<p>so guys here's the thing...I have the chance to go live in Milan, Italy going to school at the American School of Milan. I'd be living with an American family, but would still get a lot of the culture nonetheless.
What do you guys think you would do? Oh yeah, I'm a sophomore in high school!!!!! And do you think it's realistic to self-study the second half of AP World History? I've gotten all A's so far first semester. They don't offer it as a class over there, but you can take the exam.</p>
<p>i'm going on a year abroad to Portugal next year with AFS but i'll be in a portuguese school and with a portuguese family. </p>
<p>afs.org/usa</p>
<p>i sent a couple universities letters asking what they thought about it, when the dean of MIT came to my school(i live in boston) i asked her what a year abroad was worth when applying to universities and she responded with "GOLD!!!" i'll email the select few email's i've got though, i'm going to ask more. i just asked ivy league ones for the hell of it</p>
<p>I've been "abroad" twice, first in my sophomore year, when I went on student exchange to France for three months, and then the summer before my senior year, when I took a bio course (taught in English) in Italy. Actually, I'm technically "abroad" right now, since I'm Canadian, and in college at Penn. I don't know if I would've gone to an American school had I not had the experiences I just mentioned.</p>
<p>Heh heh evilasiandictator, the Italian girls mights not so easy! In the town I stayed in, Lanciano, girls tended to walk around literally linking arms with another girl, or girls, and their parents rarely allowed them out at night. But the experience is still very worth it! I'm a girl, so the girls' lack of easiness never bothered me anyway :)</p>
<p>go. i am a foreign exchange student in Portugal. I have been here for 3 months now and go back to america next july. I have loved everything about it so far. </p>
<p>the previous comment by jake, i am one of his friends with AFS in portugal. afs is an awesome organization. </p>
<p>It would be a life-changing experience indeed! If you like culture, which has done much to shape the western world, Italy has it in abundance!! It has much variety as well. The north is quite different from the central part, which is different from the south. The beauty of it is that the country is small enough to allow one to see all parts within a reasonable amount of time. And, each region has a wealth of towns, architecture and art of incredible appeal.</p>
<p>Milan, of course, is in the north and is very industrial, plus it is the financial center of the country. From there you can take excursions to the nearby lake district; Verona; Vicenza; Ravenna; Venice and so on. You MUST see Florence (if you have ANY artistic inclination) and the Tuscan countryside. The Riviera (Liguria) is dotted with totally charming towns and seaside vistas that you will remember fondly. Walk the Cinque Terre (five villages nestled along the cliffs and rocky coast) for an unforgettable experience.</p>
<p>Rome has not only the grandeur of an ancient empire still to be seen, but thanks to it is endowed with an aura of endless time, such a precious feeling and so humbling to be there and to know that a highly complex civilization has trod those same places for well over two thousand years! It is not called "the Eternal City" for nothing...</p>
<p>One thing to bear in mind is that Italy is also a very modern and up to date country, with all the advantages and problems that may bring. But, if you can look beyond the daily annoyances of contemporary life (which you will find in any country) to see, to absorb and finally to let the special heritage (that so- called "progress" has yet not overcome) of Italy become part of you, it will give you something that you will happily spend a lifetime with -- the assurance that its value is beyond measure.</p>
<p>i would love to go abroad while in college. maybe europe or western asia. it would be such of an experience. almost all of my cousins have gone abroad, from china to canada to denmark to us to italy to spain to germany to turkey etc... they said it was so great and gives u a great sense of responsibility.</p>