Tips to enjoy your #studyabroad trip to Florence

Mallory Bazan is an API student contributor to our Tumblr blog, and will regularly report on her adventures in Florence, Italy.

To Have and To Have Not

We have all been there. You are sitting next to the person who can do everything, because they have the money, because they got luck of the draw, because somehow, maybe, the universe just favored them.

And again we’ve all been on the other side of the scenario at one point or another; having to figure out how to enjoy something you CAN afford, got, won, or saved for, while another person can’t.

Welcome to studying abroad.

The good news is that there are things to do at basically ANY budget, however it does take time and effort to figure out what they are, and to resist going one way or the other simply because another person can’t or doesn’t want to.

We’ll start with the program—what isn’t equal? Well, basically anything to do with your apartment. Why? Simply because there is no way to find living space for 200+ people in a historical city with only minimal differences.

Everyone here has a decent workable apartment, just don’t expect them to be carbon copies. Apartments have different sizes of rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, different types of appliances all at different ages. Some have balconies some don’t. Some face monuments; some face the backside of hotels. Some internet is barely manageable, some is buonissimo.

The point is that they are all livable.  But you may see apartments which have better attributes, or may deal with people see yours and now view their apartment as lesser.

Be prepared for this. And understand that you are not abroad to enjoy the confines of an apartment. You came here to study and enjoy this new country and culture you have put yourself into.

The second (and possibly more problematic) situation you will have to deal with is dealing with people who are either above or below your financial status.

The first thing to do is to know your budget and its flexibility (preferably before you even arrive at your designation).

The second thing to do is communicate what your budget is to your housemates and friends. Either make sure they know you have a lower budget, and then work together on how this will fit, or acknowledge your budget may be higher than theirs and offer to be flexible when it comes to group expenditures.

I will repeat the fact that no matter your budget, there are plenty of things to do in your specific destination.. Of course on a larger budget there are many travel booklets that will recommend you the top places for any activity of your wishing. For budgeted study-abroad you may have to dig a little bit more, or be a little more creative, to find activities in your price-range, but there are still many to be had. A few words of advice that have stuck with me and some favorite recommendations on free or inexpensive activities are as below:

1.     Explore, simply walk around your new city. Pack a snack and a water bottle to save on shopping costs.

2.     Go to museums. Many museums have discounts for students and some API programs may offer regional membership cards that will get you in for free (check with your specific program for details).

3.     Have a five course meal…..at home. Or if you want a restaurant experience without the 5 course price tag, try aperativo—usually a 8-10 euro price tag that comes with a drink and a buffet of tapas-like food (do keep in mind the tab usually increased if you wish to dine seated).

4.     Travel inside your host country. Bus fares can be minimal and day trips with a packed lunch (and no need for a booked hostel) can end up being quite inexpensive when planned ahead.

5.     As far as grocery shopping, stay away from small convenience shops, as they will tend to be more expensive, and when in the “bigger” grocery stores make sure to stop and compare prices, check the lower shelves for cheaper goods, and buy bargain brands for what you can. This will give you the opportunity to make big, delicious, meals without a big price tag.

6.     Really tight on cash but still want to enjoy the night life? The easiest way to save money when going out is simply to abstain from alcohol. This not only will keep you well in line with API’s regulations, but also your host country’s laws, and you budget will not be bled dry.