Tamara's Winter Abroad with AIM Overseas | Italy
Hi my name is Tamara and in June & July 2019 I spent my winter abroad through AIM Overseas studying Fashion, Events and Public Relations at IED Institute Florence, Italy.
At Murdoch University I am studying Marketing & Hospitality and Tourism Management.
My key factors for deciding to study a Winter Abroad program were:
- Increase employability
- Experience, learn about and immerse myself in a different culture and country
- Gain personal independence and confidence
- Make connections with those working & studying within my field of study/interest
A little bit about the program Fashion, Events & Public Relations, and my classes . . .
My
experience was attending an arts university in Florence, Italy. The program was
a short exchange, being only 3 weeks long during the Australian Winter university
holidays (European Summer Holidays).
My
course consisted of 4 units (Fashion Writing, Fashion event planning, Public
Relations and events and Branding). Each day I would have 2 three-hour classes
from 10am – 5pm with an hour lunch break.
The
program allowed me to work in a team with my class-mates to create a social
media marketing and branding strategy to improve a real Italian Brands exposure
and sales. Working so closely with a company allowed me to apply my learning
from university to a real-world situation.
The
course was a fashion course and being located in one of the fashion capitals,
placed us near museums and sites to visit and benefit our studies (e.g.
Ferregamo Museum and Gucci Museum). Additionally, being in Florence gave me
access to lecturers with a wealth of ecperience within the fashion and events
field and gave us contacts to use for the future.
A little bit about the city I lived in - Florence . . .
Florence
Italy is a very busy city surrounded by Tuscan Countryside, filled with olive
gardens and vineyards.
I
was in Italy during summer holidays and a European heatwave. The weather was
30-45 degrees each day.
I
stayed in the City Centre, walking distance from the museums, cathedrals and
university. At the end of my street was the most famous Duomo in Florence, Santa
Maria del Fiore.
The
city of Florence is more “Hip” and modern then other parts of Italy, with many
young people and more modern food ranges.
The
city is a walking city being very dense with small roads and a close proximity
to all important sites. During my entire stay I did not use a car as the train
station was nearby and travelling around Europe is much easier by train.
I travelled around Italy too! Whilst I was in Italy I travelled
to surrounding cities including, Naples (Pompei), Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre,
Rome, Milan and Bologna.
The best part about my Winter Abroad program was . . .
The last day. Whilst it was sad to say goodbye to all my classmates, we
reminisced about the amazing experience we had. We all celebrated the fact we
survived an intense course and thought back to all the fun we had on the
weekends, the travel around Italy we did and the how amazing it was to live
like an average Italian for a month. Saying goodbye was hard but celebrating all
we had learnt and the fun we had at our farewell event was an experience I will
never forget.
The struggles I experienced while completing my Winter Abroad program . . .
At first, It was a little
difficult to settle in because the university culture and teaching style in
Italy is so different from home. However, the lecturers were all very welcoming
and helped us all settle in.
A little bit about where I lived while studying and how I funded the program . . .
I
stayed in an apartment with 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a lounge and kitchen. I
shared my room with 1 other girl, and the apartment had a total of 4 girls. We
were located roughly 200 meters from my university and 700 meters from the City
Centre. The accommodation quickly became home and was perfect for the 3 week
stay.
I used an OS Help Loan to pay for
the program.
My advice to someone who is considering a Summer/Winter Abroad program . . .
Do it! You won’t regret studying
abroad, it’s such an eye-opening experience which truly immerses you into a
different culture more so than being tourist ever could.
- Tamara completed a Winter Abroad program with AIM Overseas in Italy
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