Istituto Lorenzo de Medici (IDM)

Any housing offered in Italy needs to be taken with an open mind. Housing in a major city such as Firenze is much different then the housing and utilities we're used to here in the U.S. I thought the location was absolutely amazing, directly in the heart of the city. The utilities and services were exactly what I expected and you're forced to adapt. If you have a low level of adaptability and can't easily adjust to a new culture of living then it could be difficult. You must have an open mind.

I went to Italy have never spoken Italian in my entire life. The Italians are so willing to help you out with the language and relish the opportunity to enhance their english by attempting to help you learn italian. If you go in with an open mind and embrace the culture and learning a new language there's no end to how much you can advance with the language. It's frustrating and difficult at first, as learning a new language always is. But if you're willing to continue to work at it you'll go far. The locals really appreciate you at least attempting to speak Italian, even if you're not even close. They see that as an extremely nice gesture on your part and will treat you accordingly and help you out with whatever you need in order to learn. Try and speak Italian as much as possible.

Classes in the Italian language were not the school's strongest point. Teaching methods largely focused on verbal instruction - but often resorted to using English, since many of the students in my class had little intention of learning the language well. My experiences in Italy, however, were greatly improved by sincere efforts I made to study the language on my own time, using the rather sparse written material on grammar and vocabulary that we were given. Such study was necessary, I found, not only to be cordial with native speakers in social situations, but were necessary for communicating with Italian people socially as peers, and as customers and guests and restaurants, shops, in train stations and on trains - to name just a few situations that inevitably arise.

Go with an open mind and whatever choices you make you should just follow through with them. I didnt have the greatest experiences with lorenzo but Italy and Florence was AMAZING!!! It changed my life :) ciaociao

I loved it- it was an amazing experience. I was really homesick and depressed and lonely at first, but I soon met some great people (including my best friend to this day), and I'm so happy I stayed! Try to meet and mingle with as many Italians and other foreign people as possible!

-Women: leave purses at home! Italians have a special verb for purse snatching. And it happens A LOT. -Bring comfortable shoes (that still look nice!) - the cobblestones are pretty, but can be hard on the feet (I still can't figure out how Italian women wear stilletto heels on them). -Bargin for anything. -Clothes dryers are difficult to come by (and expensive to use when you do), so bring light-weight, quick, air-drying clothes that still look nice. The Fiorentini DRESS UP, even if it's a trip to the bread shop downstairs from their apartment. -When shopping for bread, ask for "pane con sale" (bread w/salt) as the bread in Florence is quite tasteless. -There is a bakery on Via Faenza near the school (Il Fornaio?) that has amazing fruit tarts.