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“You may have the universe if I may have Italy.” Giuseppe Verdi
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Going abroad in your second year can be a scary prospect. Whatever you have heard, whatever you have seen; your Year Abroad will be a year to remember and to reminisce about. Memories will be made, and lessons will be learnt. The experience of a lifetime is ahead of you. Excited? Scared? Anxious? Here are a few helpful tips, to help you along the way, from those who have been there, done it, and lived to tell the tale…
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Whether you can’t wait to leave for Italy or you’re feeling slightly nervous about it, the chances are that you will feel homesick or university-sick at some point during your year in Italy. The best way of dealing with this Culture Shock is to expect it and then it will come as less of a surprise. The most common time for it to occur is as you return to Italy after the Christmas holiday; the first term of Erasmus still tends to feel as though you’re on holiday, but after Christmas it’s colder and rainier and it feels more permanent. Do not despair! It is most likely that everyone else is feeling the same so the best thing
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to do is not to bottle it up! A chat and a few glasses of prosecco and some pizza later and everything will begin to feel much better! Another way that you can combat homesickness is to stay in touch with friends and family in England and encourage them to come out and visit you in Italy – after they’ve seen where you’re living, they’re guaranteed to remind you of the amazing things about Italy when you’re feeling a bit down. The moral of the story is; don’t expect everything to be perfect all the time and make sure you share with your friends (they’ll be glad to know that you feel the same!)
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language courses Although you’ll get all the speaking practise you need and more while in Italy, you may find that your grammar and written skills may suffer. Each university will provide language courses to Erasmus students. Language courses not only keep your grammar in tip top shape but they are also a great way to get to meet your fellow Erasmus students. And they’ll be useful when it comes to writing those pesky essays. You may get the offer to attend a month long intensive language course during the summer at the Università per Stranieri in Siena or Perugia. You have about 4 hours of classes each day and there are trips at the weekends. It’s an excellent opportunity as other Erasmus students from all over Europe attend and then go off to their specific cities. It means that you are gently eased into the Italian lifestyle, and the Erasmus way of life, as well as helping you to become more confident with your Italian before moving off on your own. PAGE 6
erasmus student network
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It’s a good idea to find out if the university you’re going to has an ESN office, since they are used to seeing ERASMUS students year after year, with no idea what they’re doing! At the very least the office will act like university house at Warwick, and will be able to advise you on enrolment, module choices and even organise socials or trips around Italy. These are a really great way to meet people, make friends, and see Italy! Some ESN offices also help with finding accommodation, and arrange airport pickups for students arriving in Italy for the first time, although this depends on the university you’ll be attending. So in short, contact them!
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cultural differences
The dreaded Pausa!! This can vary depending on where you are in Italy and what size town/city you’re in, but as a general rule the Italian equivalent of a siesta called ‘la pausa’ is from 12.30-3. If you end up in a large city in the North of Italy its effects will not be as noticeable as in the South, as the pausa here is significantly shorter and the larger shops will remain open. If you do go far down south you may find yourself being the only person in a ghost town during lunch time: especially in the summer months the pausa can extend until 4.30/5 with almost all shops and cafés closing. Almost all shops and cafes will be closed on Sunday so bear that in mind. You’ll also find that offices will always open at the silliest times possible as
well as for the shortest amount of time they can get away with. It’s normal for them to be open for a few hours from 9-11 and then take an extended pausa and re-open at 4. Often they’ll only be open 1 or 2 days of the week as well. These rules will definitely apply to your Erasmus and ESN offices so make sure you know what hours they’ll be open or you may have a long wait in the nearby café. A trip to an Italian post office can be a baffling experience. But it is necessary, as you’ll need to go there to pay bills and possibly your rent as well. Very few people will be sending a package; most are there to pay bills. The post office WILL be packed. It doesn’t matter what time of day you go- it is always busy. You’re supposed to get a ticket for whichever service corresponds to what you need; you’ll soon find that it doesn’t matter which ticket you get just as long as you get one. You will probably be waiting a while so just make sure you don’t fall asleep waiting and miss your turn. In short, prepare yourself beforehand, leave yourself at least an hour
– it is necessary. Oh and remember, you buy stamps in a tabaccheria not the post office!! Italian men! Girls! This one’s for you. You’ve heard the warnings; you’ve prepared yourself; it’s going to happen and of course it does, almost as soon as you step off the plane you’ll hear the notorious “Ciao bella, come stai?” This may feel harmless, even flattering, but that’s only the start – Italian men can be very persistent.
It may be something to do with being English. Italian men have a very clear (but erroneous) idea about us. Going out at night in short skirts, wearing stilettos and with plunging necklines is definitely not the best move. Take your cue from people who know best: Italian women. It will make a lot of difference. No matter how annoying the “Ciao bella’s” can be, try and stay positive: how often will you be told you look pretty when you’ve got greasy hair, no make up, and wearing trackies?
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Bear in mind that although while you may have a clear grasp of the language before you arrive in Italy, culture and custom will be another matter. Here are just a few of the major cultural differences you’re likely to come across:
You’ve managed to escape the Bubble for a year, great! That is until the word ‘esame’ appears... Regardless of whether you are obliged to take them or not, it is worth weighing up the pros and cons. Obviously your initial reaction would be why? Yes, they can take up a lot of extra time reading that book that you will probably never understand, but you could learn something new. The vast majority of Italian exams are oral; they are an excellent way to push your Italian and a great practice for the Term 1 oral exam back at Warwick. The chances
are a lot of your Italian/ Erasmus friends will also be taking exams, so enjoy all the joint revision under the sun and start to put your head in study-mode in preparation for third year. Overall, although they are that little bit of extra work, it’s up to you how much effort you put in; you may be lucky and have an assessor who gives you ‘30 e lode’ as soon as your Erasmus face walks into the room! Although they don’t give any extra marks to your degree, the fact you have done them could push you into that next degree boundary, plus it looks great on a CV!
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accommodation
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Accommodation is one of the most important things you will have to consider when starting your year abroad. Where you live and who you live with will greatly influence your integration into Italian culture and your social life while you are out there. Finding accommodation in Italy is very different to house hunting in England; the best way to do it is to go out there (maybe get your parents to take you on a quick holiday!), book a room in a cheap hostel and then take a walk around the town looking at notice boards to find suitable descriptions of rooms with feasible rents. When you have selected a few places, either ring the number on the notice or nip round to the address to check out the room! This may seem a bit daunting, but it is all part of the adventure, and the great thing about Italy is that if you discover, after a few months, that you don’t really like where you are living, or who you are living with, there will always be another option for somewhere else to move to; people graduate throughout the year in Italy and so rooms become free regularly. Another way of
finding accommodation would be to contact the people that are there at the moment, or who have come back – they could tell you the best area to live in or give you the details of their accommodation. The same goes for the Erasmus students in Warwick at the moment – the resources are all there, you just need to use them! If you wish to get in contact with Erasmus or Warwick students, the Year Abroad Co-ordinator will be happy to help you! The key to true integration into Italian culture is to live with Italians; you will find Erasmus students all over the city and there will always be an Erasmus event that you can go to, but to improve your language the best thing to do is to live with other Italian students! This is not as scary as it sounds! They are friendly and welcoming and your Italian will improve simply by making friends with them. These are all just tips that you may want to keep in mind, whatever happens, wherever you end up, you will have an incredible time!
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university courses Given that the vast majority of classes at an Italian University are in Italian, you may as well make the most of the opportunity to study anything that you want!! From History of Art, to Astronomy, to Politics, to Dante, the university is your oyster… This is your chance to pick up a subject that you’ve always wanted to study or revisit one that you particularly enjoyed at school and the best part is that you’re still learning Italian while you do it! If you study another language at Warwick it might be worth taking a class in that language at your Italian university. As hard as it may seem to study French language or German literature in
Italian (!) you will find that the opportunity to practise the other language during your year abroad makes the transition back to your 3rd year courses in that language much easier at the end of the year! And on the plus side, once you’ve spent a year taking a translation class from Italian into French, going back to translating into English will feel like a walk in the park! Lectures at Italian universities are generally longer than we are used to, often between 2 and 3 hours, 2 or 3 times a week! They also start and finish later than we do, the earliest beginning at 7.30 am and the last ones finishing at 8pm in the evening! Although this can feel a bit crazy, especially the early start, there are often no seminars and the upside is that your Italian listening will improve really quickly! So take the chance to study something new and who knows what you might learn!
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every city. The best time to travel is probably either in September or April/May, the weather is warm and dry, but not hot enough to make sitting on trains for hours uncomfortable. Even the ‘sitting on trains for hours’ is a dazzling experience, as they often run either through the mountains, or along the coast, therefore there is always something beautiful to look at, and the cost of travel in Italy is so much less than in England, so you are able to go so much further for your money! Another thing to bear in mind is that your whole year group will be
spread across Italy, so you can all go and visit each other and see different parts of the stunning country without paying for accommodation! The aim for your year abroad is to improve your knowledge of the Italian language, but also your understanding of its culture and history; to do this you must travel to different areas in Italy and experience the wonders of a Napoletano’s or a Veneziano’s everyday life, immerse yourself in the intricate beauty of Italy’s culture. It is the most fun you will have in your university life!
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Travel is possibly the most exciting prospect that awaits you on your year abroad. Italy is a vast and complex country, the north and south are utterly different in climate, landscape, food, culture and accent. Travelling from one end to the other is a true education. The entire country is heaving with history, culture and divine panoramas. Whether it’s the Colosseum in Rome, Mount Vesuvius, Pompei, Le Cinque Terre, The Amalfi Coast, the Duomo di Milano or Piazza del Campo in Siena, there is something incredibly beautiful to see in
staying in touch
Living abroad can be a very daunting experience, but keeping in contact with your fellow colleagues, both in Italy, back at Warwick, as well as friends and family from home, even the University really does help. Remember you’re not the only one in your situation! Try to chat regularly with those also on their year abroad in Italy, you can learn a lot! It can be a comfort to know that you’re not the only one who has not got a clue how the postage system works, where the University admin offices are, or why the supermarket inconveniently has to close in the afternoon. Go and visit!! What more of a reason do you need to go and see another bella città! Keep in touch with friends at home. Just because you’re in a different country it does not mean you have to be out of the loop! Encourage friends and family to come and visit you, rather than you coming back
to England. This is a great opportunity to see another side to your new home, and show off your amazing Italian…a great confidence booster! Similarly, what you probably won’t be thinking about right now is starting 3rd Year, and rightly so. However, staying in touch with the friends you made in first year, those who will not be taking a year abroad, not only guarantees you a readymade social circle on your return but could also help with the dilemma of finding accommodation for Third Year, if you do not want to stay in Halls. It may be the last place you want to think of while you’re having the time of your life, dancing in the piazza, drinking prosecco, eating endless amount of gelato, studying Italian… but remember the Italian department and the International Office are always an email away if you ever have a concern, however small or large!
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It may be clichéd to tell you to make the most of it and that you’ll regret it if you don’t, but like all the best clichés it’s true. Your Erasmus Year is a once in a lifetime experience and once you’re back at Warwick you’ll wish you were back there. Trust us that throughout your 3rd and 4th years you’ll look back on it as the best year of your university career. As soon as those pesky exams come around at the start of 3rd year all you’ll want to be doing is spending all day outside soaking up the sunshine or enjoying an aperitivo. If you don’t make the most of this wonderful experience you will definitely regret it, especially when you hear everyone else’s stories.
Contributions by: Emma Banks Lucia Condron Amy Evans Rachael Fletcher-Brown Sara Jennings Designed by Jack Statham www.jackstatham.co.uk Produced for the University of Warwick Italian Society in 2011.
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