MANY Italian universities in the peninsula are now offering exchange programs for both high school and college students. An exchange program for a high school student must either be in the Italian or the English language. If the student wants to study in the Italian language, he or she must already have a background of it. That is especially true in secondary classes where all subjects from physics to arithmetic to geography to geometry to agronomy to chemistry are all taught in Italian. High school students who come from other countries though are taught in the English program but they must also have a minimum grasp of the language. There are students from other continents and countries such as Canada, the United States, Zimbabwe and the Philippines.

All of these students have one goal – to feel what it likes to be in Italy, one of the oldest civilizations in modern Europe. In fact, the glory that was Rome started back way before Christ. Another feature in studying in Italy is the beauty of having friends from other countries. Together, you will have classmates from Hong Kong, Mexico and Rwanda all wanting how to learn Italian. These folks then mingle with the natives and high school students from Italy are also eager to have foreign friends. They then go shopping together.

Speaking of shopping, Italy is also a fashion mecca especially in the city of Milan. For some odd reason, Milan has long been associated with anything that is hip as far as women’s clothing is concerned. So when exchange students from other countries troop here, that really is a swell trip. If the student has a sponsor back home like the United College Negro Fund, then you can splurge on your Milan excursion and just reimburse it. After all, the board of your benefactor can easily determine that an educational excursion, especially one that is centered on cultural tolerance, is not gallivanting.

Or maybe exchange students opt to go to Venice for another round of fun during weekend. Instructors make sure though that these are done only on weekends so as not to interfere with their studies. Venice is also a superb city to go to because it is the only city in the world sitting on a lagoon and it is also the only city in the world that doesn’t allow motor vehicles to get inside. Thus, we can surmise that Venice is the cleanest city in the world. So far, no other city in the planet has emulated on the determination of Venice to be the most environment friendly city in the globe.

Then off we go to Rome itself. Rome is where the beasts and the gladiators of old strike their fury. Rome’s history is a very rich one, including the reclusive Vatican City. Vatican City is the centerpiece of Christianity but it is in itself a tourist place so a tour there by exchange students wouldn’t hurt, right? So if you have the means, try studying in Italy and you’ll never regret it.