Megan Clancy, from the US, explains why she was so keen to take her Masters in International Management in Italy, and how she’s adapting to life abroad.
After spending a year studying in Italy as part of her undergraduate degree, Megan Clancy was keen to return there for her master’s. But, while she loves the country and is enjoying her time at the University of Bologna, there’s also been a lot to get used to.
Megan, who was ‘born and raised’ in Chicago, Illinois, completed her undergraduate degree in international relations at the University of California, Berkeley. During this time, she took advantage of the university’s Education Abroad Program to revisit Italy, where she’d dreamed of living since a holiday there at the age of 12.
Still enamoured with the country after a year there, Megan decided to return to Italy for the entirety of her graduate degree. The appeal was increased by the prospect of being able to go straight into a graduate program; in the US, she says, students are often required to have at least three years of work experience before applying for a master’s.
Megan is now enrolled on a laurea magistrale (equivalent to a master’s degree) in international management at the University of Bologna (‘Unibo’).
“The experience has been amazing,” she says. “I am part of a small class of 30 students, so it is easier to build relationships with the professors, which is an aspect that was missing at UC Berkeley. The professors are great and really listen and respond to the students' needs.”
As well as being more than satisfied with the academic side of things, Megan is also enjoying the local lifestyle. She says, “People here tend to enjoy the small things in life much more than Americans.”
Joys and frustrations in studying abroad
However, it hasn’t all been sunshine and fine wines – adapting to a different higher education system has also presented some challenges.
“At first it was difficult to get used to, because it is an entirely different system to the US one that I was used to,” Megan explains. She adds that the university’s resources as not as extensive as those at the University of California, and that Bologna’s relatively small size can make it more difficult to access networking and employment opportunities, compared to a city like San Francisco.
But overall, Megan says she’s glad to have been able to experience a smaller university environment, and is more than happy with her choice. After completing her course, she hopes to stay in Italy, or find employment elsewhere in Europe, and is currently applying for internships.
Studying abroad will be a definite asset when it comes to job hunting, she believes. “I have become more mature since being on my own in a foreign country, having to make new frends and prove myself in a language and place I was unfamiliar with.
“Now I feel more secure in my capabilities and have gathered new knowledge that I could never have got if I stayed in America. I opened myself up to new challenges and feel more prepared for what the future will bring and for what I can do.”