Ahhh Florence, good times. It was one of the first places I visited when I "studied" abroad in Rome. To explain it simply, Florence is a big personality in a little body. It's a fairly small place, but there is so much to do. I love it for the mere fact it's a Renaissance city. The art, the fashion, everything is so beautiful. The food helps too.

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

You can't see Rome in a day, but you can most definitely see Florence in a day. Everything is walking distance. The top sites are: Il Duomo, Michaelangelo, the Campanile or Bell Tower, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, and Palazza Vecchio. If it's nice outside the Boboli Garden is absolutely necessary. I more or less wanted to see the gelato, the pizza, the pasta, and the wine. Forgive me for thinking like a fat kid 90% of the time.

Of course out of all monuments the first place we went to was Pizzeria O'Vesuvio. Normally, when people compare my town in South Jersey to The Jersey Shore tv show, I shake my head. BUT, I really wanted to see Snookie's underwear hanging in the pizza place just to say I saw Snookie's underwear hanging in the pizza place. It shockingly wasn't overrated at all. The pizza was awesome.
We burned off some pizza by walking to the top of the Duomo which is one of my top favorite monuments in Europe. You can't beat that view of the city. Plus how could I leave Europe without a Duomo picture? Blasphemy.

When the girls and guys saw the San Lorenzo market we were in a trance. There's leather everywhere and for everyone. However, I knew beforehand to be weary of what was real and what wasn't. I decided to save my money for more food.

Piazza Santa Maria Novella

The architecture here is incredible, I can't say it enough. I wish back then I didn't have such a crappy digital camera. So my suggestion for anyone visiting, not even just Florence, is to make sure you have a good camera because there's nothing worse than looking back on blurry, low-quality photos.
A great place we ate for dinner was La Grotta di Leo. LOOK AT THESE GNOCCHI. Go. Don't question it, just go. I like to call myself a furu, a food guru. But before dinner you must must must go to the top of the city before sunset. Grab your friends and a bottle of wine (or in my case boxed wine) and see how stunning Florence is from up there. It's something money can't buy.
My friends and I went to a bar called Twice. I'd say it's pretty well known by all of the students there. We also went to club Space. I'm not particularly into sweaty Italian men rubbing on me, so I much more preferred the local Irish pub, I feel safe there. However, they were both packed and still fun nonetheless.
There is just one thing here though, that I have not found anywhere else in the world. A gelato waffle sandwhich. It's like a Big Mac for Italians.