Beatrice will start a degree in Law with us as of September. She’s from Italy, from the Veneto region, and has just seen our facilities for the first time – those which will be her home over the next few years. She came to meet us after the “Hospitality Day” organised by International Student Services. It is not hard to get her singing the university’s praises. However, there is something which is more difficult to convince her about. She says that International Relations are her thing. But for her, pizza is non-negotiable: “I like it better than paella“.
We’re going to tell you a secret: the truth is that we never try to convince you with food…
It was not necessary; what convinced me was the international nature of the campus, the blend of nationalities, and the vocation to offer an education for a global world like the one we live in. In the end, all of this increases the possibility of finding a job at the end of your studies. Not only here in Spain, but in any part of the world.
You’ve just arrived and it’s been a while since you visited the campus with other international students. What are your first impressions?
As I said, there’s this air of clear practical vocation, aimed at facilitating the professional possibilities of the different degrees offered by the university. The Veterinary Hospital, the practical classrooms in Health Sciences, the materials that the Medicine students have… it is clear that this University is going to great efforts to make sure its students have an advantage when they access the job market. And that makes the difference.
I hope that the international atmosphere which you can sense here will open more doors for me.
You told us when you arrived that the admission experience was very positive.
That’s right, the process turned out to be individual. Almost from the beginning, I had a personal advisor who was guiding me through all the steps I had to take to formalise my registration. I remember, for example, the time I had the online interview… it is true that the Internet helps but really you all make it very simple and personalised for each international student who is truly interested in studying here.
You start in September, any idea of where you want to take your law studies?
I know that I want my professional career to develop abroad. When I think about my future, I imagine myself in Brussels, in one of the European institutions that have their headquarters there, or working for the UN. Although I also find criminal law especially appealing.
You have time to decide, you will be spending five years here with us. What do you expect from this life chapter you are about to begin?
Above all, I hope that the international environment here opens more doors for me. Here I will be able to speak in my language, in Spanish, in English … I am sure that I will make friends from all four corners of the world and I will leave being a more open person. I love Spain and the amenable and friendly personality of the Spaniards. It is a perfect place, although I still prefer Italian food!
Thanks, Beatrice. We’ll see you in September!