ICS Italy
Chiara Fayn
Degree: Bachelor of Communication (Digital & Social Media) / Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
ICS University: Ca’ Foscari, Venice, Italy
My main motivation to choose the Bachelor of Arts in International Studies was to hopefully become better at Italian language and learn more about the country that my grandfather grew up in.
Chiara completed her ICS in Italy in 2018
Q&A with Chiara
What was the highlight of your ICS in Italy?
The highlight for me was definitely being fortunate enough to spend a year living in the heart of Europe and being able to make friends with people from all across the world.
How did your language and intercultural skills improve?
To begin with, I did not notice much improvement in my language skills, but towards the end, I realised I was able to describe things and explain what I meant more fluently and with ease. It was interesting studying in a place such as Italy because there are people from so many different backgrounds living together and I had friends who would speak to each other in Italian, English, German and Spanish.
What skills have you learned in the past year that will benefit your personal life and/or future career?
I have learned how to conduct my own research and construct a research project, which will be of benefit if I choose to continue my research on Italian language and culture. Also, I have learned how to overcome obstacles such as language barriers, as well as the fears that are associated with living and working in a different country.
Skills like these are only possible to gain through real life experiences and the ICS programme definitely allows for this.
How did university life in Italy differ to Australia?
Uni life in Italy is very different to that in Australia as classes are only lectures and are generally 2 hours long, 3 times a week per subject. The final grade is completed through an exam either written or oral, depending on the teacher, and is graded out of 30. For me, this was worrying because I don't work well with exams.
How did you finance your ICS (e.g. scholarships, loans, budgeting)? Any advice?
I saved up from my first year of uni and fortunately I had enough for the year. I did not travel as much as I would have liked but I am lucky enough to have family that live in Italy. This meant I was able to stay with them when travelling around the country, which was great because of the free accommodation (and really yummy food).
What’s an assumption about Italy that you found to be untrue?
I'm not too sure what common assumptions there are of Italy but Venice itself is very expensive. This posed a lot of issues for us as we could not afford to eat out so we would just cook almost every meal at home.
What was your research project and why did you choose it? What were the findings?
My research project was about the housing crisis in Venice caused by the increasing number of short-term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb. This issue affected not only myself when I was looking for long-term accommodation but also many families that live in Venice. Many people are being forced out of their homes by landowners who are converting them into short-term rental properties with higher rent.
If you were going through a tough time, what support did you receive or access?
If I was having any issues I turned to other ICS friends first before contacting UTS staff. My housemate also received over the phone counselling with International SOS for homesickness, which helped her a lot.
If you could redo ICS, what are some things you would do differently?
I think I would try and do language classes both semesters and make more of an effort to make local friends who don’t speak English so that my skills would improve more rapidly. Also, I would try and travel as much as possible and see as many different places as I could. Although I have been to Europe before, there are still some places I would like to see and many places I would like to return to.
Why should International Studies students choose Italy as their major?
If you are very outgoing, Italy is a great country because people are very friendly and will speak their mind. The people are not shy and will approach you just to say they like your bag or they think you are attractive. The uni culture is very chill and relaxed even though studying and doing well is definitely encouraged.
The country is so beautiful and the food is amazing, I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
Blog #1 - Moving to Italy
When I was in high school thinking about where I would be in 4 years time I would never have believed that I would be living in Venice, Italy. To live and study abroad is most people’s dream and to be in such a beautiful and historic city such as Venice is definitely a dream come true.
To say that I was scared to move halfway across the world, to a country that didn’t speak English was, of course, an understatement, many stressful nights awaited me before my journey. The last few weeks in Sydney saying goodbye to my friends and family, knowing I wouldn’t see them for a year was a sad experience, but the excitement finally took over when I arrived at the airport and met up with the two girls I would be travelling with.
After 36 hours of travel time, we arrived, jet-lagged and very cold, greeted by the maze that is Venice.
The constant tangle of streets lined with canals was at first very frustrating but after 4 months, I could walk 45 minutes from one side of the city to the other blindfolded. Not to mention figuring out the short cuts to avoid traffic and get a pizza on the way to university.
Classes in Italy are very different from those at UTS - one teacher with a piece of paper lecturing over 200 students in one room for almost two hours. It has been difficult to find the motivation to go to class as the only means of assessment for students is an exam at the end of the semester but choosing interesting subjects such as the history of Roman art has ensured that I am always focused and ready to learn each day.
In the past 4 months I have managed to make a number of friends from all across the globe that I will remember and cherish forever.
I also experienced Venice 2 metres under snow for the first time in Spring and walked knee-deep in Aqua Alta water in San Marco. Not to mention spending my housemate’s 24th birthday at Disneyland Paris and Carnivale when we first arrived.
So far this has been an experience of a lifetime and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next few months!
Blog #2 - Enjoying summer in Europe
As the heat starts to arrive in Europe and classes end, the summer can finally start. To celebrate the beginning of my first whole summer in Europe, I took advantage of the cheap flights to London and spent a long weekend away at a music festival with some other ICS students. The comfort of the English language and a taste of Asian food (after too much time eating pasta) made us feel a little bit more at home. Stopping by Milano on my way back to Venice gave me the chance to explore the beautiful city and home of fashion. The wide streets filled with boutiques and bars were a change of scenery compared to the small canals and streets that make up Venice. It also gave me a chance to stock up my summer wardrobe!
The best thing about ICS is that you have many friends in different cities across the globe, which means that you always have a couch to sleep on!
When arriving back in Venice, I was greeted with 28-degree weather and the opening of the beach clubs for summer. Almost every day since, we have made the boat ride from the main islands to Lido, in an attempt to work on our tans and learn to master the paddle boats. Sun, salt and silent discos have been keeping us entertained while we wait for our friends from Australia and around the world to make their way to Europe to meet us for the summer. Trying to make the most of the time here during the summer has led to a slight decrease in our bank accounts but definitely an incline in our excitement. Soon to be swapping the bowls of pasta for Greek salad and beef stroganoff, this will be a summer of making memories with friends we have made from all over the globe. We will truly understand what it is like to be a citizen of the world.
Blog #3 - Farewells, festivities and friendships
As the summer holidays are truly underway, the travels and fun can continue. There was one aspect of exchange that I did not expect to face and that was having to say goodbye to so many friends from across the globe that studied with me in Venice. As the UTS programme lasts for one academic year (Australian academic year), this course is six months longer than most people will stay on exchange. After these six months with our new-found friends, it was time for them all to leave and travel back home. Fortunately for us, many of them only have to travel home to neighbouring European countries, with many people living in England and Germany. Although the goodbyes were hard we have made plans to see one another very soon for birthdays and celebrations throughout the rest of the year.
As my grandfather is Italian and lives in Rome for six months of the year, the holidays were the perfect opportunity to visit him in Naples, a city I had never been to. We explored some of the surrounding islands and also managed a day at Pompeii. This was an opportunity to see some of the most beautiful sights that Italy has to offer.
For most people, New Year’s Eve is a highlight for them each year. In Venice, the rowing festival of Redentore is the highlight, the one day of the year the whole of Venice stops. This festival entails the building of a walking bridge between the main island of Venice and Giudecca to assist with the races. The eve before the races are set to start fireworks are set off at midnight to signify the start of the festival. These can be seen from all across the islands of Venice and also on the mainland. After the fireworks have finished the night can begin. This means a number of parties for the young and the old, on boats, at houses and not to mention on the beach. I was very fortunate to be in Venice for this one in a lifetime opportunity to see some of the ongoing cultural events this city has to offer with some Venetian friends I have made here the past six months.
As the tourists are flocking to Venice, it makes it a little easier to leave during the summer for some travels. The one highlight for myself in July was a festival held in Boom, Belgium called Tomorrowland. This festival prides itself on connecting people from all across the world with music that everyone knows and loves. I met up with another girl on exchange in Italy and we went there together. From Sweden to South Africa, people from everywhere came together to make up the 200,000 people that attended the first weekend of the festival. Making lifelong friends and ensuring I have couches to sleep on in every continent, and not to mention world-famous artists, this festival was definitely worth the trip around the globe.
Blog #4 - A European 'barbeque'
August for me was the main month I had set aside to leave Venice during the Summer as it was peak season and very, very hot. Fortunately, living in Italy there are many countries only a short one-hour flight away, making this ideal for impatient travellers like myself.
During the first week, I was invited by a friend I had made during the first 6 months of the ICS programme at Ca’ Foscari to stay with her in her hometown for her 21st Birthday, along with the 2 other girls from UTS that I live with. The 3 of us travelled to London first and then to Leeds where we helped prepare for her 21st Birthday barbecue with her family and friends from all around the North of England. This experience was nothing like an “Aussie Barbie” that we have come to know, but it was interesting to see the cultural differences and try some new things such as Guinness cake. After the weekend we headed back to London where we stayed for a few days sightseeing and doing some shopping. Coincidentally, when we arrived, the street to our hostel was blocked as they were filming a movie down the main road, so we managed to stay around and watch some.
Another short one hour flight and we found ourselves in Budapest, Hungary for the Sziget festival, where we met up with a number of other ICS students from UTS. The whole week was full of catch ups and stories about the first 6 months living in Europe and how we will miss having opportunities like this once we return back home. Learning about so many different cultures of countries all through Europe has opened my eyes to the diversity that is found over such a small area.
The last few days of the month I rested in Venice before I set off to see my family in the South of Italy. I spent this time exploring new areas of the city I had previously not visited and just enjoyed the sunshine.
Blog #5 - Exploring Italy's culture
September was the month that marked the start of university back in Venice, but I still had some travelling to do before that happened. I started the month off by seeing my parents in Sicily in the south of Italy. We visited some of my Italian family members and to sit in the sun during the last days of summer. During this time there are many festivals and parties in each town to celebrate the end of summer, with live music, food vendors and dancing. After this, I returned back to Venice for a few days to welcome back my housemates after the summer. I took this time to explore the Biennale, an art exhibition that takes place in Venice each year. This year it is all about architecture and fortunately, some of my Italian friends are working at the exhibition.
The last couple of days before university started, I travelled to Rome with my housemate to say goodbye to my parents and do some sightseeing in the ancient city. We did some day tours of Rome itself and also the port town of Ostia where we saw many ancient ruins. We ate many traditional Roman meals, which was a change from my canned tuna based diet in Venice (I can’t cook very well). This short holiday was nice as we had our final escape from Venice before starting our last semester at Ca’ Foscari. After saying goodbye to my family and the yummy food, we headed back to Venice where we welcomed the new Erasmus students for this year. Through many bonding activities and nights in the campo (square) near uni hanging out, we luckily made a bunch of new friends.
Now that uni is back it is time to focus on the assignments UTS has given us. The break from university paired with a break from assignments really allows us to make the most of the summer and allows us to not worry about working during that time.
Blog #6 - Joining a local protest
October was no doubt a busy month both at university and in my social life. The month started with myself and some friends attending a protest against the cruise ships that dock in Venice every day. I was particularly interested in this protest as I had spent the majority of my research time looking at this topic and how it is directly affecting the city of Venice. As most people don’t know the cruise ships are one of the main reasons Venice is ‘sinking’ as the movement of the water caused by the ships moves the mudflats causing the wooden stilts, in which Venice is held up by to sink down further, lowering the level of the city.
To see a protest like this close up was an amazing experience. The community of people that came together made the protest feel more like a social gathering or party, and for some time I almost forgot why I was there.
In the water, hundreds of locals gathered on boats and other rafts with handmade signs and speakers, while people like us on the Giudecca canal held flags and chanted along together. During the time we were protesting two cruise ships made the journey along the canal. They were met with dozens of boats, flares, signs and flags all urging the government to rethink the legislation that allows for these boats to ruin the city. Although the government is unlikely to change the legislation anytime soon, it was good to see how many locals and students came to such an event as it showed how much they care about the city that they live in.
Unlike most people, I don’t really have an interest in superhero movies, but I was turned when one day I woke up to find that the square that my house is located off had been turned into a movie set for the upcoming Spiderman film. To many locals' disgust, the square had been turned into a disaster zone with tables and chairs, fruit stalls and souvenir shops all thrown around. The square was packed with onlookers and ‘fangirls’, no doubt trying to get a glimpse of Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal. For some days access through the square was limited and many locals were outraged, including myself as I was late to university one day because I was not allowed to walk through the square to catch the boat to my class. Although this experience was a slight inconvenience, it was exciting to see how movies are made outside of a studio, especially in a place so beautiful such as Venice.
Blog # 7 - Aqua Alta (the Venetian floods)
When you think of Venice you are most likely thinking of the beautiful gondola lined canals with beautiful Italian men waiting to serenade you. For the tourists, this is definitely a reality but for locals during the start of winter, there is a natural phenomenon that stops the city. Aqua Alta. Some people may already know what this is, the high tides that engulf the city for a number of weeks, restricting access to parts of the city and defiantly slowing down day to day life. At the start of the year, we experienced Aqua Alta for the first time but it was never an inconvenience for us, we just stayed at home for the 1 or 2 hours until it was over.
Unfortunately for us, this year’s Aqua Alta was the worst on record for the past decade. Piazza San Marco was flooded with torso deep water and our street was waist deep in canal water. For two days we were trapped inside our apartment.
Fortunately, we are on the first floor and did not experience any damage to our apartment but the front door and staircase saw some damage. We heard many stories of our friends ‘swimming’ to San Marco and we even made the trip to the supermarket, which was knee-deep in water. This experience was definitely exciting for us to see but many businesses lost thousands of euros worth of merchandise and experienced much water damage to their shops and restaurants. Hopefully Venice does not see such flooding for a number of years.
Fortunately living in Italy a weekend away to Florence is just a train ticket away. Myself some of my Erasmus friends decided to spend a weekend in Florence visiting museums and eating delicious food that Firenze is famous for. Just before the cold was to hit Italy the weekend was perfect sightseeing through the many galleries of Firenze. Not to mention the Gucci Garden Museum as well as eating one of the most famous sandwiches from All’antico Vinaio.
At the end of November on the 21st is the famous festa di Maria della Salute, where a bridge is built across the canal to make for easier access to the beautiful church. For 24 hours you are able to visit the church and light a candle to honour the saint. Outside you could find food from all of Italy as well as games and entertainment for the children. It was a very fun experience despite the cold weather, but we were most happy about the public holiday and lack of classes.
Blog #8 - An Italian birthday and Christmas
When you think of Christmas holidays in Australia, you tend to think of white sandy beaches, barbeques and hot sunny days. Well… the Christmas holidays this year were a bit different for me as I had my first ever winter birthday and Christmas.
Although this may not be a big deal to some, my family is full of holiday traditions such as a barbeque dinner for my birthday and early morning swims on Christmas Day. This year I spent my birthday in Venice surrounded by all my friends and to my surprise, my parents had flown from Australia to spend two weeks with me. This was such a surprise and I am so happy my housemates had kept this secret from me. However, I was very unhappy we had to abandon our tradition of barbeque dinner, although this was replaced with a very tasty pizza!
After university had finished for the Christmas break, myself, my parents and my boyfriend all headed off to Portugal for some days before Christmas. The weather there was a lot milder than Venice, so sightseeing was a lot more enjoyable. We even made a trip to the closest point of Europe to America, where the big waves surf competition is held. After eating our way through Lisbon, we flew to Rome to be with my Italian family for Christmas. My Australian housemate from UTS also joined us and we celebrated the day by having lasagne (a tradition on Christmas in my family) and turkey.
After Christmas was over it was time for my family to leave me and wait for my arrival back in Sydney a month later. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to be able to invite some friends to Rome to celebrate the new year. Rome on New Year’s Eve is so much fun as lots and lots of people from all over the world come together to have fun and celebrate together. That night will definitely be a memory I will keep with me forever.
More information about ICS
- Read about the Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
- Read about In-country study in the UTS Handbook
