To enroll myself in the university in my 30's was probably the stupidest and the wisest decision I have made in my life. It's not even close to my university experience in UP, but then again, it has been 10 years hence. I would still prefer a more structured system, just as I was used to. However, one couldn't have it all. I am definitely not in Kansas anymore, as Dorothy would have said. Not only that almost all the subjects and exams are in Italian, but the philosophy of learning is completely different.
To be more systematic about it, I have enlisted the Pros of the Italian University system (the Cons are to follow in the next posts).
PROS:
1. Students are more mentally and emotionally prepared upon entering the University.
Traditionally, a full university degree in Italy was comprised of 5 years. The past 10 years or so, things have changed significantly in the sense that they have now divided most courses in 2 levels: the Laurea Breve (3 years), which is our equivalent of a Bachelor's Degree, and the Laurea Magistrale (2 years), which is the equivalent of a Master's Degree. If I'm not mistaken, the introduction of the Laurea Breve was aimed to give people the choice to go into the work force earlier, should they have no time, energy or resources to complete the full degree. However, this applies to general courses. Law or Giurisprudenza is still 5 years long, plus the mandatory 2 year apprenticeship. Architecture, Engineering and Medicine have their own systems too. Having said this, these are only approximations or a rough equivalent outside the EU standards. Consideration has to be given as well to their high school system which is quite longer than ours, and, I guess, more substantial.
For most EU countries, on top of pre-school (2-3 years), elementary school (5 years) and middle school (3 years), high school is 5 years long. The difference from our high school degree is that Italians are already eligible for work after graduation. Typically, they can choose a line of work or a career path on their third year, as most courses include vocational training. They can either choose to go to a Liceo and take up the more classical and general approach, or go to an Istituto Tecnico/Istituto Professionale where they can take up a profession such as electronics, hospitality, and other specialized jobs. Students cannot graduate without having passed the Esame di Maturità, which is mandated by the State and is reflected on their official records. Usually, students finish high school at the age of 18-20 years old, and thus, are supposedly mature enough to handle pressures from work or further studies. Another point of view is that since students who go to the University are normally above 18 years old, they should be capable of making their own decisions and are already legally liable for their actions.
2. Students cannot BS their way out in passing an exam. It's either they know the answer or not.
The concept of University in Italy is more liberal and it is common that students either work and do other things, except for people who take up Medicine or a course that requires utmost concentration. Attendance is not usually required, and there is only one major exam per subject. It is uncommon for professors to give projects, papers or graded research work. Some might give points for attendance as an incentive, but it is quite rare. Some also require a mid-term exam, but it is at the discretion of the professor. What counts is the final exam, which is normally composed of 2 parts: a written and an oral exam. Most of the time, oral exams are conducted on a one-on-one basis and it is what counts the most as the professor gives you about 5 minutes to answer 3-4 questions, and any hesitation or twitch can actually cause serious damage. Speaking from experience, professors can detect BS and make it a point to push buttons when needed. So the moral of the story here is: never ever come unprepared for an oral exam (which I couldn't say the same for myself when I attended school back home).
3. More than anything else, students learn the value of time management, self-discipline and how to handle responsibilities.
A semester spans for about 18 weeks: 12 weeks for lecture and 6 weeks to prepare for exams. Lectures for a 3-unit subject is about 2 hours long once a week, while lectures for a 6-unit subject is usually held twice a week and a 9-unit subject is held thrice a week. Each semester students should clock in about 30 units or 4-5 subjects, and have about 20-24 lecture hours a week. Since most professors don't monitor each and every student and there really isn't a disciplinary committee, it is the students' obligation to study on their own, find ways to prepare for the finals, and are given about a month and a half to prepare.
For normal folks (a.k.a. the locals), there is no time limit or residency rule, thus they can take as long as they want. Another peculiarity of the system is that students can repeat an exam if they are not satisfied with their grades, and failures do not really reflect on their careers. To illustrate, if Student A gets a 24/30, he could repeat the exam the following semester to get a higher grade. In the case of failure, Student A could just retake the exam in the next session with the same professor. It really is up to them if and when they want to finish. This gives the opportunity for those have kids already or who are working to actually get a degree. However, this system can be inefficient and students can be lazy about it for all they care. Maturity and discipline come in handy is such occasions, which I think is the purpose of the whole thing. It is not about Math or Science. It's about time management, how to handle pressure and having the discipline to deal with responsibilities.
4. Peer pressure is not as much of a factor anymore.
Most exams and work done are graded on an individual basis and each student has a unique Career Plan or Pian di Studio. Students are rarely grouped in blocks and are usually free to attend any class they want. There are certain conventions such as arranging classes in alphabetic order, but there are no limitations should one prefer to follow another schedule. In my case, my last name starts with B and I would have to take my exams with the professors assigned to my class whether I like it or not. However, that doesn't hinder me to attend the lectures of other professors. Also, students are given some leeway on electives, and most people base their selection on personal preference or competence rather than "peer pressure".
Another factor is that graduation is an individual thing. There is no general assembly where people are called in front of an auditorium together with all the graduates, be given a diploma by the dean, and be clapped and cheered on by family and friends. No medals are awarded to the person with the highest grade, and is, consequently, bestowed a privileged speech. Graduation or the presentation of the thesis is done in a small room with a panel of professors where a student defends his work. A small audience comprised of colleagues, family and friends can be invited. Should the defense be satisfactory, the dean or the head of the panel declares that the student has completed his requirements and a final final grade is computed based on the weighted average of all his exam results. Some extra points are given for outstanding or relevant presentations. The whole procedure lasts for just about 30 to 45 minutes, and the presentation is scheduled depending on when the student finishes his thesis and has passed all his exams (or in extreme cases, paid all his dues). This means a person can graduate at any given time that is set within the year by the Faculty. An example would be if Student A finishes his thesis in February, it is possible for him to do his presentation in April or May, and thus be declared a graduate only at that time. Again, performance is individualized and much dependent on a student's ability to collaborate with his thesis adviser, hence peer pressure doesn't count in as much. It is well understandable that a colleague or a friend might graduate before or after. Well, as far as my observations goes, that would be the case for me.
Lastly, University students do study seriously in these areas. They party and go out just like every other student in the world, but I've never seen the library so full nor have I stayed in line at the photocopying booth for less than 15 minutes. Not until I got here. There would be cases where one cannot find a seat in the reading room on a Saturday morning or a table in the study hall on a Friday afternoon. I might just be romanticizing my experiences and it might be because I'm seeing it from a more "adult" perspective, but this environment does make me feel so privileged, as compared to how I did things back in the day. And what spells the biggest difference and as overrated as it sounds, being here actually reminds me to never take education fore granted, and if there's any peer pressure involved, it would fall on the positive side.
