If in doubt...eat churros

It’s certainly been a while since I last wrote on the blog! In reality, this is due to the mountains of work I have been receiving from every class, as well as extra reading and vocab revision, and being exhausted every day from all the concentration it takes to speak Italian. But you don’t want to hear about that! Today I thought I’d take you on a short ‘virtual’ journey around Forl ì - because let’s be honest, you could probably see it all in a day so it’ll be quicker to just read this post and steal my photos. Although it’s one of the smaller cities in Emilia Romagna, and you’re probably more tempted to visit Bologna, Cesena, Rimini, or literally any other city that the region has to offer, I really enjoy the small-town feel of Forli. To give you an idea, I live 3 minutes’ walk from the beautiful main square, 7 minutes’ walk from the university (speaking from experience, it IS possible to set off at 9:05 and arrive with enough time to grab a coffee from the machine) and only ...

Going on a year abroad can be a very lonely experience. It’s difficult to make friends as it is, without the added language barrier. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Most universities offer clubs and societies that aren’t just for the native students, and, having joined clubs myself, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about joining one and why it’s one of the best choices you’ll make. We’ll start with an obvious one: it’s a great way to practice your language skills You’ve come abroad to improve your language knowledge, but that shouldn’t be limited to the classroom. You’ll learn more conversational, everyday language used by people your age. Instead of having to talk like you’re writing your final year dissertation when you’re in a nightclub or out for coffee with friends, you’ll be able to speak normally! I don’t know about you, but a big fear I had when moving abroad was I wouldn’t know how to just chat to someone or order something in a restaurant, and t...