12 Ago
Studying Italian in Milan: the story of Mery Ann
Mery Ann is a true citizen of the world. She loves to travel and live in different countries of the world, from Colombia to Argentina to Italy. And who knows what the future holds. Mery Ann always has a suitcase in her hand and a solution at her fingertips!
Read about her story and her survival tips in Milan.
Interview with Mery Ann
Tell us something about yourself
I am from Colombia, I am 27 years old and at the moment I am waiting for my qualification to be able to work here as a doctor.
How long have you lived in Milan and how are you?
I have been living in Milan since January of this year and I am quite happy, I like the city. My routine has changed a lot. I worked a lot last year. I didn’t have much time to study, not even to review. This year has been a little different and also an intense study. Getting used to the Italian culture was easy. But sometimes I miss my country.
Why did you choose Italy?
I chose Italy to work because I saw that the graduation homologation procedure was faster, but I didn’t know about the bureaucracy after the qualification.
I want to do my anaesthesia and intensive care specialization here. If I am lucky I would like to do it here in Milan, it will all depend on the exam score of the competition.
When did you start studying Italian and how?
I started studying Italian in October of last year with the ELLCI academy through an online course. I was in Argentina at that time.
When I got there, my level was a B1 / B2 I think. I didn’t have much difficulty with the language as it is similar to my mother tongue.
What are your plans for the future?
I would like to stay in Milan until I decide to go and discover a new country.
One thing you like about living in Italy and one thing you don’t like.
I like Italian art and culture, the history of Italy is very rich. What I don’t like is the bureaucracy and the difficulty of doing any small process.
What would you recommend to those who are starting to study Italian and dream of living in Italy?
What I would recommend is to be patient because Italian comes with time. Don’t try to know everything in one fell swoop.
Starting to talk and make friends with Italians is the best way. And then listen, talk and always try to write. On my mobile phone, I always use the automatic checker that corrects any spelling errors, even if it is a double-edged sword.
Something you recommend everyone to do in Milan?
Milan has a lot of night entertainment. It is a metropolis with a lot of cultural wealth, several countries and several cities. You can find everything.
I also recommend visiting Venice, a beautiful city, a city of art and a romantic one.
And lastly, do you have a survival tip to share?
Always have a lawyer. It is impossible to survive without.