Ruby Chetty

Overall Experience

I had the privilege of studying for a full semester in Florence, Italy! I was able to learn so much about Italian culture, while meeting tons of new people, connecting with my professors, and really getting to enjoy where I was. I was in Florence for the full spring semester learning about philosophy, psychology, and even how to pair food and wine in Italy.

Learning experience

The most valuable learning experience I encountered abroad was when I got to learn to be okay with things that may go wrong. We traveled often and had many delays, and while I am used to having everything planned perfectly, there was nothing I could do about public transport delays or rain that canceled activities. Throughout this semester, I learned how important it is that just because something might not go the way I had originally planned, it does not mean that it isn't still going to end up amazing.

Memorable experience

My most memorable experience was in my food and wine pairing class. In this class, we would make a dish and then be given two wines so we could pair our food and see which wine paired best and why. During our finals, we had to make a dish completely memorized and pair it with a mystery wine that they gave us. Being in this type of environment really was such a fun place, and my group and I had a blast going through our recipe and eventually pairing it with a sweet wine that went almost perfectly with our dish. We made mistakes for sure, but it was so fun and overall, our professor said our dish was great and we had done a great job in the course.

What did you not expect?

Something I did not expect from this trip was how many people I would meet and how close we would become. I knew coming in that there would be a lot of different people, but the environment in Florence was just so welcoming that making friends came so easy without even trying. I had a great time meeting new people, and our program threw a welcome dinner where we just got to eat delicious food and socialize with other people in our program. Meeting new people has changed the manner in which I approach my life and profession because I want to work with kids, and this experience gave me a newfound confidence and appreciation for all of the different people and how enjoyable it is to get to know others around me.

What advice would you give?

For other students who want to study abroad, I would say that you really should live life to the fullest. Say yes to things you wouldn't have imagined yourself doing, and take that extra 2 minutes to meet someone new. You never know how it could change your life. Take all the opportunities to do what you want, and don't forget to really be present throughout your time there:)

How has this experience impacted your life?

This experience has definitely impacted my life for the better in many ways. Through this experience, I was able to really step out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and do things that I never thought I would be able to. Personally, I feel so much more in touch with myself and those around me because living in a whole different country for a semester can show you the struggles, but also the amazing things about community and being present, no matter where you are. In the long term, this program has impacted my comfort level in meeting new people and really being able to open up to my surroundings, even if there happens to be a language barrier.

How did you learn about this experience?

I first learned about this international opportunity through the study abroad program during Admitted Students Day, the spring before my freshman year of college. As soon as I heard that I could go abroad for a full semester and learn all about another culture during my school years, I was sold.

International Connections