Posted by pietro on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 in 2017 Blog post.

http://vocaroo.com/i/s19pQlG6vBZb

For my Interview I chose Dario Restivo and we conversed on May 15, 2017 from 11:30- 12:40 am.  I wanted to compare and contrast college student life in Italy and the United States.  He was born and grew up in Cefalù and attends the University of Palermo for college.  He is in his last (fifth) year with a major in architecture.  He’s only been to the U.S. once, when he was a little kid, but he wants to return.

Dario studied abroad in Lithuania for six months.  This is a little longer than typical study abroad programs from Vanderbilt, which are typically one semester (four months) or a maymester for one month.  Although the primary language in Lithuania is Lithuanian, all of his courses were taught in English.  This is the primary way in which he has learned most of his English, which is very good as you can hear in the sound clips.  We were able to switch back and forth between Italian and English during the conversation to give each other practice.  I learned almost all of my Italian through courses at Vanderbilt, but have made vast improvements during this current one month study abroad program in Cefalù.  Although our experiences in learning a second language are different, Dario’s is extremely similar to most U.S. students who study abroad for a semester to learn a language.

He said most Palermo students are from all around Sicily, but also neighboring countries like Spain, Germany, Lithuania, and Russia.  At Vanderbilt, the vast majority of students are from the U.S., however each state is represented and there are international students.  At Vanderbilt, the most represented states are from the most populated states and Dario said it was similar for the provinces in Sicily.

The school system is similar to the United States; at eighteen Dario finished secondary school and began his studies at the University of Palermo.  He was deciding between majoring in economics or architecture.  He said his brain told him to major in economics because its easier and better potential to find a job but his heart loves architecture.  He described the architecture professors as “pazzi,” or scatter brained.  Professors at Vanderbilt are generally excellent, but occasionally you can have one that you don’t connect with very well.  In my major, chemistry, I have found most of the professors to be extremely engaged in their research and very willing to help teach students.  All of the research at Vanderbilt is extremely interesting and it is very enjoyable to discuss a professor’s work with them.  Similarly to Vanderbilt, at the University of Palermo professors hold office hours to have more one on one attention with students outside of large lectures.  Dario said that there are around seven hundred thousand people in Palermo and fifty thousand students at the University of Palermo.  Nashville also has around seven hundred thousand people in it, but Vanderbilt University only has about thirteen thousand students (including graduate students) because it is a private university.  This contrast in relative size between the local university and city changes the culture.  Dario described Palermo as a college town where the University creates most of the night life.  Nashville has enough nightlife through tourism and its bars that students can participate in, but are not the main patrons.  Additionally, there are other universities in Nashville whose students we meet around the city including Belmont, Lipscomb, and Tennessee State University.

Dario says most all students find apartment housing in the city that is not necessarily connected with the university.  This is much different than Vanderbilt where most students are expected to live in university owned on campus housing for all four years.  This is more Vanderbilt being different, as many other American universities allow students freedom to choose where they want to live in the surrounding area.  Vanderbilt’s situation creates a bubble in which students live like they are in a boarding school instead of being immersed in the surrounding city.

Food at Palermo seems to be much different than Vanderbilt.  Most people grocery shop and cook for themselves.  At Vanderbilt, all students living on campus are required to be on a meal plan.  The amount of meals per week decreases as you get older but students aren’t expected to be self-sufficient and cook for themselves.  As students get older most begin to cook more and more.  Personally, I will have an accessible kitchen for the first time in this upcoming (junior) year in my suite.  He explained the typical Italian diet is to eat pasta every day, typically for lunch, and then a meat or fish dish for dinner. This is similar to an American student diet, although many other types and cuisines of food are eaten in addition.  I certainly do not see students I know eating some type of pasta every day.

Many students are active at Vanderbilt, either involved in club sports or work out on their own time.  Dario said exercise is not a large part of student culture at the University of Palermo.  He said that he plays tennis and swims.  Outside of club sports, which there are many at Vanderbilt, the most common unorganized sport is basketball.  Upon entrance into the recreation and wellness center there are usually at least two courts full of unassociated people playing pick up basketball.  I love that culture and enjoy hopping into games whenever I can.  It is a fantastic way to meet new people and get exercise on your own schedule.

Since I am pre- med I asked Dario about the typical route to become a Doctor in the Italian school system.  He explained that students go to an undergraduate school for six years and then to the hospital for two years to specialize.  In overall time this is similar to the United States although it is broken up differently.  I will be attending an undergraduate school for four years and after graduating I will go to medical school for another four years.  The final two years of medical school are spent in the hospital and the student decides what type of doctor they would like to be.  After that, depending on the type of doctor, you enter a residency for a variable amount of years to specialize.

College student life doesn’t seem extremely different in Italy, but there are a few discrepancies.  Most notably, students here enjoy a little more independence with regards to deciding where they live and what they eat.  Although coursework hear also seems difficult and like the primary consumer of time each day, extracurricular engagements are not stressed nearly as much as they are in America.  Dario said sports aren’t too popular and clubs for hobbies and common interests do not exist.  It seems the slower pace of life I have noticed in the town of Cefalù carries over to college students in Italy as they do not feel as much pressure to be constantly engaged in some sort of enrichment.