By Sam Cohen, University of Maryland | ISI Florence Spring 2026
As my semester abroad begins to come to a close, I think back to myself in December, watching videos of what to pack, must-try spots in Florence, and everything you need to do while studying abroad. These videos stressed me out – what if I got something wrong or forgot a certain item?
Instead, I’m taking this opportunity to share advice and notes I would have wanted to hear before my semester abroad. This isn’t an all-encompassing list, rather, this is some of what I learned outside of the classroom this semester.
1. Finding ways to connect to your roots or interests when traveling makes it personal
Many students who study abroad in Italy have Italian ancestry. While I don’t have Italian ancestry, I am Jewish, and my culture is a core part of my identity. This semester, I got to visit the Venetian Ghetto, the synagogue of Florence, and the Anne Frank house. I found that visiting synagogues and Jewish sites I traveled to allowed me to put myself in context.
Find ways to connect to your culture or identity while you’re traveling. If you are an artist, try to visit an art museum in every city. If you are religious, look for churches, mosques, synagogues, or temples from your culture. Try food from your culture in other cities and see how they prepare it differently. Visit a place where you know you have ancestry. Connecting with a place on a personal level adds an entirely different meaning to your travels.
2. You might get sick here, and everything will be okay if you do
About halfway through my semester abroad, I fell sick with tonsillitis. As someone who had never had tonsillitis or strep throat previously, getting this kind of sickness was uncharted territory. ISI was incredibly supportive and made me feel at ease. I saw a doctor from MedInAction at my apartment, went to a specialist via taxi, went to the emergency room, and got blood drawn for testing.
I learned how to navigate a foreign medical system and advocate for myself. It is important to trust your intuition in every aspect of your life, especially when it comes to your health and safety. If you are abroad and feel like you should see a doctor, either reach out to one or contact ISI.
3. There are lots of different roommate and housing situations – they all work out!
I met my roommate through our major and various clubs at our home university. One day, on a walk back from class, I found out that she was also planning on studying in Florence, and we agreed to live together. We’ve had a great semester, growing closer through experiencing new lives in a new country.
Every person I’ve met through ISI has a slightly different housing situation – some people picked their roommates, and some went random; some are close with their roommates and travel together every weekend, while others spend most of their time with friends outside of the apartment.
In any living situation, it’s important to set reasonable living expectations. Chat with your roommates before the semester starts – in addition to the typical roommate questions, ask:
- How often do you expect to travel?
- How often do you expect to travel together?
- How should we leave the apartment if we go away for the weekend?
- Is it okay to leave laundry hanging?
- Who will take out the trash?
To get a different perspective, I chatted with my friend Nyla Gimza from Arizona State University, who opted for ISI to match her with roommates. She filled out a questionnaire about daily habits, noting that it was important for her to have roommates with similar class schedules. Gizma was paired with fellow architecture students and has had a very successful semester getting to know them through classes, dinners, and going out together.
Gizma’s advice is to branch out and meet new people regardless of your roommate situation. Studying abroad is a great chance to build new friendships.
4. Solo adventures are wonderful
While I didn’t take any solo trips, I tried to have some solo moments throughout my travels and time abroad. Taking time for your own interests rather than sticking with your group the entire trip can be very fulfilling.
If you are very social like me, you might find yourself making friends when you are alone. The women I met on a bus in Barcelona and the family I met in Athens allowed me to branch outside of the study abroad bubble.
In Florence, I visited museums, climbed the Duomo, ate dinner, took walks, explored new spots, and got gelato by myself. Each experience helped me understand myself better and gave me the chance to do what I wanted.
5. Make sure you know your comfort food and where to find it
This semester, I learned that my comfort cuisines are Japanese and Mexican. I definitely took advantage of food delivery apps like Glovo and Deliveroo, which were useful when I was sick or just didn’t feel like going out to eat or grocery shopping.
I found it tricky to cook Mexican food in Florence and have become much more appreciative of the range of ingredients available in the U.S. For Japanese and Asian-style cooking, I made a few trips to Yami Mart for ingredients such as sesame oil and sriracha. I also bought two packs of gyoza, which became a great dinner option when I returned late from weekend trips.
I also found comfort in cooking meals similar to what I eat at home. My mom sent me several recipes that I recreated in my apartment – particularly a balsamic chicken dish. As I learned more about Italian cooking, I put Italian twists on my favorite recipes.
Different aspects of culture shock impact people differently. For me, I felt a slight culture shock from only eating carb-heavy Italian food at first, so I adjusted by creating a balance between discovering Italian food and maintaining my typical diet.
6. It’s important to take time to explore your host city and country
Everybody enters their study abroad experience with different travel expectations – some people plan to travel internationally every weekend, some plan a mix of international trips and exploring Italy, and others only plan to leave Florence a few times over the semester.
Regardless of your expectations, I would recommend setting some time aside to stay local for at least a weekend or two. Embrace being a tourist – climb the Duomo, visit the Uffizi (show your university ID card for €2 tickets), explore the gardens, take a walking tour, and live out your touristy dreams.
Ask your professors and other locals for recommendations. I love to eat, so my plans are often food-oriented. Some of my favorite places to eat were mentioned by my professors or locals I met while waiting in line at bars, including my go-to sandwich spot, Fermentino, and my favorite cappuccino at Cibrèo Caffè. I also enjoyed “discovering” the local bars and hangout spots for college students.
Italy has so much to offer, too. I received advice from a friend who had studied abroad – explore your host country to really get a sense of the culture. Prior to my time abroad, I thought of Italy as a monolithic, homogeneous culture, but my time across the country has taught me so much about regional diversity.
7. I found joy in documenting moments for myself
I’m a photographer and I keep a journal, so I have thousands of photos and words from this semester. I entered this experience with the intent of photographing, posting, and writing to remember this unique time in my life.
Lots of people I know have documented their time abroad in different ways – taking photos, writing, junk journaling, posting on their travel Instagram, sketching, tracking restaurants, making TikToks, and even more. I would suggest doing what you think will realistically work for you – there is absolutely no need to overcommit yourself.
In a world of constant sharing and posting, I have been able to find a balance between documentation and living in the present. Studying abroad is an exciting experience full of challenges, new opportunities, and growth.
The most important piece of advice I have to share is to soak up every moment – appreciate everywhere you go. Ground yourself by isolating your senses: what can you see? What can you hear? What can you feel? Remembering to take a pause in the present is the greatest gift you can give yourself in the future.