We all became friends in Bergamo, Italy

This winter, I had the opportunity to study at the Università degli Studi di Bergamo in Italy. It was a global short program that ran for 2 weeks from 9am – 1pm. During this time, I was learning about the Italian language. It’s like Duolingo, but they teach you words and phrases you’ll actually use in your daily interactions. Let me tell you, it was definitely intense because I had to learn a new language in 2 weeks! However, I don’t regret it. It was amazing!!! Before this program, I only had friends that lived in Sydney; now, I have international friends!!

Sometimes we would have afternoon classes where we would learn about Italian culture—for example, food, art, music, architectural history and theatre. My program was in Bergamo, and I was surprised by the amount of history this place has. Not many people know about Bergamo because it isn’t a major city in Italy, but it was just as beautiful. With the university, we got to tour Città Alta, the upper town, and exploring it was amazing! Most afternoons, though, I spent exploring the city with my new friends. This was my first time being in a new country and being alone in a hotel. I thought it would be harder than it was, but because so many people studying with me were also alone, we all became friends.

Learning Italian in Italy was a game-changer because it actually forces you to learn the language. Even though in most restaurants, they were able to speak English, some didn’t. That’s when I used what I learned in the classroom in the real world. It felt enriching to be able to do that.

When I was there, it was a very different vibe to Sydney, but I never felt like I had to change myself in any way. However, there were things that they did that I had to get used to, adjusting myself to the country’s norms. For example, in Australia, the cashier weighs the fruit and does the pricing for you; however, in Italy, you weigh and stick the price and bar code on yourself before going to the cashier. That was definitely something that made me very confused at first.

Overall, studying in Italy, even for my short time there, was a fantastic experience that I would try to do again. It lets you leave your comfort zone and explore the world for yourself. Not only do you learn about the way of life of people in a different country, but you get to meet so many new people from other parts of the world that you can also learn and grow from.

Jemii Virakorn
Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
In-country Language and Culture Study in Italy
Global Short Programs Travel Scholarship Recipient