I would recommend the experience to anyone who wants to challenge themselves and be immersed in the Italian style of learning at university. At times it’s very intense but it’s also flexible and can suit anyone’s schedule, as I managed to work part time and even for 6 months, full time, on top of studying and volunteering. One thing I think is really important is making a real effort to learn Italian, which can be very easily done by attending the University Linguistic Centre’s language courses. It was very important for me to speak to local people and have the independence to go through bureaucratic procedures independently. In saying that, Padua is a very open-minded city with lots of people who speak English and a lot of international students! I sat my B2 Italian CILS exam in May this year and I am very happy that my efforts to immerse myself in the language have paid off, having never properly studied Italian before arriving in Padua!
An important part of my second year of university came from joining the CUS Padova triathlon team. Having not come from a sporty background but however enjoying running and cycling, I decided to challenge myself to complete a triathlon. I didn’t realise I would find such a great team of people who encouraged me to keep going and after 6 months in the team I saw such great improvements in my fitness. Last summer, before leaving for Vienna, I managed to participate in 4 races, even completing one in Scotland whilst visiting home! The training sessions helped to de-stress after long days of studying but it also required a lot of commitment and taught me how to balance my studies alongside preparation for the race season!

Thinking truly why the course motivates you and of course having a genuine interest will always shine through. Take the time to work out what is the best choice and don’t rush into it! I had a break of 6 years between my bachelor’s degree and master’s degree and when I started to study at UNIPD I knew it was the right choice as I managed to make sense of what truly made me happy whilst working and volunteering between the two degrees.
It’s a good idea to focus on the skills and experience that can be taken from school trips, volunteering and jobs, even if the job doesn’t relate, there are so many transferable skills that can be used when studying. I also believe that everything on your CV doesn’t have to match up right away, the only way to find out if it’s the right option is to try, it’s okay to not be 100 percent sure at the start of your university or working career!
Any experience abroad is valid, especially if other languages were used to communicate and even travelling requires organisational, planning and budgeting skills, which are vital when studying and living on a student budget.