intervista studenti MIT

  di Nayomi Illansinhage Don e Anna Viceconti 

A volte il galvani fa del nostro meglio per deluderci, ma altre volte ci riserva opportunità sorprendenti: come quella di assistere per due settimane a lezioni tenute da studenti del MIT. Il Massachussetts Institute of Technology è stata messa al terzo posto nella classifica delle 400 migliori università dal Times.

Questa ci è sembrata un'ottima occasione anche per confrontare il nostro sistema scolastico con quello anglosassone

Have you ever been in Italy before? What are the main differences from your country?

Hrant: No, It’s my first time in Italy, but before coming to Bologna I’ve visited Venice. The greatest difference is food, but as I’m from Armenia there aren’t so many differences between East Europe and Italy. I like it here in Italy, even though I expected worse because of the popular stereotypes about Italians.

Stephanie: I’ve been in Italy before, I was in Spain some time ago for biology lab experience, then from Barcelona I went to Florence. The main difference is food, but also the slow paced life which is very different from USA.

Have you ever been teaching before? How does it feel? How does the project work? Did you decide to apply?

Hrant: I was a teaching assistant in MIT and I like it a lot, there some seniors teach, but it isn’t very common. There is a project named “MISTY” in which you can experience an activity in other countries: teaching, researches in universities, Ferrara for engineering, for example. Only twenty people are accepted to join this project. This time in Italy is a break, and I like very much to talk about physics, the thing that inspires me is that science will help progress, and Brian Cox is a physicist I look up to.

Stephanie: I’ve been a teaching assistant, and I helped sometimes with experiments. At MIT you go to lectures but never in a classroom. Teaching is difficult, tirering but also fun, I like it also because I get to teach things that I like, and I prepare all the materials.

What do you think about Italian students? Righi vs. Galvani: which do you prefer?

Hrant: It’s hard to compare, the two schools are equal because there are smart and interested people. However Galvani has more labs and less people working in them, and Righi has less material, but there is Wifi connection.

Stephanie: Both schools are good but there are different levels of English, Galvani’s students are more used to English. Bilingual courses are awesome.

Education in Italy?

Hrant: Education in Italy is a bit generic, it isn’t as specific as the one I received.

Stephanie: A difference is that in the organization of the education system in USA each teacher has a classroom with their stuff.

What about Bologna? (And eventually its nightlife?)

Hrant: Bologna is very different from other cities. In the disco it was fun until people started smoking.
Stephanie: I usually walk around Bologna after classes, this is a very historical city, more than Boston.

Relationship with teachers in Italy/MIT?

Hrant: There are no problems or misunderstandings here, it’s very nice. In MIT there are also some teachers who aren’t good in research or teaching.

Stephanie: There are no personal relationships, it’s quite the same here and in MIT. Teachers are very helpful.

And after MIT?

Hrant: I’m going to do research as a theoretical physicist.

Stephanie: After attending the biology course in MIT I’m going to Oxford for two years. There I’m going to study medical anthropology and public health. Then I’m going to a Med School.

Hrant: And what about you?
Anna: I don’t want to be a scientist..
Hrant: OH! Another lost soul!