As the weeks passed, I got to know my way around our tiny island and was able to focus more on school. This was a good thing, as school came into FULL swing mid-March. The way the system is set up here, each semester is broken into two terms so classes are much shorter than back home. I was fortunate enough to allow my class schedule to work out so that I could take all four of my required courses in the first term, allowing me the entire second half of the semester to travel. This plan has also helped me budget my finances much better than expected; I was so consumed with school in the first half that I really only bought groceries and a lot of coffee. I was able to take a very cheap flight to London for a weekend, and my view from the London Eye can be seen in the image below. While this trip was very fun, we were in the city only days prior to the attack at Westminster Abbey, which was quite frightening to think about. We have been reminded countless times to stay aware here, and to be vigilant of our surroundings, all for good reason. My classes wrapped up at the end of March, and we had a sort of “dead week” where there weren’t any classes or exams, and then tests were help the following week.
The lack of communication between faculty and students, and between the school and faculty, is very frustrating. The syllabi handed out (if they are handed out) simply outline what topics will be covered, but mention nothing about exam dates, modified days of classes, nature of exam, etc. Most of the information is distributed orally, not always in class, but often when a professor passes a group of his students and mentions to them that class is canceled tomorrow. This is why it is vital that you stay aware and make friends whom you can ask what is going on. Most of the exams I took where between 3 and 10 questions, asking broad questions concerning the main topics of the class. Some professors ask very detailed questions, and unless you can find this information out beforehand, it is best to study ALL the material given, which can be extremely overwhelming but more manageable if started early.
One of my professors held an “informal” exam, for those of us who wanted to take it prior to the June testing, but apparently this is frowned upon by the university ?so he was unable to communicate about it via any type of online forum. While I am grateful I was able to take the exam without extending my stay here, this was very frustrating, and from talking to other students it happens often. Aside from a final exam, I had a professor instruct us to travel 2 hours outside of Venice to present a business proposal to a company. We had to find our own transportation, which included me walking about 25 minutes through a small Italian town trying to find this business. Upon arrival I learned that not a single person in the company spoke English and that all the other students would be presenting in Italian. Although my Italian skills have improved since arrival, I was clearly in no position to be presenting a final project in the language, and my professor allowed myself and another student to present in English, regardless of the fact that none of the board members could understand us. They all nodded and clapped appropriately at the end of my presentation, but I could not help but feel aggravated that our professor of an “English taught” class had disregarded his obligation to the university to be teaching in English. Students take these classes so they can perfect their English, and so that international students could be involved.
Overall it has been quite frustrating interacting with professors and school faculty, and I must say that I am glad to be done with classes. There is no one to go if you cannot find the information you need, and you are often left feeling helpless on the outside, as both an international student who does not speak the language and as a student (pupils are assumed to be incorrect most of the time, and often disregarded by faculty and staff). This experience will contribute greatly to my improved determination to succeed, as frustrating as it was I have not let it get me down and have completed all my courses successfully.?