Batti il ferro finché è caldo – “Make hay while the Sun Shines”
Studying abroad has always been a dream of almost every student in this world. It provides a unique opportunity to become fully immersed in another language and culture. And Europe is the one of the most popular destinations for studying abroad as it provides numerous benefits such as high ranking universities, low tution fees, safe countries and there’s always something new to explore. Therefore, I chose Italy as my primary option since it comprises of everything I desire. So here I present a short article (this is the first part) about my 3 year journey as a student in Europe’s most beautiful country, ITALIA!
My origins are from India, my name is Shashank Naidu. I was born in the city of Bhopal, which is exactly at the centre of India, often referred as the heart of India. The constant moral support of my family takes me to the overseas world where opportunities are enormous and challenges in bulk to shape my career. Their aura and good thoughts have been my guiding principles in life.
I graduated from my high school in the year 2018 from St. Xavier’s School, Bhopal. I still remember my school days, those were the most beautiful days of my life. Every morning we had an assembly, where more than 5000 students, teachers and staff used to gather in the humongous campus of my school. Life was never very competitive, a little chaotic though, but it was still fun, participating in the extra-curricular activities which made my experience more memorable.
Throughout my school life I had a keen interest for Science and Mathematics and I took immense interest in making and working on science models. The motive was clear for me that i want to become an Engineer.
I always wanted to study abroad and apart from engineering my second greatest passion was traveling. And i knew that studying abroad would provide me the freedom to travel and support my dreams in my own way.
But the selection of the country was a hell of a ride for me. After meeting thousands of counsellors and shortlisting millions of destinations and universities for almost a month, I found the most perfect destination….Italia!. And i got acceptance from the university of Rome Tor Vergata for Bachelors in Engineering Sciences a program delivered completely in English with great career aspects. Seems like a dream right? Everything was happening so quickly, i used to pinch myself sometimes to check if it’s real or not. And it was not just any city..it was Rome!!! The most beautiful city in the entire world, the city that changed my life, but more on this later.
With its strong historical aura, breath-taking sites and diverse natural landscape, Italy is sure to provide international students an enriching cultural experience. The fields of design, architecture, fashion, applied sciences and arts lie at the fore front of Italy’s domain of higher education. The universities in Italy are the oldest in the western world. The italian qualification is recognised throughout the globe also the living costs and the tuition fees were affordable and it helped me alot as I come from a middle class background.
I came to italy in the month of September in 2019. It was my first international flight and i was all alone. I cannot describe my fear in that 8 hour flight. I had a blend of negative and positive thoughts in my mind. Anyways i landed in Rome safely. The airport staff guided me well to reach the city centre. The roommate of my house, where i was supposed to live, picked me up at the airport and trust me, I was really lucky to find that house because finding a place to live in September is very difficult.
The first six months in Rome, were really a rollercoaster ride, as it took almost one month to settle in a new environment which is totally different from my home country. To be honest, i felt homesick because after 1 week, I missed my car more than my family, as Rome is a very big city and it’s a little difficult to adapt with the transportation system. Then simultaneously, the first days in the university i was surrounded by so many new faces, almost everyone was an international student. Whom to trust and whom not to…it was getting too difficult for me. But as we say time heals everything. I met some very good friends in the beginning of my university days and some of them are still together with me.
From last 3 years i have made soo many new friends in Rome, in the other parts of the country and around the world, I can describe this thing in just one phrase that “life is full of surprises”.
In the next article I will conclude my journey as an international student from India to Italy, in the next episode!
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