I nostri testimonials: Enkhsoyol - Mongolia

Student of Animal care

"I have been very happy with how inclusive and accepting the University is of international students. I appreciate how interested they are in everyone's background and cultures"

About myself 

Hi! My name is Enkhsoyol, but people call me Elliana since it is very hard to pronounce. I come from Mongolia, the land of eternal blue skies and heaps of uninhabited steppe. Fun fact: We have more horses, sheep and cattle than there are people.
I am currently studying in the first year of my Bachelor's degree in Animal Care. I adore animals and am passionate about having a good impact on their quality of life and the ecosystems they live in. Studying abroad was always a dream of mine and I am very fortunate to be here and am loving it so far!

Why did you choose the University of Padua and the Animal Care degree programme? How did you learn about our institution?

I started searching for universities at the beginning of my last year of high school, with the goal of finding a course that was:
1. In English
2. Related to helping animals in the wild (conservation, rehabilitation)
3. Offered scholarships for international students
However, I did not want to study veterinary medicine which was what the majority of universities were offering.
One day, I came upon the University of Padua from an Instagram post on opportuntiescircle and I found out about the Animal care course. It focused more on the well-being and protection of animals, and offered specific training paths for scientific research, conservation of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, and education and recreational activities. Furthermore, the University of Padua has several scholarship opportunities which I needed to be able to support my studies abroad. Overall, everything checked off to what I was searching for, which was amazing. I am very grateful to have received the International Excellence Scholarship which helps me cover all my expenses here and is what made it possible to stay.

What are the main features of your degree programme?

My programme consists of learning basic subjects such as chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology etc. There are also subjects such as bioethics and animal legislation which helps build teamwork and critical thinking skills for solving animal dilemmas. I found these subjects to be the most interesting as we got to share our ideas and values and learn how to apply skills in real life situations.
The course also consists of subjects where we study the animal body and put our knowledge into practice with laboratory classes, where we dissect specific organs or whole animals.
There have been several guest lecturers and extra learning opportunities as well.

Is there any class/subject that has stood out to you so far?

So far I have really enjoyed Bioethics the most. It is unlike any subject I have ever studied and it was very interesting to learn about. Bioethics is the study of animal ethics and examines the moral consideration of animals. We were brought to awareness of the sentience of animals, the reasons as to how we treat them and the many factors that contribute to an animal's welfare physically and physiologically.
We learned to work in a team setting and solve dilemmas that come up while deciding what is best for an animal. For example, if it is better to try and save an animal or euthanise it. We also learned to consider all the stakeholders involved and how the decision would affect them. This put our critical thinking skills and teamwork to the test and much improvement was seen. We worked together on different and unique ethical problems every week, sharing our ideas, values and personal opinions. I could see how this would be very beneficial to our future animal care profession. Learning to accept that what you want for the animal is not always possible was important.
For the final exam, we each had to prepare a presentation on an ethical problem occurring currently and come to a final decision and possible solutions with our own research. It was an oral exam and an interesting way to examine what we had learnt. I liked how we were able to choose our own topic.
Overall, I was able to gain so much knowledge and understanding of the ethics involved in the animal care profession and it was an amazing learning experience.

What aspects of our university’s culture or values have resonated with you the most?

I have been very happy with how inclusive and accepting the University is of international students. I appreciate how interested they are in everyone’s background and cultures. I get to meet so many different people here from all over the world. It has been a great experience to learn about different countries and peoples backgrounds.

And what would you say to students thinking of studying in Italy? How have you adjusted to a new country and culture?

It has been a rollercoaster moving to a new country with a vastly different culture. One thing I realised is that many Italians do not speak English, however this has pushed me to want to improve my Italian. I have also learned that during lunch break many Italians take time to just rest, have a midday nap and do nothing.
Usually going back to work around 3pm and ending the day of work at 8pm. Everything closes at around 8pm which was a shocker to me as I was used to things closing later in the evening.
The language and mannerisms are also very different compared to in Mongolia. I would suggest you do your research on these things before settling down in Italy.
It is very important to learn to communicate in a respectful way and to avoid being offensive. What is acceptable in your country is not necessarily acceptable in others. This has been the biggest lesson and adjustment for me. Overall, over the past few months it has been quite the adventure and now I can say I have definitely adjusted better. It will take time to get used to being here so my advice is to give yourself grace and be patient.

What do you do when you’re not studying? What does the city of Padua have to offer?

The city of Padua is perfect if you are looking for a balance between bustling city life and the calm countryside. The center of Padua has lots to offer in terms of restaurants, bars, stores and places to do fun things. It is also a great place to meet new people as the majority of the population are students from Unipd. There are several transportation routes that you can take anywhere you want to visit Italy. Venice is a popular destination as it is only a 30 minute train ride from Padua.
In terms of scenery it is very beautiful in all seasons with many trees, flowers and parks. In winter during Christmas time it is particularly magical with all the Christmas light decorations.
I live in Legnaro which is closer to the countryside and a 30 minute bus ride from the city centre. On the Agripolis campus there is a huge field of grass where we play volleyball, football and have picnics. When I am not studying I like to go to Padua and meet up with friends and hang out together at cafes and parks. From time to time I like to get some pizza to share, which has relatively reasonable prices.