Melania Palmiero is a junior from Italy and she is entering her new life in the U.S. for a school year. The Italian exchange student has experienced new culture and differences since living here.

Palmiero is from Campobasso, a small town in southern Italy. Her hometown has a population of 49,320 as of 2017. It is located in the high basin of the Biferno river, surrounded by Sannio and Matese mountains.

Palmiero explains the differences between the U.S. and Italy.

“They’re two completely different worlds,” she said. “To begin with, the Italian school system is completely different from the American one. Here, you can independently select the courses you’d like to take each year; while in Italy you can only pick a program focused more on some specific subjects. For example, if you attend a classical high school like the one I chose, the main focus will be on humanistic disciplines. Moreover, the school schedule changes based on the day.”

In Italy, Palmiero doesn’t have as many clubs and school activities at her school.

“Everyday life, schedules and food are very different too,” she said.

The reason why she wanted to do an exchange year in the U.S. are various reasons.

She’s always enjoyed traveling and this was a great opportunity to explore another country, learn about new cultures and improve her English.

Since she’s arrived, Palmiero has become more comfortable with her life here.

“I already got used to most of those, so they don’t influence my life much anymore. Also, I don’t mind changes so I’d say the impact they had in my life was positive.”

Palmiero misses nothing specific from Italy, but she still adores it. She wants to fully enjoy her experience here and focus on herself now.