Study Abroad: Surviving Exams Italian Style

Arriving back to the town of Forli with exam season in full swing was a minor shock to the system. Exams in Italy differ quite dramatically from University exams at home; in addition to the language barrier I knew that January was going to be tough. In the last few months I have quite happily accepted my status as an Erasmus student, indulging in the lack of deadlines and coming to the somewhat questionable conclusion that conversing with Italians over endless cups of coffee and glasses of red wine counts as revision. However, what I overlooked or rather chose to ignore was the fact that the January exams were not just in fact a test of my Italian but actually real university exams, on actual subjects that just so happened to be in Italian. Believe me, there is a massive difference. 

#1 Exams are oral.

I don’t just mean language exams, everything from history, literature and linguistics are examined orally. Although this leaves no room to fill out your answers with fancy vocabulary and overly large handwriting if you are lucky enough to have the gift of the gab this could work in your advantage. If you don’t know the answer, you may be able to blab your way around it. The better your answer, the quicker your exam will be over. If the examiner is satisfied with your first answer and you can potentially get away with answering one question. Needless to say my first exam lasted over twenty minutes… You either have to study literally everything which seems to be the Italian method or be really really lucky with the questions. 

#2 Exams are public.

Whoever has the inclination to come and hear you stumble over your words whilst trying in vain to answer a question about contemporary European history may do so. You may be thinking what kind of sick person wants to come and watch someone take an exam? The answer is in fact all the other students who have yet to take the exam. They use it as a study method. Just to insure everyone has a good view most exams are conducted in a lecture theatre. Everyone sits as if they were in a lecture and the examiner along with the examinee sit at the front . Great now I not only have to remember the material for the exam, I have to remember it in another language AND try not to trip as I walk up to the podium in front of 60 plus students…

#3 Punctuality is not an issue.

I should have known after almost 5 months of living here in Italy that the Italians are not known for their punctuality. Naively, I arrived 10 minutes early for my exam, notes in hand, coffee freshly drunk along side two other year abroad students. Gradually in dribs and drabs some Italians began to arrive. An hour later we were still waiting for the professor to show up. I don’t know about you but at home this would simply not happen, especially for a big end of term exam. We were huffing and puffing and looking at our watches whilst the Italians just chatted casually like this was the most normal thing in the world. I guess for them it was! She showed up eventually without a word of an apology or an explanation. 

I am currently suffering through my first attack of exams the Italian way. Two down and two to go. If you are getting stressed about exams whether they are in another country, another language or simply at University at home just count yourself lucky that you are not doing them in front of a room full of people. On the other hand if you are doing your exams in front of a crowd I suggest you spruce yourself up a bit, a bit of make up, a nice outfit and a smile an go a long away. If the examiner doesn’t already know that you are a year abroad student from your faulty use of the language, I suggest that is is one of the first things you say, even if they don’t officially mark you differently it may soften them a little. Hears hoping! 

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