My 5 Reasons To Do a Double Degree (in the Eternal City)
'Ciao caro e benvenuto a bella Roma!' - Oliver is an alumni of the double degree programme with the University of Rome Tor Vergata and shares his five tops reasons with you, why he thinks it's worth to go for two rather than only one degree.
'Ciao caro e benvenuto a bella Roma!' This is how I, Oliver, got welcomed on my first day in Rome with sunny 30 degrees under the cloudless sky of Rome. At the beginning of my Master’s programme in Konstanz in 2018, I decided to apply for a double degree in cooperation with the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Reflecting on this experience now, I will share five good reasons with you, why it’s worth to seize this opportunity!
It’s something for your career
Hard facts first: Being well informed and having a good network are the keys to a succesfull career. With a double degree, you will not only stand out when applying for jobs, but you will also have more opportunities to get to know people and inform yourself about career opportunities in and outside of academia, which you may have not considered or known before. For example, the department has a large alumni network and, occasionally, alumni and international companies or institutions are invited for presentations and speeches.
Experience the Italian way of studying
Studying in Italy is quite different from what I was used to in Germany. This is not only because of the most implicit rule on the campus: dress to impress (appearing relaxed in long trousers despite 35 degrees in the shade is something that I really had to get used to). Also, the curriculum itself has a somewhat different structure than a German university. Grading is mainly based on exams (which you can repeat as often as you like, yay!). However, the courses are often much closer related to practice, but also offer the chance to gain some initial academic experience doing small empirical analyses. This has helped me a lot when writing my final thesis.
Meet friends from all over the world
The university Tor Vergata is quite international and, being a large campus university, has its own nearby students’ quarter where many international students live – so, if you want to make friends from all over the world, you are in good hands coming to Tor Vergata (this is also where I lived in my first semester). But, regardless of whether you live in the city center, in one of the trendy suburbs, or next to the university, I got the impression that no one stays alone in Rome, thanks to numerous events and parties. That's how I found myself quickly in international cooking groups trying to convince my friends of the merits of having a hearty breakfast with Bavarian sausage and wheat beer...
La dolce vita
Many people say that ‘la dolce vita’ is the very reason why everyone should study in Italy – I agree! Roman nights are legendary! Where else can you enjoy an 'aperitivo' on a piazza surrounded by world heritage palazzi on a balmy Friday evening before dancing the night away in one of Rome’s trendy clubs? At best, you let your local friends and fellow students introduce you to the secrets of this lovely and diverse city – or simply ask a Roman. The locals are very friendly and helpful as soon as they realize that you are not just a tourist and that you speak their language (or at least try to). My pro tip: Be sure to take a language course and familiarize yourself with the Dos and Don’ts beforehand!
All roads lead to Rome
Thanks to Flixbus, Ryanair and Trenitalia, this saying holds true even today. You can easily and cheaply get around and use the weekends and lecture-free periods by exploring almost every corner of Italy. Again, the best thing to do is to let your Italian friends show you around (they do this proudly and with great pleasure, don’t be shy to ask). Nevertheless, you will quickly learn the two most important words in Italy (and in particular in Italian transportation): 'pazienza' (patience) and 'sciopero' (strike). But, who cares at the end? Also, I got used to it very quickly and became more relaxed - which, hand on heart, is not a bad thing, especially being German.
Finally, if I still couldn't convince you of at least five good reasons to do a double degree in Rome, then maybe the tasteful pictures below will (and tasteful is to be taken literally here...)
(Oliver Schlenker)
