Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing fellow language fanatic Veronica from English With Me blog, on her experience doing her degree in Naples, Italy.
Veronica is from England, and she made the decision to do her degree abroad before the Brexit deadline, but it turns out, a lot of the options regarding studying abroad remain available to UK citizens post-Brexit!
What made you decide to do your whole degree abroad?
At a “next steps” workshop during Sixth Form, I learnt about the benefits of studying abroad and that most degrees – if completed at a reputable university – have the same value when you get back home to the UK. You could have an international experience, meet people from all over the world, travel AND not rack up student loans along the way? Sounded like a good deal to me.
Soon after I took a course in teaching English as a foreign language, in order to make enough money to pay for living costs and my degree.
How did you choose Italy?
I had been to Italy several times before on family holidays and it seemed like a dreamland: the sun, sea, good food, friendly people and low living costs.
I was told that universities offered courses in English too (which it turns out is a questionable statement for them to be making since the professors don’t actually lecture in English), but I didn’t know that back then…
How did you choose which university to attend?
When I was choosing which university to go to, I mainly looked at 3 things: the course details and whether they aligned with my future plans, the city life, living costs and fees and finally whether or not I could manage working and studying at the same time. I didn’t want to be financially dependent on anyone and I wanted to be able to sustain myself debt free.
If we do a direct comparison of the finances associated with a degree in the UK, and the path you have chosen, what are the differences?
The difference between finances is immense – your average degree in the UK costs almost £10,000, just for university fees.
In Italy, different universities have different costs. State university fees are means tested, whereas private universities have similar fees to the UK, but are sometimes taken less seriously. However, as an international student, this doesn’t apply. The exact fees vary slightly in each region and also between different unis, but generally international students will pay anywhere around 300 – 500 euros per year. It also depends on which country an international student comes from – now that the UK is not in the EU, the fees are even lower.
Whilst in the UK you can get a maintenance and student loan, giving you access to education, you’re also left with debt. In Italy, student loans don’t exist so you have to pay your way. It sounds worse, but actually with fees so low it’s extremely doable. Before moving to Italy, I didn’t have very many savings, so I support myself with my teaching job. I think that that’s all part of the experience abroad, and teaching has taught me so much about languages and Italian culture, I wouldn’t swap it for anything!
Books and course materials are a cost students often forget about. Happily, most professors provided me with a digital version of materials at no extra cost. Some professors would encourage us to buy the photocopied version from small shops in the city so we would just have to buy the paper and the costs would be extremely low (something like 9 euros for 3 fat textbooks), which is legally speaking quite questionable.
Here’s a breakdown of the average for one person:
| Country : | The UK | Italy |
| University fees per year | £10,000 | 320€ |
| Textbooks per year | £500 | Photocopies – max 50€ |
| Rent per month | £520 sharing | 250€ to live alone |
| Utilities per month (gas, water, electricity) | included | 150€ |
| Groceries per month | £200 | 200+€ for the basics |
| Entertainment per month | 200+ depends on lifestyle! | 100+€ |
On getting a job in Italy – BE CAREFUL
- There is no minimum wage, so a lot of worker exploitation
- They rarely want to give you a proper contract to avoid taxes. Even in official language schools. Don’t accept these types of jobs
What are you studying, and in which language? What’s that like?
The official title of my degree is ‘Modern European Literature, Culture and Languages’ with a focus on Italian, Spanish and English as languages. About 80% of exams are taken in Italian, 10% in Spanish and 10% in English, however basically all of the courses are conducted in Italian.
Initially that was a huge shock; when I was enrolling, I was told I could do everything in English, which would have been great for me since my Italian level at the time was conversational. Once I paid the university fees, I discovered that in reality very few courses are conducted in English. I totally panicked, and started taking Italian classes to try and catch up. It was difficult but I managed.
Also, professors LOVE to lecture. Even the language classes which you would expect to be a little more interactive were just lectures, so get ready to sit and listen.
What do you enjoy about studying in Italy that you don’t think you’d experience at a university in your home country?
The course structure and exam system give you a lot of freedom. For my degree, I have to pass 16 exams and give a thesis presentation at the end. Each exam is equivalent to a module, which is usually taught in lectures in one semester. At the end of the semester, when the course is completed, you can take the exam for that module.
The great thing about this is that if you don’t pass the first time, you can retake the exam whenever you want and however many times you want, depending on the scheduled exam dates.
What advice would you give to someone considering going overseas for their whole degree?
Don’t expect things to be the same as back home just in another language. One of my biggest shocks was the difference in approach to education here.
Do your research. Just because they tell you that courses will be in English, it doesn’t mean that they will actually be in English. Look at forums and connect with current students. Usually, if a course is supposed to be conducted in English but the Professor is not a foreigner, in my case they always just switched to Italian, so watch out for that.
You get what you pay for. One of the biggest attractions for studying in Italy for me was the cost. Really low fees sound amazing but really it is at the cost of good facilities, libraries, study rooms, and loads of other things, amongst which there is student support which is practically non-existent.
How have you found integrating into student life as a foreigner?
Surprisingly difficult! I obnoxiously thought that it would have been fairly easy to communicate with everyone, since I was making a substantial effort to learn Italian and most people speak English anyway… right? Wrong! There’s a lot more to integrating into student life than just language, and the culture shock was huge. Here are some things that really caught me off guard in Naples:
Public Transport: no trains after 8pm… and want to take the bus instead? Good luck. I think a bus timetable DOES exist but no one follows it, so if you need to be somewhere you should probably be at the station 2 hours in early. Also expect your train to get cancelled whenever they feel like it, and sometimes it might leave early and not wait for you. Once I was on the train to work and it caught fire – that’s a regular occurrence since the trains are from the 80s. How about going by car instead? Ah what a good idea, except for the fact that driving in Naples is pretty scary.
Late dinners and less alcohol: if you say uni culture in the UK I think that a part of that is associated with a bit of partying and binge drinking… in Italy not so much. It’s more common to go for a quick aperitivo with some friends or to have a late snack. There’s more of a ‘movida’ culture than a clubbing culture, which is where a narrow street is lined with bars and everyone picks a spot to drink and have a chat, and run into people they know!
All of my uni friends live with their parents: it’s uncommon to pick a uni too far from your house unless you are going for a super specific course that you can’t find near you! Most people prefer to stay at home to save money.
What’s it like living in Naples?
In Naples, they say: “When you get to Naples you cry twice. When you arrive and when you have to leave.”
And that makes total sense to me! Naples is a chaotic city to get used to, full of amazing things and also others that you have to be careful of.
Name 3 things you absolutely love about living in Italy, and 3 things that irk you:
Love: firstly, I love that it’s summer basically 9 months per year; my first Christmas here it hit 24 degrees on Christmas day!
Secondly, the incredible history and scenery to go with it is a huge draw. It’s relatively easy to travel cheaply to the main northern cities by train. Sometimes you can find tickets from Naples to Rome for about 10 Euros (it’s a 55 minute ride), or Naples – Venice for 25 Euros (a 5 hour ride)! In every part of Italy there is just so much to see! My personal favourites are Florence and Rome.
Finally, food is so cheap compared to the UK. You can have the best Margherita pizza you’ve ever eaten at a restaurant for about 4-7€. Other staples are gigantic gelatos, street food, pizza pasta and more.
Irks: it’s quite impossible to get things done ASAP, as the bureaucracy is overcomplicated, obscure and unaccommodating to foreigners. For example, to get your ID card (obligatory if you’re in Italy for more than 3 months), the local police come to your house for proof of address. I didn’t know this and missed three visits! Usually when I have to do paperwork it’s best to ask an Italian for help.
Also, public maintenance is not a priority; there is rubbish everywhere! Hidden from the eyes of tourists and piled up on back streets. There are loads of street dogs running around which has scared me a couple of times because some of them are huge!
The slow pace can be an advantage, but sometimes you just want to get things done! This applies to everything – the doctor’s, work, uni, school, THE POST OFFICE is the worst one! Be ready to spend half a day waiting in the queue at the post office with only 4 people in front of you.
Any final comments?
In the end, every adventure abroad has its ups and downs. Choosing a university in another country can be a huge commitment, but it has definitely taught me a lot about myself, a whole lot of resilience and a lot about how people live and see the world in a different light in the laid back and sunny south of Italy. I wouldn’t change that for the world.
Veronica is an enthusiastic linguist and passionate language learner from London, on a journey to explore the diverse world of different cultures and languages. Her experiences abroad help give a unique insight to what it’s like to acquire another language, and she uses this in her work.
She teaches English and runs English With Me, where she shares her linguistic insights and offers help to those seeking to enhance their English language skills.
A huge thank you to Veronica for sharing her experiences; I related so much to Veronica’s account from my Erasmus year in Verona, especially THE POST OFFICE ☠️
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