Describe the trip in one sentence: A truly great experience that I will treasure forever.

 

Deciding to do the exchange: Going into the exchange I didn’t have any of my close friends doing it with me. Looking back on it I would say to future TYs that this shouldn’t put you off because it really puts you out of your comfort zone and allows you to make lasting friendships and bond with the people you travel with. For me, I found that I made lasting friendships with people from all different friend groups and that I wouldn’t have had the chance to get to know them if it wasn’t for this trip.

Language: I found it hard to learn Italian in the module class, but what I found easiest was using Duolingo and watching things in Italian with English subtitles. The most effective way to learn Italian or any language is to travel to the country because it throws you into the deep end. 

 

 

Educational Benefits: There were so many educational benefits to this trip and it really fitted in well with the Transition Year scheme. The song workshops were also a great way for our groups to bond with the Italians.  Writing our own song at the end was a highlight because it will be memory we all have together. 

 

Challenges: I didn’t personally face many challenges in Italy. It was easier for me to navigate the time and talk to locals as I can speak Italian. This helped me communicate with everyone. 

Would I recommend the exchange: The best experience I’ve had in TY. 

I was interested to see the level of fluency that the Italian students had, considering we have been learning Irish around the same length of time as they have been learning English and we wouldn’t have the level of fluency. 

Overall it was an amazing trip to experience, I have made so many new friends and can’t wait to see who goes on it next year to see what they think of it.