It is another guest feature and Olamide talks about his study abroad experience in Italy. This guest feature highlights the importance of looking beyond the study experience when considering studying abroad. It is important to ask yourself questions such as Is there anything else that draws you to the country outside of the study experience? Without considering questions like this, it might hugely impact your study experience. Without further ado, let’s delve into Olamide’s study abroad experience in Italy.

 Introduce yourself

My name is Olamide Dada. I am from Nigeria. I moved to Italy to pursue a Master’s degree.

What are you majoring in your Master’s program? And how are you finding it so far?

I’m doing a Master’s in International Human Resources Management at Rome Business School, Italy. 

So far, it’s been going on well. Being in business school for one year program means the workload is massive. I have a weekly assessment and sometimes bi-weekly, with loads of case study assignment. It feels stressful sometimes, but it’s been helpful to be updated and also good preparation for the real business world.

What was the application process like? 

The school application was quite easy, as I did everything by myself online. Once the school sends your admission letter and you have your tuition fees sorted out, the university gives you all the documents that make your visa application easy. I later discovered that the University has an office in Lagos, Nigeria where they run part-time programs. The manager in Lagos assisted me with documentation process towards my visa application. 

Interestingly, the school only offers part-scholarship on tuition fees which leaves an International student with huge costs to still bear.

Why did you choose to school in Italy?

I wouldn’t say I chose Italy but I chose the school. I already knew what I wanted to study, so I was in search of schools in Europe that offer the course. Though I had a variety of options, the school I am in happen to be more favorable to me because the program is for one year also with the opportunity for an internship. So these are the reasons and how I became an Italian student.

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Name 3 must-see places in Italy

Italy is a beautiful country with a lot of ancient and historical buildings. Luckily for me, my school is in the city that has the most attractive places to visit. 

1. COLOSSEUM:

 

The Colosseum is most likely to be the famous tourist attraction in Rome, Italy. It is the largest Amphitheatre with a capacity of 60000 to 80000 people. It was used mostly for plays based on classical mythologies such as gladiators and animal hunts.

2. PANTHEON

The word Pantheon is a Greek adjective meaning “Honor all Gods”. 

The Pantheon was first built as a temple to all gods. It is the best-preserved Ancient Roman monument. The fascinating thing about the  Pantheon is its giant dome, with a famous hole at the top.

3. SPANISH STEPS

The Spanish steps have a total of 135 steps. At the base of Spanish steps, you can find the Baroque fountain named Fontana Della Barcaccia, “Fountain of the Ugly Boat,” These  Spanish Steps got its name from being in the vicinity of the original Spanish Embassy, which was situated at Piazza di Spagna. Eating and drinking are strictly forbidden to keep the staircase clean.

As a black student, how would you rate the lifestyle of being black in Italy?

There hasn’t been much discrimination in school. But outside the school walls, it is not so easy, especially when you cannot speak Italian. The Italians are very close-minded, and that makes it hard to build a relationship with them. Those who speak little English do not like to communicate with it cause of a lack of confidence in their proficiency.

Can international students work part-time while pursuing their degree?

Yes, International students are allowed to work 20 hours per week while studying. But getting a job as an international student is pretty hard, except you have a good knowledge of the Italian language, at least B1 or B2 level.

What are the chances of getting a permanent job in Italy after completing your education?

The chances of getting a permanent job here in Italy are very slim. The first thing is the language. An Italian organization will not allow you to show your brilliance once they know you cannot communicate fluently in Italian. I have had two phone interviews in Italian where I understood the message the interviewer was passing across, speaking is a bit hard for a learner, so I replied in English with the little Italian I could add, the person ended the call immediately.

The likely places to get a job in Italy are the International companies and the United Nations (UN) that has 3 agency headquarters in Rome. Working with the UN, you also need more than just English but either Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese or Russian.

What is the one thing you wish you knew before moving to Italy?

I wish I did an intensive language course before travelling, irrespective of my course studied in English. I also wish I did more research on their type of visa and benefit of post-graduate work permit. I focused my research mainly around my course of study.

Give one advice to people choosing to people trying to school abroad or in Italy.

For anyone planning to travel abroad for studies or any other reason, if the course will be taught in English, but English is not the first language in that country, I will advise you go to a language school for at least 3 months.

If you have a dream to study in Italy, I will advise you to apply to the government schools where international students pay €2000-€4000 as tuition fees, and if you’re lucky to get a scholarship with grants your tuition fee is covered and the government will also pay you monthly. The government schools I will recommend in Rome are “Tor Vergata” and “Sapienza University“