For the third installment of our #SLSERIES we interviewed Guia Alessandra, and international student from Italy. Guia is in her third year at the University of Lincoln and she told us about her experiences of moving over to the UK.

Why did you choose to study in the UK and in Lincoln?

I knew that I wanted to study journalism and I knew that Italian universities only offer it as a MA, not a bachelor degree, so I would have had to spend three years studying something else before actually getting to do what I wanted. I started looking at journalism degrees in the UK given that English is the only other language I’m really fluent in. Out of the 4 universities that accepted me, I chose Lincoln for the location and the specific modules. I couldn’t realistically see myself living on my own in a city like London, Birmingham or Sheffield; also, Lincoln was the uni that offered the most interesting modules for my tastes, like Peace and conflict reporting, Photography, etc.

Was your experience as you expected it to be when you moved over to the UK?

I can’t exactly remember what my expectations were before I moved, but I’d say that the simple fact of living on my own was a lot more challenging that I thought. At the same time, however, it prompted me to be way more independent than I ever thought I could be at the age of 18.

Something I wasn’t expecting is how profoundly different the english and Italian cultures are, from food, to social habits, to fashion...

Do you have any advice for any international students who are wanting to study at the University of Lincoln?

My best advice would be to do it. Moving away from home was the hardest but hands down the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I literally cannot picture my life anywhere else. My other piece of advice would be to work hard, because being able to study abroad is a privilege that one has to earn.