![]() One of the biggest issues I had with my roommate was just timing. While doing so might seem like you’re missing a chance to get to know other interesting things, it really helps to have someone who keeps a schedule close to yours. If the roommate gods are to smile upon you and you’re allowed a choice of whom you live with, pick someone who studies something similar to you. Even if we were just studying or dining together, it was nice to see someone at the end of the day and have her tell me how her classes went. For some time, my roommate was like a built-in companion. Living in a collegio means being surrounded by people that are in a very similar situation to yours. Whether or not you’re a bona fide wallflower, moving to a new country alone is scary! You might be homesick, or even lonely, at the beginning (which is totally normal, everyone - no shame in it). Sure, you’ll order a cappuccino in Italian, but fluency and confidence in speaking only come with a lot of practice.Īnother thing to consider is sociability. ![]() You’ll hang out mostly with English-speaking people during your first months. Most likely, they will be the first potential friend group you’ll meet. Seems paradoxical… after all, you’re living in Italy, right? Nope! Most people in your new class will be from outside of Italy. Many new students may not realize how easy it is to forget to learn Italian. What was the good part of all of this? My level of Italian went up dramatically during the time we lived together. Our problems aside, my roommate was a very nice girl, and we both tried our best to get to know each other through many late-night Google translator-aided conversations. (Rule number one of roommates: communication is key! If something is bothering you, speak up!) Our difficulty in addressing those issues sometimes made our living experience tougher than it actually had to be. I also can’t fail to state that sharing a room means living in very close quarters with virtually a stranger, and it is unavoidable that some routine, everyday problems come up. I personally imagined my roommate and me to be like Joey and Chandler, so the initial surprise was a bit of disappointment. I was surprised to learn that my new roommate spoke no English and, with my very limited Italian, this led us to a communication standstill. While many of us from foreign countries have had English drilled into us from a very young age, that isn’t necessarily the case for some Italian students. But whether you are in Pavia, Milan, Rome, Naples, or wherever… you can find a collegio.įirst, the obvious language barrier. In some cities they are more prominent than others. There’s a good and a bad side to this and, while much of this interpretation is based on my own point of view and personality, I’ll try and make it as approachable to everyone as I can.īy the way, pretty much every Italian university town has collegi. (Great qualities to hone as future doctors, am I right?) While this seems somewhat obvious, if you’ve never left home or never had roommates, the first few months can definitely be a bit of a learning curve! You will, for sure, learn a thing or two about yourself, but will also be much more conscious of and sensitive to those around you. So, even though you might have some privacy, most of your living situation will involve sharing a space with other people. ![]() Most will have a kitchen to be shared amongst the students that live on that floor. ![]() Others might offer you your own bathroom, or you’ll share it with some of the other students. In some, you’ll have the option of a private room or a roommate. One thing you have to know is that there are many different structures among collegi. And second, like many, I wanted the experience of living in a university dorm. On top of all the other bureaucratic work that comes with moving abroad, I did not want this extra worry. First, as something all new students discover real soon, finding an apartment in Pavia can be hard! Not only are you arriving later than other students - IMAT results usually come out about two weeks before classes - but, most likely, you don’t speak Italian either! Your options will be somewhat limited and making yourself understood can be a challenge. My first year in Pavia, I decided to stay in a collegio for two reasons. Collegio – nothing like American colleges! ![]()
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