Christmas wrap up

You know when you are at the supermarket and you just need a couple of things? And you forget to take a basket or a shopping cart? So you end up holding everything in your arms until you can't even walk normally without dropping something.

Fun fact (for you not for me):
Try to finally get to the checkout with all of the stuff you want to buy, the cashier scans everything through, you pay. Until here everything good. Then the dear cashier tells you they're out of bags, and you haven't brought any with you. She still looks at you like "Are you going to move or what?".
I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

That's exactly how I felt the first month I was here in Amsterdam, so many things all together, overwhelming. I needed to think about a hundred things at once, settling in my new room (in the prison, yes  a prison), figuring out courses and university stuff, making new friends, every day was basically a new adventure. 

It hasn't been easy at all, but I do love adventure and every challenge I've overcome so far made me feel so satisfied.
I was also looking for a side job because even if the school tuition is very cheap, life in the Netherlands is expensive compared to Italy. 2/3 € for a bottle of water... and it doesn't even tastes good...UNBELIEVABLE. 2.50€ for an espresso... well I think I'll make my own at home thanks.
Anyway, I sent my CV to every possible Facebook post about part time jobs (yes there's a section on fb where you can actually search for any job position and if the country you're in is social enough, you'll find something for sure). I even got an interview in an Italian restaurant, but then I found out they were looking for a butcher... mmm not really my skills.
It was difficult because I don't have any experience at all, I never worked before because for us in Italy is not a thing for teenagers to get a side job while studying. Most of the places where I tried to apply for a job replied "Sorry but we need someone with experience." And I get it, but I do have to start somewhere to build experience, don't I?
In the end I contacted a small little Café where they where looking for a barista/waitress, I went and met the boss who told me was willing to teach me everything and after a trial week I got the place! I work two or three days a week in the afternoon or evening and what makes it fun are the people you work with :) The place is small and cozy and I managed not to spill anything so far, that's probably why for now they like me too.

It's almost Christmas and I'm finally flying back home. What makes me happy is that even if I'll be gone for 20 days or so I know I'm going to miss Amsterdam and the friends I made there a bit, and I think this is awesome because if I miss it it means that I was able to handle thing great and built something over there. If you miss someone or a place it's because you care. 

Maybe you'll think I'm crazy (all the best ones are by the way), but one of the reasons why I left Italy was that I missed the feeling of being far from home and missing it. I know it's weird but I like the feeling you get when you're traveling or abroad and you know that home is always going to be where you left it, and it's waiting for you to come back, no matter what.

Quote of the post:
"What is meant for you won't pass you by"

Studying in the Netherlands

Please be careful. Keep reading just if you give a sh..something about the Dutch educational system, otherwise it's just going to mess your head up since it's a bit confusing and different from the Italian one or any other I think.

But if you are super curious and interested in what I am doing and can't wait to know a bit more about my study choices you are in the right place.

Here in the Netherlands there are just primary/elementary school and then three main different types of high school as secondary education. Basically they don't have middle school as in Italy. So at 12 yo young Dutch boys and girls have to decide which educational path they are going to follow. A bit early in my opinion, and maybe that is why so many of them drop out of heir studies or change their mind at some point.

There are three main different types of high school based on a student’s academic level and interests:

• VMBO: vocational education until the age of 16, which leads to vocational training (MBO).
• HAVO: general secondary education until the age of 17, prepares students to study at universities of applied sciences (hogescholen), where they can follow a bachelor's degree of applied sciences.
• VWO: university preparatory education until the age of 18, focuses on theoretical knowledge in order to prepare students to follow a bachelor's degree at a research university

Higher education is divided in research-oriented and profession-oriented, so Dutch people can either choose to attend a research university (like the University van Amsterdam) or a university of applied sciences (like the Hogeschol van Amsterdam).

Now that you have a bigger picture of how education works here in the Netherlands, let's talk about my university!

I am studying at the Hogeschol van Amsterdam (HvA, Dutch pronunciation "ha-fe-a"), the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, which means less theory, more group projects and practice. My course is International Business, a four-year full-time bachelor’s program taught entirely in English (bachelor in Business Administration) It combines economics, marketing, math, statistics and management with other subjects such as languages, entrepreneurship, cross-cultural awareness and all other sorts of international stuff. 

The school year is divided in two semesters and each semesters consists into two blocks, each block has four different modules, for a total of 60 ECTS credits per year. 

The first year is focused on the basic modules, during the second year there is the possibility to choose an additional language (and I still don't know what I am going to take, either Spanish or French I think) and other three/four electives. In the third year I'll choose my Specialization Track, probably go on an exchange and choose a minor. The great thing is that you can go on exchange basically wherever you want (as long as you keep your grades up) because the university as partners in so many countries.
Finally the last year is all about Internship and Thesis, which can be completed abroad as well.
I chose this program because I think it has a lot to offer and right now I am quite happy with my choice, I love studying in English and I am also into exploring and getting to know new subjects such as Accounting and Marketing.
So far so good, and then of course there's Amsterdam itself which plays its part well, but that's material for another post!


If you have any questions you know what to do! 💙

Quote of the post: 

"Put your hair up in a bun, drink some coffee and handle it"

-literally me almost every day-

References:

https://www.nuffic.nl/en/subjects/education-in-the-netherlands 

https://www.iamexpat.nl/education/primary-secondary-education/dutch-school-system

http://www.amsterdamuas.com/amsib

Storyofmylife

My dear viewers,get comfy on your couches, because it's with enormous pleasure that I introduce you to the beautiful messy adventure called My Life.
So the question is "What am I doing with my life?", big question, really like a thousand dollars question.
Let's give this blog a proper introduction, shall we?

In the past two months a lot happened. I graduated from High School and then moved to The Netherlands where I started university.
I am studying International Business at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and I am already in my seventh week. It's an English program full of international students and I am liking it a a lot so far.
I don't know where to start with all the stuff I went through already this past months. It's been awesome and overwhelming at the same time.
I came to Amsterdam the 21st of August with my mum, who really helped me out setting up everything with my room and other things. After a couple of days she left and there I was, alone, quite far (but not that far) from home, in a foreign country trying to first of all realize and then figure out everything by myself.


FAST FUN FACTS:
I forgot my phone in a Uber car and then it got stolen by some other clients. NICE.
I was almost late to my first lecture on my fist day of uni, I didn't have my phone so I didn't know the way. NEVER BIKED SO FAST AND PANICKED EVER.
I hit a short pole with my bike's pedal, which twisted on the inside. Had to bring my bike to the shop and get it fixed. THE SHOP WAS NOT CLOSE BY.
I parked my bike on a bridge in downtown Amsterdam. The chain got stuck because of the rain and the rust, I tried to oil it and open it and the key broke inside the lock. NICE. I went to the police and they said they couldn't help me, I asked many bike shops what I was supposed to do (someone even told me to bring the bike to their shop to open the chain...) and eventually I found a guy who cut the chain with like an electric saw. YEY.
I locked myself out of my room for half a day. I know at this point you'll be wondering "Where does she live?". Well I live in an ex-prison. Yup. And we get the full prison life experience, with fire alarms loud likethereisnotomorrow and bars at the windows, apparently the monthly rent is all inclusive you know.

These are the most hilarious (believe me not fun to experience) things that happened to me, for now...


If I looked at the other side of the coin though, I can say I am loving living here and I like my courses at the university a lot.
I decided to study here because of the great program they have and the fact that it's fully in English. I enjoy the international environment so much!
Honestly if you would have asked me two or three years ago where I wanted to study I would not have said The Netherlands at all, I've never even been here before this last winter when I visited the university! And then I bumped into this program on a search engine for students to find your future higher level education "path". The courses they offered intrigued me a lot, since it's not just business, there are languages and other more humanistic subjects too. I took in consideration some other colleges too, in Germany, Scotland and another one in another Dutch city, but in the end I fell in love with Amsterdam. So here I am.
Amsterdam is a great city. And not just because of weed people, there are so many other things to do here and every day I discover something new.

I'll definitely talk more about Amsterdam and more about my uni in other posts!

Quote of the post:

"Create the life you can't wait to wake up to"

The art of getting by

Adventure: an unusual and exciting or daring experience.

I think life is made of adventures, one after the other in a continuous flux. Lifelong or really short, funny or boring, lonely or shared, memorable or unremarkable. It's up to you how to face them, live them, make them easy or special.
In all this mess of situations and adventures that life is there is one single ability that makes everything so much more enjoyable and livable. Ladies and gentlemen, it's the art of getting by. People have been writing book and scripts for plays and movies about it, trying to explain and show the world what it really is. Well there is no better way to understand it than experiencing it. In my opinion Italians kinda have it in their DNA, it's something like some sort of ability or skill, you can certainly try to develop it by exercising, but truth is either you have it or you don't.

So, back to it. You know the saying "When life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade…and try to find someone whose life has given them vodka, and have a party.”.

Just kidding! The saying goes actually like this "When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade", well according to the art of getting by you got to make lemonade even without lemons. That's it. No lemons. Figure out a way to make lemonade.
This whole talk about lemons it's not because I like them, I mean I do like lemons but that'snot the point. The point is I love to live life and face new adventures improving and exercising L'ARTE DI ARRANGIARSI (Italian translation of the art of getting by), which could consist in finding a different way to solve thing, getting out of weird situation, getting to the final goal dribbling obstacles. Doesn't have to be something big and complicated.

You are in a big new city, know nothing about anything and you have thirty minutes to get to school.

It's 7 pm, you just got back from work, house is a mess, you have guests coming over for dinner in 30 minutes.

You go to the toilet, do what you have to do, you look to where the toilet paper is supposed to be. There is no toilet paper.

You have a test in an hour. "Wait, when did we decide the test was today! Is it today? Why no one told me?! How am I supposed to always know when all tests are!" Well doesn't change the fact that the test is still is an hour. Actually now you have just 50 minutes left. "Someone give me some notes and the book! What subject are we talking about?"

You are on vacation, driving a rented car, and suddenly a tire blows out. You have no spare wheel, no gel kit, kilometers away from your hotel, no phone service.

Basically you gotta think fast and solve even faster. Honestly though I don't know how could you ever make lemonade without lemons.


Quote of the post:

"Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen."

-Michael Jordan

Graduation. This time for real.

The first adventure I'm going to talk about is my Esame di Stato, which I don't even know how to translate it in English, actually not even my teacher knew when I asked him. I guess the best definition is High School graduation, it's a big final exam to get your high school diploma at the end of the fifth and (thank heaven) last year. It consists in three written tests (an essay, a math test and a 4 subjects open questions) and an oral examination.

The school was over the 8th, so I had 12 days to study likethereisnotomorrow. The first test was on the 20th of June, no big deal because it was just the essay so you can't really study for it. We had six hours to write our papers, we had the possibility to choose from different drafts to produce either an analysis, an article for a newspaper or a magazine or a proper essay. I chose the text analysis because I think it was really interesting and I knew what to talk about. It was an extract from the book "Il giardino dei Finzi-Contini" by Bassani, all about racism and the beginning of antisemitism in Italy. I honestly liked it so much than the next day I went to the library and bought the book! I was done after four hours and so I left.

The first challenge was over.

Next day there was Math and oh boy this year the School State Department really topped it with the problems. The test consisted in two big problems and 10 quicker and shorter questions, we had to choose one of the two problems and five out of the ten exercises, and do all of this in other six hours.

Ok so after the first hour I was already done with the five exercises and I was struggling trying to figure out which of the two problem was the easiest one. After multiple tries with both of them (another hour passed by) I finally made up my ind and chose the second one, which was about studying a function and integrals. I worked hard for two hours on that, then I put everything in order rewriting it in a good way and I turned in the test five minute before the end.

Math was done too.

After the weekend we did the third and last big written test, one that involves four different subjects (two or three questions each). We had Science, History, English and Computer Science. In this case we had only three hours to get the work done, so it was quicker and less painful than the other tests, but still really challenging.

Results came out on June 30. I got 14/15 in all of them. At that point there was just the oral between me and freedom. I always wished I could pass the first day so I would be done and bye bye. Well my wish came true, I was summoned on July 2, the third of my class, couldn't be happier.

The days before that fateful day were just horrible, anxiety and bipolarity have been my closest friends and I was desperately trying to study EVERYTHING and remember everything. I think I'll always remember that morning so well, the hours I spent waiting outside the hallway for the teachers to call me in, my classmates asking me if I was ready (which honestly, come on, who was and will ever be really ready for that).

Eventually at 1 pm my turn came. I went in the exam room where all the teachers are seated in front of you, and I delivered my fantastic presentation about Anthropocene and Ecology and then I did all the single kinda interviews whit each teacher (everyone asks one or more questions about his/her subject). This whole thing last an hour or so. You can understand how I felt when I was done only if you went through this too, otherwise you just can't. I literally felt relieved of a huge burden that was on my chest and I now know that it's not the exam itself you have to "fear", it's your reaction to it.       I did have some other exams before, but this was the first really kinda big and important of my life (yeah big deal).

And I was free. DONE. Done with high school. I shook hands with the president of the commission while a smile bigger than my face appeared from one of my hear to the other. When I walked out my mum dad and sister were waiting for me outside with a camera and champagne to celebrate. We went to lunch at a nice little restaurant in the city center and then I grabbed my backpack and took the first train to Genoa to go celebrate with one of my friends who passed the same day.

This was it, I'm not going to go into details about Italian high school and its rules because I don't have anything nice to say about it, I personally did't like high school in general (of course with some exceptions) and after spending one year abroad (my fourth year) I had a better and clearer picture of it. I'm glad I'm done and I would never go back and do it again. Not a chance.

A big chapter of my life has just ended, there are things I'll never forget about high school and others I'm glad to let go. It's been a hell of an adventure guys.

Now off to the next one!

Quote of the post:

"It is our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities."

 - Albus Dumbledore