Here the part 1: https://thepasswordunito.com/2025/06/05/travel-studiare-renshi-part-1/

When international mobility overcomes the distance

In the second part of this interview, we will be discussing cultural, practical and academic topics related to the international mobility. I want to thank again our protagonists for their wonderful words.

• If your experience were a movie, what would the title be?

Ni = Cider and Beer instead of Spritz.
Na = Leap of Faith, because I made so many choices.
C = Britpop, it is the soundtrack of my Erasmus.
A = I Love Venezia, because we went full tourist mode and bought that top.

• Did you pick up any English/Italian habits?

Ni = Drinking cider.
Na = Listening to British jokes. Also asking «How are you?» and making the small talk.
C = I’ve noticed that people have more critical thinking. They’re always analysing and I’ve started doing it more. 
A = We drank spritz all the time. When I came back here, my friends got annoyed at me because I kept ordering it in bars. It was so much worse!

• What is your favourite English/Italian tradition? 

Ni = They don’t judge how you look. You could wear your pyjama and nobody would care.
Na = Dark sense of humour. I like the jokes they make, but I’ve never been able to make them because it’s totally different from my culture.
C = Day drinking.
A = We saw many Italian graduates with flower crowns and we kept hearing them sing «Dottore…» I don’t remember exactly how it went, but we told our Italian teacher and he started blushing and asking if we knew the meaning.

• Did you have any bureaucratic issues? 

Ni = The process is very long and sometimes you are left on your own. For the VISA and the health insurance you must go on the UK government’s website and figure it out alone. It is very stressful.
Na = The working hours are rather short compared to China. I found that the parcel collection point wasn’t open at certain times. They work zero hours on the weekends, that’s very shocking.
C = It was a bureaucratic nightmare: you must upload many documents and write to people who rarely reply. When I sent the Learning Agreement, I got an automatic email telling me that my English supervisor didn’t work here anymore.
A = Mine was mostly fine. They also gave us some money to cover the costs. Due to Brexit, UK citizens can’t be in the Schengen area for more than 90 days in a 180-day period. I had been to Italy in the summer and the Venice course was 72 days, so I had to fly back for a few days.

• How did you find your accommodation? Do you like it?

Ni = I found it on the university’s website; there is the possibility of applying for a place on campus. Even though the rent is insane, it is the most convenient option because everything is close. I got lucky; other people had to find a room on their own. I love my flatmates, but tough moments aren’t absent. 
Na = After I had accepted my offer, they sent me an email saying that the accommodation portal was open. I immediately booked it. I’m really happy and satisfied about it.
C = I found it on the website as well. I don’t have a strong connection with my flatmates; it’s a neutral relationship. The fact that the kitchen is always dirty is a common issue…
A = We had a person who helped us find a place. They gave us a small accommodation for the first ten days, but then we moved into the incredibly huge flat which they had offered us at first. 

• What challenged you the most from an academic point of view?

Ni = The different method of studying. In Italy we study from books and notes and we have spoken exams. Here we have lectures and seminars, where the students discuss a topic and develop their own thinking, and we write essays. This will help us for our thesis.
Na = Scheduling. In this last term, without lectures, it feels like my day has no structure, so I have to make a reasonable schedule for myself.
C = I’m really used to the Italian method, where the professor gives you tons of information. Here it’s up to you to find further readings. I started going to the library so much more.
A = The teaching method was quite similar because we had the same Warwick professors. We wanted to make the most of our time there and the different environment distracted us a bit.

• How would you describe Warwick/Venice to a student who came here for the first time?

Ni = Since it’s a campus university, it feels like a small town full of teenagers. Everyone is a student, so it’s weird not to see children or dogs.
Na = It’s a strange metaphor, but Warwick is like a sheep herd with several collies. I know that, if I’m lost, people will help me. My course leader told us that we are on a team and we don’t want anyone to feel left behind. It’s sweet and comforting.
C = It feels like the Truman Show. It’s cool that you have to walk only five minutes to go to class, but it still seems weird.
A = So magical. It felt like a bubble in the best way, completely removed from the rest of the world. You walk through an alleyway and see a massive, gorgeous, ancient church which isn’t even a tourist attraction. There’s beauty everywhere. 

• What is the best piece of advice you received?

Ni = You are never truly alone.
Na = You can do it. My friends kept encouraging me because I didn’t know whether I could handle the study and work altogether.
C = Say yes to every kind of experience, especially at the beginning, even if it’s out of your comfort zone.
A = Don’t skip out on experiences because they’re going to be more valuable to you than a good essay.

• What piece of advice would you give to someone who will be doing a similar experience? 

Ni = Don’t be afraid. Go for it. There will be ups and downs, but you will enjoy everything.
Na = Be comfortable with who you are. At the beginning, I focused too much on how different I am from the local people. I wanted to fit in, but I soon realized that everyone is unique.
C = The same I received.
A = Do everything that you possibly can and be confident to speak to people.

• What was your dream when you were little? And now? 

Ni = I don’t think I really had one because I never thought about the future. Right now, I still don’t know what I’ll give to the world and what the world will gift me. I hope I’ll never stop travelling, but I haven’t found my path yet.
Na = I wanted to be an English teacher. Now I want to be an independent, healthy, happy person who can support herself and the people she loves.
C = I dreamt of becoming a radio speaker and I still do. In the short term, I want to take a gap year before the master, solo travelling and working around the world.
A = Mine sounds so bad. I was such an attention seeker that I just wanted to be famous. Now I want to be able to have a life where I can be creative, not necessarily as a career.

Anna Baracco