Written by Laura Segura (University of Virginia), Student Correspondent for CET Siena, Summer 2026
As my time in Siena is coming to an end, here are some pieces of advice I would give to anyone studying abroad in Siena over the summer.
Learn a few common Italian phrases before arriving
I made the mistake of thinking my Spanish would get me far in Italy since the languages can be so similar. It helped me to a certain extent, but I quickly realized that my Italian wasn’t as good as I thought it was when I started taking my Italian language class.
The most common Italian phrases you will likely be using will have to do with ordering food or asking for help. There are a lot of resources online already for essential phrases you should know, so I won’t list them here. Though, I do think it’s worth it to have some phrases already memorized to make your time abroad a little easier from the start. This leads to my second point:
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or ask for help
I found out Italian phrases I thought I understood meant something completely different. For example, my homestay grandma would tell me la cena è pronta. I thought this meant that dinner was soon, so when I was told this, I’d say okay and stay in my room until I was called again. When I’d come back out, it’d seem like they were waiting on me. After this happened 2 or 3 times, I found out that pronta means ready and NOT soon.
I was so embarrassed because I didn’t want my homestay family to think that I was ignoring them or being disrespectful. My immediate reaction was to just never speak or show my face again. I used to not ask as many questions about what something meant because I felt like a burden asking something every five seconds, but I realized that these types of mistakes and questions are part of the cultural exchange.
Come prepared for HEAT and no air conditioning…
Summer in Italy is very very hot. Since mid-June, the temperatures have been in the 90s consistently. Most places don’t have air conditioning either, which makes it hard to escape the heat. My biggest piece of advice is to wear breathable clothes and stay indoors during the hottest parts of the day. I don’t think you ever get used to the heat, but as long as you stay hydrated and indoors you will be fine.
Try to go to as many roommate activities as possible
Every week the CET local roommates arrange some sort of activity for us to do in Siena. We’ve done urban trekking, Contrada Museum visit, cooking class, and more! These activities are easy and free ways to discover parts of Siena you might’ve missed and have easily been one of the highlights of the program for me.
Make the most of your time in Italy…
Almost every weekend I’ve travelled somewhere new or tried to explore a new part of Siena. I’ve been to Florence, Piombino, Dolomites, Bologna and Lido di Camaiore. Since we only have eight weekends in the program, I’ve tried to do as much as possible. There’s so much to explore in Italy that it can get overwhelming, but it is so worth it. On the other hand…
But also, it’s okay to not always be on the move
Having back-to-back travel weekends can easily become exhausting. I felt guilty taking breaks from travelling, but in the end, you’ll be able to enjoy your time much more if you are well rested and take care of yourself. A weekend where you don’t travel isn’t a wasted weekend because there is still so much to explore in Siena. Italy will keep being there!
All in all, show compassion to yourself because you are in a different country. Not everything will be perfect or go according to plan. If you miss that train, fall for that tourist trap or make a fool of yourself in Italian, remember it is all part of the learning process.