How to Make the Most of Your Time Studying Abroad in Italy
As a former high school teacher in the United States, I could go on and on about the way we adults remove obstacles for kids nowadays, and then complain that the next generations lack resilience and problem-solving skills. So, when I saw the way that study abroad has been reduced to a sort of international sleep away camp, I wasn’t surprised. There are students who are looking for a genuine challenge, are you one of them? I don’t want you to wade through your pasteurized semester overseas, and wind up asking yourself, “can we even call this studying abroad?”
Once upon a time, studying abroad meant diving headfirst into a new culture. Students lived with host families, enrolled in local universities, and attended classes alongside native peers. Italian professors taught Italian history in Italian classrooms, and the student’s job was to struggle, to feel homesick, to keep up in spite of all of this — and grow. But as study abroad programs became big business, the model shifted. Many American universities now keep things "in the family": students live together in apartments belonging to their home universities, classes are taught in English, and professors are flown in from the home university. It’s an American semester of college at an instagram worthy photo op.
The good news is, you CAN study abroad effectively — but you’ll have to be intentional about it, you’ll succeed only if you choose to make it count. It won’t be easy to leave behind tools like translators and apps, designed to think for you. The uncomfortable truth is that cultural immersion doesn’t happen on its own. So, if you want to have a truly authentic experience, you’re going to have to persevere. Without further ado, here are my best tips for study abroad students who actually want to learn something when they come to Italy.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Study Abroad in Italy
Make Local Friends
Easier said than done, I know. Having a local friend or two opens doors to language, culture, and areas of your new home that would have been inaccessible without them, so don’t just hang out with other students from your home country. If you have the opportunity to join clubs, attend meetups, or volunteer locally, take advantage of it. One way that I met lots of Italians, for example, was joining groups that did language exchanges, 30 minutes of speaking in English followed by 30 minutes of speaking Italian. We all got something out of it and we got to know each other at the same time! If you don’t hit it off with anyone right away, keep trying. Making the right friends is worth every effort.
Attend Local Events (Safely)
Whether it’s a neighborhood festival, a university lecture, or a free museum night, say yes. Cultural events help you understand the rhythms of Italian life and provide natural opportunities to interact with locals. Take note of all the details and try new foods and new experiences. If there’s a language barrier, that’s ok. Attend anyways and listen for any new words you’ve learned recently! Just stay aware of your surroundings and go with friends when possible.
Stay Put Sometimes
It’s tempting to jet off to a new European country every weekend. But staying local gives you time to live Italy. Wander markets. Become a regular at the café down the street. Cook with local ingredients. Take long walks. These are the moments that shape your experience.
When I worked in study abroad, my students’ experiences hardly varied between them. It went something like, arrival in Italy, first weekend in Rome, followed by a photo at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Big Ben in London, time to go home. You should absolutely take advantage of the fact that you can visit so many different countries while they’re easily accessible to you, but in an era of checklists, I encourage you to leave a few of them unchecked and allow yourself to settle into your new home. Anyone can take a picture by a famous monument, but unless it’s personally significant to you, it won’t mean as much as a cooking lesson from your elderly neighbor or an evening listening to traditional music in a tiny club full of locals.
Explore Beyond the Big Cities
If you do need a change of scenery, try traveling locally! Rome, Florence, and Milan are magnetic, but so is Matera. Or Perugia (can you say chocolate?). Or Lecce. Smaller towns offer richer glimpses of traditional Italian life — and fewer English speakers, which can be a good thing.
Learn How Locals Live, Then Do That
Pay attention and observe carefully. Italians eat at certain times. They dress with intention and avoid being exposed to wind. They rarely walk around with to-go cups or wear athletic clothes unless they’re actually exercising. It’s natural to find these differences in culture amusing at first, but learning and respecting these norms is part of the experience. You’ll find that everyone has a reason for doing the things that they do and you may soon discover that you didn’t know as much about life as you thought! And that’s sort of the point.
Aim for Consistency Over Perfection
But if you take anything from this little article, it’s this: consistency is worth more than perfection. Did you cave in and speak English for a whole afternoon? It happens, sometimes you just want to understand and be understood effortlessly. You can go back to speaking Italian tomorrow. Need a break from Italian cooking? Make a dinner from your home culture and invite your Italian language exchange partners to come eat it with you. Culture exchange works both ways, you know! Remember that it’s hard work absorbing a new place, language, culture, cuisine, etc., and breaks will be necessary for you to keep going. Forgive yourself, it’s normal to need something comfortable and easy sometimes. Just pick it up the next day and move on. Consistency is attainable, whereas perfection only leads to burn out.
Maybe this is obvious, but…
STAY IN YOUR RIGHT MIND. You’re young, you’re experiencing new types of freedom, you feel invincible. You’re not. I don’t want to get heavy, but allow me to say this. In my years working in study abroad, I accompanied many students to doctors and to the emergency room. Nearly every single time I did so, it was somehow the result of someone abusing some sort of substance, most of the time alcohol. I had a student fall off of a bus into traffic. I had a student contract HIV. I had handfuls of students suffer from dehydration, found passed out on the streets, robbed, sometimes worse. It is SO important to remember that you’re not at home and to have the proper respect for your circumstances. If you don’t have your wits about you, you’re more likely to find yourself in dangerous situations, and maybe even easy prey for someone with bad intentions. So, as I tell all my kids, make good decisions!
In Conclusion
Parents only want to keep their children safe in a dangerous world, but by removing all obstacles for our children, we’re actually making it harder for you, the students, to find opportunities to grow, bunny hills to practice on, and we’re inadvertently robbing you of your own self esteem. I hope these tips will help you push back and take your learning into your own hands! And hey, if you need anything, I’m here for you. Good luck with your upcoming semester and let us know how it turns out!
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