So, where do I begin? What has been my experience in Italy as a foreign student like? …

My name is David and I’m from Ghana and currently pursuing a postgraduate degree at the University of Padua. My first contact with the University of Padua was in 2018 when I graduated from the University for Development Studies in Ghana with a Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Community Development. I had rooted the seed of studying abroad in my mind ever since I began my undergraduate degree in Ghana. Due to my keen interest in the field of development, I applied for a postgraduate program in local development at the University of Padua, in Italy.

My desire to study in Italy stemmed from the professional programs available in the country. Thousands of foreign students will benefit from 500+ English-taught programs, unique welcome activities, tailored assistance from the Global Engagement Office, free Italian language classes, and a welcoming local community. The universities have a very diverse student population, where you can interact with and learn from people from different cultures.

It’s an excellent place to study and grow. Padua is also an excellent city for improving your training and acquiring first-hand technical experience. Indeed, the university has a plethora of upskilling programs for foreign students, such as internships, partnerships with affiliate institutions, industry-led ventures, and soft-skill learning activities. And there’s no reason to be concerned with tuition fees. In contrast to other top-ranked colleges, the university offers affordable tuition fees, as well as financial assistance opportunities such as reduced tuition and scholarships. Furthermore, Italy’s current economic dominance draws construction professionals from all over the world. With the philosophy of idea-sharing in mind, this will be an ideal setting for the next step of my educational path.

Country Experience

Italy is an excellent destination for foreign students. According to the International Student Satisfaction Awards for 2014. Twelve Italian colleges were honored for their positive student experiences. The University of Padua came in the first place and received the “Certificate for Excellent International Student Satisfaction 2014.” The Universities of Bologna and Siena came in second and third place, respectively. Due to the extreme cultural immersion, there is the chance to have fun, in events such as carnivals, concerts, sporting activities, and visiting the country’s well-known heritage sites. I had a great time traveling throughout Italy, meeting new people, making new acquaintances, and visiting various parts of the European countries. I am highly delighted with the international climate and cultural interaction that occurred. The environmental conditions, on the other hand, were both excellent and much worse than I had expected. To clarify what I mean, I need to explain where I’m coming from, Ghana is a tropical area: there is no frost, nor is there any spring or fall. Naturally, I’ve been looking forward to exploring Italy. It was exciting to see my first snow and drops, and I was able to brag about it to my friends back in Ghana.

 The social setting

Padua has an excellent multicultural atmosphere. It was relatively easy for me to socialize with my foreign classmates at first, and it has been more than a year since then. However, socializing with local students appeared to be more difficult, possibly due to the current Pandemic situation in which all public places accessible to students for interaction and making friends are closed. Concerning my colleagues, foreign students, I have only met a handful, but there have been opportunities to constantly interact more about our different experiences; in reality, this turned out to be an advantageous place for me, because I was able to significantly develop my skills in the Italian language.

Institutional experience

As previously said, the University of Padua has an extremely powerful administration system that extends beyond the enrolment phase. The knowledgeable team was also very helpful with matters including official paperwork, such as the residency permit and other bureaucratic problems. They had provided me with practical knowledge and advice well in advance of my arrival, including a directory of student residences and specific rental rooms to apply for. We were greeted and properly led through well-organized orientation days, awareness sessions, and the Italian language advancing courses upon our arrival. Although I am currently pursuing a graduate program, my academic experience in Padua was extremely beneficial. I enjoyed that the classes and teaching methods were collaborative rather than strictly theoretical, with opportunities for oral tests, written reports, and assignments.

Living in Padua

Relatively speaking, Padua is a bigger city and an international business hub, with many foreign organizations and private businesses in operations. Despite all of this commercial activity, Padua remains human-scaled and welcoming to its residents. The city’s easygoing attitude makes it an excellent choice for foreign students of all backgrounds, this attracts a considerable number of foreign students as well as ex-pats for work, and research. You’ll also have a lively and active social life, whether it’s meeting friends to grab some coffee, going out to bars, exploring your city outside of school hours with friends during your spare time.

Perception and personal motives in general

In general, I’m pleased with the academic standard and ecstatic with the self-development of my study experience at their respective universities. I’m proud of studying in one of the most prestigious universities that are internationally well-known. This reflected itself in the students’ future ambitions in terms of their commitment to obtain their undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Italy, as well as their willingness to suggest to someone from their country to come to Italy for higher education. The vast majority of international students would recommend someone from their home country to pursue higher education in Italy.