, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Japan.  India and Vietnam are now two of my favorite countries, and I would have probably NEVER have gone to Vietnam if it weren't for SAS.

Don't get me wrong.  Florence is an amazing city and I totally loved living there.  But it's also an uber-tourist destination, and you can go there anytime.  In my opinion, SAS is truely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

BTW, I learned a LOT in my SAS classes, and I actually changed my major to art history after returning to my college because one of the classes had such a huge impact on me.  Some people blow off the coursework aspect of SAS, but it's a great way to learn about the countries - culture, history, current politics, etc. - before visiting and helps you to appreciate each port of call even more.  So go to the classes and do the work.  It's also a chance to meet professors from universities other than where you study.  One of my professors wrote me some great letters of recommendation later because she knew me as a student in her class but also as a travelling companion and friend.  How do you beat that???

Answer 2

as you say, Florence would be a more educational trip. Plus, you can learn some Italian and make new friends. From Florence you can also easily reach cities like Rome, Pisa, Siena, Bologna, Venice... so sightsee and get to know to a lot of beautiful and famous places.

Answer 3

Visit Florence for a few days... you may want to study in Perugia instead. Google it for more information. Perugia is one big campus.

Answer 4

i recently posted a whole shabang about how much i adore Semester at Sea.  check it out.  do it, you won't regret it.  who says that living in florence, italy will be more "educational"?  you make what you want of a trip, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  be prepared to see things most people can only imagine.  semester at sea was the best time of my life and i guarantee it will be yours, too.