Arriving in Venice was one of the most intimidating and exhilarating experiences I have ever had. The people in Italy drive aggressively at crazy speeds, so I was grateful to have my feet on solid ground and no automobiles in sight. I was so breathless by the beauty of such a historical city, the buildings and streets seem to have been untouched by time. You could almost believe it was something from a history book if there were not dozens of tourists on every street holding selfie sticks.
I have always enjoyed getting outside of my comfort zone and these first few weeks have been no exception. Conversing with classmates, professors, and waiters?started out as a rather difficult process. I have found that communicating with locals has a steep learning curve, and the more often you attempt to speak Italian the better you get. The people here have been very kind from what I have experienced, always helping you to pronounce phrases or send you in the right direction when lost.
Class syllabi are extremely ambiguous, which is so frustrating coming from a university where every deadline and task is outlined in clear detail. Other students seem to be very okay with this, so I have tried to stay calm and go with the flow. It is also difficult to prepare for final exam (there is typically only one exam for each class – the final), because there are not quizzes or homework to help you gauge if you are learning the material in the correct way. Most students have told me they rely heavily on professors posting old exams, and studying similar materials that have been used on the tests in the past.
When I first arrived in Italy, it felt like a vacation. It was easy to go out to eat for each meal, and spend money every day on silly tourist things. Now that we have settled into our apartment, and school is in full swing, it has been much easier to go grocery shopping and eat at home for almost every meal. This has greatly helped my budgeting, and I hope to improve even more as the semester continues.