By beginning your first semester abroad, you’ll:
- Expand your perspective on culture, education, business, politics, international relations, and more.
- Experience greater cultural immersion and improved foreign language skills by living with a host family.
- Set yourself apart with potential employers, and develop/strengthen your entrepreneurial skills and aspirations.
Preparing to Go
A Word about Passports
First things first. If you are even remotely considering studying abroad, apply for your passport immediately! The passport agency is experiencing long delays with passport processing, so it is important that you apply early. If possible, please use the expedited service. For full information on passports and how to apply, please visit the National Passport Agency web site.
Where to Start
You probably have a million questions about how to prepare, what to bring, and how you’ll handle daily activities in another country. Once admitted to the program, you will receive a “Preparing to Go” guide that is bursting with great tips to help you prepare for daily life in Florence or Strasbourg.
Safety & Security
The safety and well-being of our students is our utmost priority. Visit the Health & Safety pages to learn about our safety policies and procedures. This comprehensive resource contains an overview of practices, along with a 24-hour emergency number, and a link to the Student Handbook, which contains very detailed information on how to prepare for life within another culture.
Parent/Guardian Resources
Please visit the Study Abroad Parent pages, which have been designed to address your specific concerns regarding topics such as acculturation (culture shock and reverse culture shock), Who to Contact When (a list of helpful phone numbers), and Responsibility Guidelines (including Study Abroad, student, and guardians).
Hear from a Discovery Program parent.
Learn More About the Discovery Programs
- Review the details of your academic program
- We will host special Facebook groups for Discovery students and parents (invitations will be sent via email). If you have not received your invitation, please email lmraney@syr.edu.
Florence
Recommended Reading
- Beppe Severgnini’s La Bella Figura
Social Media Accounts
Get to Know Florence
- Frequently Asked Questions about Florence
- The Villa Rossa Voice, SU Florence’s Newsletter
- The Florentine (Florence’s English-language newspaper)
- 36 Hours in Florence video
Strasbourg
Recommended Reading
- The Art of Travel by Alain deBotton
- Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik
- Pure by Andrew Miller
- Suite Française by Irène Nemirovsky
- Dreaming in French: The Paris Years of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Susan Sontag, and Angela Davis by Alice Kaplan
Social Media Accounts
Get to Know Strasbourg
- Frequently Asked Questions about Strasbourg
- Strasbourg’s English language newspaper
- Writing Course Sample Syllabus [PDF, 98KB]
- History Course Sample Syllabus [PDF, 154KB]
- 36 Hours in Strasbourg video