Shaynia’s Short Term Mobility (Venice, Italy)

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Shaynia​ ​Myers – Psychology & Sociology – Level 1

Venice, Italy

I​ ​was​ ​attracted​ ​to​ ​this​ ​trip​ ​as​ ​I​ ​haven’t​ ​had​ ​much​ ​experience​ ​in​ ​other​ ​countries​ ​and​ ​I​ ​felt​ ​that​ ​I​ ​could​ ​learn​ ​a lot​ ​from​ ​this​ ​short​ ​trip.​ ​I​ ​do​ ​not​ ​usually​ ​like​ ​to​ ​take​ ​part​ ​in​ ​these​ ​sorts​ ​of​ ​trips​ ​but​ ​I​ ​am​ ​glad​ ​that​ ​I​ ​decided​ ​to apply.​ ​We​ ​were​ ​given​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​information​ ​and​ ​the​ ​staff​ ​were​ ​very​ ​helpful.​ ​We​ ​received​ ​the​ ​scheduled timetable​ ​before​ ​we​ ​set​ ​off​ ​for​ ​the​ ​trip​ ​so​ ​we​ ​were​ ​fully​ ​aware​ ​what​ ​we​ ​were​ ​doing​ ​which​ ​was​ ​very comforting​ ​if​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​tend​ ​to​ ​step​ ​out​ ​of​ ​your​ ​comfort​ ​zone. I​ ​was​ ​excited​ ​to​ ​see​ ​how​ ​different​ ​education​ ​styles​ ​in​ ​another​ ​country​ ​was​ ​and​ ​to​ ​see​ ​the psychological/sociological​ ​sites​ ​in​ ​Italy​ ​to​ ​broaden​ ​my​ ​knowledge.

Monday

We​ ​did​ ​not​ ​have​ ​anything​ ​scheduled​ ​for​ ​Monday​ ​as​ ​we​ ​landed​ ​in​ ​Venice​ ​rather​ ​late.​ ​Once​ ​settled​ ​into​ ​our rooms,​ ​we​ ​headed​ ​out​ ​to​ ​dinner​ ​as​ ​a​ ​whole​ ​group​ ​as​ ​it​ ​was​ ​our​ ​first​ ​night​ ​and​ ​we​ ​wished​ ​to​ ​get​ ​to​ ​know​ ​one another.​ ​After​ ​dinner​ ​we​ ​explored​ ​the​ ​area​ ​together​ ​to​ ​grasp​ ​a​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​where​ ​we​ ​were.

Tuesday 

Our​ ​first​ ​lecture​ ​was​ ​with​ ​Professor​ ​Stefano​ ​Campostrini​ ​who​ ​spoke​ ​about​ ​health​ ​inequalities​ ​in​ ​Italy​ ​which was​ ​very​ ​interesting​ ​to​ ​hear,​ ​for​ ​example,​ ​we​ ​were​ ​given​ ​the​ ​history​ ​of​ ​health​ ​equalities​ ​in​ ​Italy.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to take​ ​down​ ​some​ ​valuable​ ​notes​ ​and​ ​since​ ​it​ ​was​ ​a​ ​small​ ​group​ ​we​ ​were​ ​able​ ​to​ ​interact​ ​more​ ​so​ ​it​ ​was​ ​more like​ ​a​ ​lecture​ ​and​ ​a​ ​seminar​ ​tied​ ​into​ ​one.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​afternoon​ ​it​ ​was​ ​scheduled​ ​for​ ​the​ ​group​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​San Servolo​ ​for​ ​a​ ​guided​ ​tour​ ​of​ ​the​ ​mental​ ​asylum​ ​museum.

Personally,​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​interesting​ ​parts​ ​was​ ​near​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of the​ ​tour​ ​where​ ​there​ ​were​ ​before​ ​and​ ​after​ ​pictures​ ​of​ ​the patients​ ​at​ ​the​ ​hospital,​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​patients​ ​did​ ​not​ ​look​ ​much different​ ​however​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​other​ ​patients​ ​changed​ ​drastically looking​ ​worse​ ​than​ ​before​ ​they​ ​were​ ​checked​ ​in.​ ​​​This​ ​was​ ​one​ ​of my​ ​favourite​ ​parts​ ​of​ ​the​ ​trip​ ​as​ ​I​ ​felt​ ​it​ ​tied​ ​in​ ​really​ ​nicely​ ​with the​ ​lecture​ ​we​ ​had​ ​earlier​ ​on​ ​that​ ​day,​ ​it​ ​gave​ ​us​ ​a​ ​sense​ ​on​ ​how real​ ​the​ ​inequalities​ ​were​ ​in​ ​Italy​ ​especially​ ​seeing​ ​that​ ​there​ ​were​ ​separate​ ​asylums​ ​depending​ ​on​ ​your wealth​ ​at​ ​that​ ​time.​

We​ ​then​ ​had​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​the​ ​day​ ​to​ ​ourselves​ ​where​ ​myself​ ​and​ ​a​ ​few​ ​others​ ​decided​ ​to head​ ​back​ ​to​ ​San​ ​Marco​ ​Square​ ​to​ ​explore​ ​and​ ​then​ ​got​ ​the​ ​longest​ ​Vaporetto​ ​back​ ​to​ ​where​ ​our​ ​hotel​ ​is​ ​so we​ ​can​ ​take​ ​in​ ​the​ ​beautiful​ ​sights.

Wednesday

We​ ​were​ ​lucky​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​receive​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​day​ ​to​ ​do​ ​as​ ​we​ ​wish.​ ​Myself​ ​and​ ​a​ ​few​ ​others​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​go​ ​on​ ​a tour​ ​of​ ​the​ ​three​ ​surrounding​ ​islands​ ​of​ ​Venice:​ ​Murano,​ ​Burano​ ​and​ ​Torcello. Our​ ​first​ ​stop​ ​was​ ​Murano​ ​which​ ​was​ ​where​ ​we​ ​got​ ​to​ ​see​ ​how​ ​Murano​ ​glass was​ ​made.​ ​We​ ​then​ ​went​ ​on​ ​to​ ​explore​ ​the​ ​other two​ ​islands.​ After​ ​the​ ​tour​ ​we​ ​explored​ ​the​ ​area​ ​to gain​ ​cultural​ ​insight​ ​then​ ​afterwards​ ​we​ ​went​ ​on to​ ​visit​ ​the​ ​Saint​ ​Mark’s​ ​Basilica​ ​which​ ​was​ ​very beautiful​ ​and​ ​peaceful.

Thursday

On​ ​the​ ​Thursday​ ​we​ ​were​ ​given​ ​a​ ​lecture​ ​by​ ​Dr​ ​Marta​ ​Pantalone​ ​about​ ​social​ ​care​ ​services​ ​in​ ​Italy​ ​and​ ​went on​ ​to​ ​discuss​ ​the​ ​lecture​ ​afterwards.​ ​This​ ​was​ ​then​ ​followed​ ​by​ ​another​ ​lecture​ ​which​ ​was​ ​given​ ​by​ ​Dr​ ​Marion Ellison​ ​on​ ​social​ ​community​ ​planning​ ​in​ ​Italy​ ​and​ ​Scotland.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​intriguing​ ​to​ ​hear​ ​the​ ​contrast​ ​between  Italy​ ​and​ ​Scotland.​ ​After​ ​the​ ​lecture​ ​we​ ​discussed​ ​the​ ​previous​ ​lectures​ ​as​ ​a​ ​group,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​helpful​ ​to​ ​hear  everybody​ ​else’s​ ​opinion​ ​on​ ​the​ ​matters.​ ​I​ ​really​ ​enjoyed​ ​Ca’​ ​Foscari​ ​University.​ ​It​ ​had​ ​a​ ​similar​ ​teaching​ ​style to​ ​Queen​ ​Margaret​ ​University​ ​which​ ​was​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​understand.​ ​I​ ​managed​ ​to​ ​catch​ ​helpful​ ​notes​ ​which​ ​will  help​ ​in​ ​the​ ​future.

Friday

The​ ​day​ ​we​ ​flew​ ​back​ ​to​ ​Edinburgh.

On​ ​the​ ​whole,​ ​I​ ​really​ ​enjoyed​ ​this​ ​trip,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​very​ ​educational and​ ​the​ ​timetable​ ​wasn’t​ ​too​ ​crammed,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​a​ ​perfect​ ​pace which​ ​gave​ ​us​ ​time​ ​to​ ​reflect​ ​on​ ​what​ ​we​ ​have​ ​learned​ ​for​ ​the next​ ​lecture.​ ​I​ ​feel​ ​like​ ​it​ ​has​ ​definitely​ ​boosted​ ​my​ ​confidence and​ ​has​ ​enhanced​ ​my​ ​knowledge​ ​on​ ​these​ ​subjects​ ​which​ ​I​ ​can use​ ​for​ ​future​ ​essays​ ​and​ ​dissertations.​

​I​ ​am​ ​thankful​ ​for​ ​this experience​ ​which​ ​I​ ​thought​ ​I​ ​would​ ​never​ ​have.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​a​ ​fantastic​ ​opportunity​ ​for​ ​people​ ​who​ ​aren’t​ ​fortunate enough​ ​to​ ​study​ ​abroad​ ​or​ ​haven’t​ ​had​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​experiences​ ​in​ ​different​ ​countries​ ​and​ ​to​ ​boost​ ​their​ ​confidence and​ ​education.​ ​I​ ​have​ ​definitely​ ​benefited​ ​from​ ​this​ ​trip​ ​in​ ​more​ ​than​ ​one​ ​way​ ​which​ ​I​ ​am​ ​grateful​ ​for.