Personal Erasmus Report Sjoerd Hekman (S2370344) Live La Dolce Vita
As part of my Research Master Cultural Leadership, I studied at Roma Tre University from April 2019 until July 2019. In cooperation with the University of Groningen, Roma Tre developed three courses specifically for our master’s degree. These courses were called ‘Media’, ‘Heritage’ and ‘Sustainability and Cultural Awareness’. Although these courses were specifically developed for our master’s degree, it was allowed for other students to enroll for them as well. As there were not many courses given in English at Roma Tre, this happened quite a lot. There were even some bachelor students who enrolled for them. All in all, this did not improve the quality of these courses.
In fact, in terms of educational quality, studying at Roma Tre University was a hugely disappointing experience for me. One of the things I enjoyed most during my master’s at the university of Groningen, was the level of educational quality. I was really challenged to make the most of it. While at Roma Tre, it was very noticeable that most of the teachers did not teach in English very often. We needed to help them sometimes if they could not think of words and a lot of the interviewed guests for research projects did not speak English at all.
Furthermore, university culture in Italy is completely different from university culture in the Netherlands. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it was something that I disliked personally. The system in Italy is still quite hierarchical. Students come to a lecture to listen to the teacher. Preparing lectures is not a necessity, since students generally do not speak very much. Even asking critical questions is not appreciated. I often got the feeling that these questions were simply ignored.
On the other hand, students are required to be self-organizing and individual. They are presented with a long list of literature that they can read when preparing an exam or a research project. They can, more or less, decide for themselves how much of that list they will use. This can of course be really challenging. For me, however, it turned out the other way around. I did not use much of that list because I knew pretty soon what kind of research papers I wanted to write. Without too much effort, I received extremely high grades. I think this was mainly due to the fact that the Roma Tre staff highly underestimated the academic level of my course mates and me.
Apart from educational activities, Italian culture surrounding the university is also highly different from the Netherlands. Especially at Roma Tre, where only 700 Erasmus students each year attend courses, finding the necessary support during your mobility can be quite a challenge. The Erasmus support officer, for instance, barely spoke any English and was completely unaware of our attendance at the university. As a result of the agreement between Roma Tre and Groningen, we started our program in the middle of their semester and this was something that their mobility office could not grasp. It is one of the reasons why, as I am writing this report almost three months after my mobility, my Erasmus documents are still not completely signed. Communicating with them is extremely difficult.
Finally, and then I will stop rambling about all the negative aspects of my mobility, there is the matter of time management in Italy. To be fair, it is quite difficult to arrive on time somewhere in Rome. It is a big city, with unreliable public transport and huge traffic jams. However, the structural tardiness of every single employee at Roma Tre is something I cannot get my Northern European head around. Every single class started at least half an hour later than it was scheduled. I even heard stories of other Erasmus students about teachers not showing up at all for exams. It is something you have to prepare for when studying in Italy.
All negativity aside, Rome is an incredible city to live in. Especially for cultural students like me, there is so much to see and to do. As a matter of fact, I did quite a lot of self-studying by indulging myself in the cultural life that Rome has to offer. There really is an advantage to living in the city as opposed to just visiting it as a tourist. The touristic things are extremely crowded and as a result not as enjoyable to go to. When you are living there, you will allow yourself the time to go to museums or monuments you at first would not think much about and end up amazing you a lot more than the general attractions. I advise anyone living there to do the same.
For a major capital in Europe, finding a room was not as difficult as I expected. Rates lie just above the standard in Groningen. I ended up finding a room for around 500 euros. I already managed to do this while still in Groningen. The room was fully furnished which was really convenient for me, as I was only staying there for three months. My landlord was nice enough and my house mates were fun and welcoming. I did not hear any stories of people with a bad experience in this aspect of living in Rome.
Furthermore, I really enjoyed living in Italy. Italians are very friendly, except when they are in traffic, and the food and drink culture is amazing. I enjoyed my morning coffees and my evening pastas tremendously, and by these short trips outside I managed to communicate with Italians in a more genuine way towards the end of my stay. I do not really speak any Italian, but I can understand a lot more than when I came to Rome. Rome is, however, not a very international city in terms of student life. I was expecting a vibrant Erasmus atmosphere, but in fact there are not many international students in Rome.
All in all, I enjoyed my time in Rome and I see this period as valuable life experience, even though it did not bring me much in terms of studying. I do recommend Rome, and Italy in general, as a place to go to on an exchange. However, you should keep in mind that the level of educational quality will most likely drop. Therefore, I would advise master students to look for something different. Doing an Erasmus in Italy during your bachelor seems perfect to me.
Furthermore, I would advise people thinking about Rome or Italy as a place to do their Erasmus to keep in mind at which university you will end up. I would advise against Roma Tre university. It is the third (Tre) university of Rome for a reason. Very little courses in English are provided, and it is very noticeable that the university is mainly nationally oriented. Sapienza university in Rome is, from what I have heard, the best university located in Rome. In Italy in general, I have heard good things about Bologna. Nevertheless, living in Italy was an extremely valuable period in my life that I wish everyone could experience. Enjoy the weather, enjoy the food and enjoy the people. In short, live la Dolce Vita!
