By Davide Palin - Master staff
Well, here we go! Twenty-four students have just arrived in Trieste to start their (and our) adventure in this year’s Master class. They come from 16 different countries: a record! What issues did they have to face first? You may think getting over jetlag, getting mentally prepared for their lessons, getting to know their surroundings, being dazed and confused in a new city? Well actually the first thing they had to face was…the cold weather! Because this year in Trieste January was a really cold month, and if you come from Africa or Central America, maybe you don’t need stuff like scarfs, hats and gloves! But surprise, you do! In fact these were the first items they bought…even before an Italian SIM card for their phones! And Bora (the infamous cold winter winds from Siberia) hasn’t even showed up yet!
Twenty-four students is a record and also a challenge for the staff: 24 dirty coffee cups, 24 cookie monsters, endless amount of questions, stay permit issues, maps on how to get to places, university documents… and so on and so forth! You name it, and the Master staff has been there to help and answer any of the students’ doubts and uncertainties! But it’s always quite an experience getting to know people from every corner of the world! (They also brought gifts, like very good chocolate and of course coffee from their countries).
Twenty-four students is a record and also a challenge for the staff: 24 dirty coffee cups, 24 cookie monsters, endless amount of questions, stay permit issues, maps on how to get to places, university documents… and so on and so forth! You name it, and the Master staff has been there to help and answer any of the students’ doubts and uncertainties! But it’s always quite an experience getting to know people from every corner of the world! (They also brought gifts, like very good chocolate and of course coffee from their countries).
This is my first year as part of the Master staff and I basically jump head first into the deep-end of the pool: it was either sink or swim. Luckily, I’m an excellent swimmer! Perhaps the fact that I was the Italian teacher for previous Master Classes has helped me understand this unique Master’s program and the wonderful people who attend it.
Bearing this in mind, the Class of 2016 has started to learn Italian (thank goodness!). In fact, aside from all the other subjects of the Master’s program, they have also started Italian lessons! We had to divide them into two groups (the latinos and the rest of the world) in order to teach and help them learn in a more friendly environment.