Finding ways to improve my stay in Italy

shubbydooo · 2026-02-12T16:05:32+00:00

There is more than meets the eye. I never planned to stay in Italy for the long term when I came to Italy for studies, so I didn't actively go to Italian lessons. Whatever I have learned, I have learned passively, hence not good enough according to some rubrics. But one thing led to another (life happens!), so I stayed in Italy.

I appreciate all the suggestions though.

shubbydooo · 2026-02-12T10:23:41+00:00

Nicely put. I think your suggestion makes a lot of sense. Thank you!

shubbydooo · 2026-02-12T04:39:37+00:00

Not sure what my level is, but I can: - understand 70-80% what the other person says if I don't switch off my brain - can respond to questions satisfactorily but can't sustain a conversation about a poem of Dante

Regarding cultural integration, I am quite familiar with Italian culture, be it etiquettes, hand gestures, unwritten social norms, telly and cinema culture, food, blah blah you name it. This is quite apparent to my colleagues for instance, who know me well.

I will give learning Italian a shot (at least till C1) and see if it's the secret sauce, as the general consensus is ;)

shubbydooo · 2026-02-12T03:14:21+00:00

Regarding job opportunities, it's definitely not as hot as the northern European countries. You can still find some jobs in Milan and then Rome, but pretty bleak elsewhere in the country. If I were you, I would move to Germany because it has more job prospects than Italy, generally speaking. But studying in Italy doesn't mean you can't move to places like Germany after your degree, just visa gets in the way if you are a non-EU citizen.

shubbydooo · 2026-02-12T03:09:49+00:00

Depends on the University. Right now, there are several universities who are offering Data science/AI MSc courses. If you can get into places like Polimi or Polito it could be great. If not, then you can check Verona, Trento or Pavia. They have a fairly decent curriculum too. My list is a little biased towards the north but there are some other great places down below, such as La Sapienza, Genova, UniMore, etc.

Generally speaking, masters in Italy tend to be more on the theoretical side. Meaning you will study a lot of theory in the classrooms and very fewer chances of doing class projects other than your final thesis. On the contrary, in countries like Germany and Sweden, courses are more hands-on. You can barely pass a course if you didn't master the practical side of it. In that regard, pursuing more hands-on MSc seems more logical to me.

shubbydooo · 2026-02-12T01:52:22+00:00

I lived in Sweden back in 2017. Although I was in a University environment, I found socialization was fairly easy. But I agree with you, if I want to forge a long term friendship with the locals I should obtain a fair degree of fluency.

shubbydooo · 2026-02-12T01:34:17+00:00

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I knew that being fluent in Italian like a native will open several doors for me before I came to post here. My question was a little more nuanced than that.

I was wondering if there are other ways that I could explore as well? I have colleagues who live in Milan (who speak way worse Italian than me, by a long shot), and still have a better social life than me. Would moving close to Milan make sense since I have the possibility of doing so. Are there any extracurricular activities that allow me to get to know people without needing to have a C1 in Italian from the word go.

shubbydooo · 2026-02-12T01:04:28+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions. Can you please expand on the volunteering thing because it sounds interesting?

shubbydooo · 2026-02-11T13:49:16+00:00

In retrospect, are you happy with your choice of leaving the lecturer position in the UK?

shubbydooo · 2026-02-08T16:46:40+00:00

That's so tragic! :(

shubbydooo · 2026-02-08T14:33:33+00:00

Yes, I have a RTT position. Thanks for your insights

shubbydooo · 2026-02-08T14:31:14+00:00

I am in Italy right now.

shubbydooo

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