I am a final year Italian and English Literature student who has just finished a year abroad studying at the Università degli studi di Verona.
As Cardiff University's student brand ambassador for The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's 'Travel Aware' campaign, my aim is to share my experiences and give advice to those going abroad. I hope to inspire you to make the most of your opportunities and to travel as much as possible!
@cardiffunitravel Phoebe Grinter The outbreak of COVID-19, more commonly known as the coronavirus, continues to evolve and is beginning to impact more people. As the virus spreads across the globe, travellers are asking more and more questions about if it is safe to travel, and if so, the best ways to prepare and protect themselves Read more
@cardiffunitravel Phoebe Grinter When going on holiday there are many things to consider. Hot or cold country? Relaxing or adventurous? Factor 20 or factor 50? But arguably one of the more important choices is where you’ll stay. Hotel, hostel or Airbnb? Each type of accommodation has its own unique perks depending on your personal preferences. Read more
@cardiffunitravel Phoebe Grinter Ah, winter. Cold, rainy, endless winter. Months of freezing temperatures, damp days and frozen extremities have pushed me to my very limit. But as January finally comes to an end, I decided to spend a cold and rainy day fantasising about jumping on a plane and heading somewhere warm to help shed Read more
@cardiffunitravel Phoebe Grinter You’ve finally submitted all of the paperwork, found somewhere to live, renewed your passport and bought your plane ticket. Suddenly the fact that you’re going to study abroad seems very real. Even though the excitement is there, it is hiding behind a wall of nerves. Will I understand anyone? Will I get Read more
@cardiffunitravel Phoebe Grinter After more than 20 years in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, The Rugby World Cup 2019 has finally made it to Asia. Between 20th September and 2nd November 2019 Japan anticipates that more than 400,000 international fans will arrive for the 43-day tournament. British citizens can visit Japan for up to 90 Read more
@cardiffunitravel Phoebe Grinter Italy’s reputation for pizza, pasta and bureaucracy is well known. What people are less aware of are the new visitor-aimed rules and regulations that they have introduced in a bid to combat over-tourism. Having just completed a year studying in Italy, I have become well acquainted with these quirky laws. Their zero-tolerance Read more
As I prepare for the start of my second semester at the Università di Verona, I thought I’d talk a bit more about the city itself. It is best known for being the home of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. Although history states that this couple were 100% fictional, and that Shakespeare himself had Read more
Coming back to Verona after four weeks at home for Christmas to be greeted by exams is not fun. After all the comforts of home, the excitement of Christmas and all my friends being home for a few weeks, I have to say settling back in to life in Verona was a struggle. With exams Read more
I love being hostess. Having people come and visit me here in Verona has excited me since before I came out! The first visitors I hosted were my mum and sister when I had been in Verona just over a month and was, in all honesty, still finding my feet a bit. In this short Read more
At Verona university the Erasmus society is highly regarded, and rightly so. They organised a freshers’ fortnight specifically for Erasmus students which included meals, nights out and aperitivo evenings where we could meet new people from all over the world that we were going to be sharing this experience with. As well as these freshers’ Read more
As I sit in the library attempting to write the longest essay I’ve ever written – 5000 words, pray for me – I decide I need a *debatably* well-earned break! Some may call this procrastination, I call it an ‘active study break’. I’m sure many people, myself definitely included, struggle to separate the two halves Read more
Before I start this post I just want to make it clear that my aim is not to put you off doing a year abroad at all, but I feel I need to be brutally honest about my experience here so far. Bear in mind I have been here just over two months which, in Read more
Before I chose to study at the wonderful Università degli studi di Verona in Italy, I went through the arduous process of the deciding what to do for my year abroad. When you first start the process of deciding what to do and where to go it is a very daunting time. You go to Read more
What are you looking for?
Want to be a Globetrotter?
We're looking for enthusiastic students who are currently abroad, or are soon going abroad, to share their experiences and write for our pages!
If you're interested, get in touch by emailing us at go@cardiff.ac.uk
