When the Scholarship Finally Arrived

When I received the email confirming that I had been awarded the Italian Government scholarship, it was a moment of relief and excitement. It felt like a door had opened. But very quickly, I realized something important: receiving the scholarship was only the beginning of the journey.

The scholarship was awarded around July. At first, everything seemed clear. But as the weeks passed, uncertainty started to grow. I still needed to secure admission to a university in Italy, and time was already running out. If I remember correctly, the final deadline linked to the scholarship was around December.

Between July and September, nothing felt guaranteed. Every step felt uncertain.

And on top of everything, the world was in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Administrative offices were working slowly, many universities were overwhelmed, and sometimes it took days or even weeks to receive answers to emails. Every day that passed made the deadline feel closer.

Searching for a University Under Pressure

Once I had the scholarship, it became my responsibility to find a university that would accept me.

Many people think that once you receive a scholarship, everything else is arranged for you. In reality, that is not how it works. The scholarship opens the door, but the student still has to go through many steps on their own.

I contacted several universities in Italy, including some in Rome. Some were willing to consider my application, but a few asked me to complete additional courses first, sometimes through platforms like Coursera, because they felt that some academic requirements were missing from my previous studies.

The problem was time.

I simply did not have the luxury of spending weeks completing additional courses when the scholarship itself had a strict deadline approaching. Every day I woke up with the same question in my mind: Would I manage to secure an admission before the deadline expired?

That uncertainty followed me every single day.

The People Who Helped Me Along the Way

Looking back today, I know very clearly that I did not walk this path alone.

There were several people whose support made an enormous difference at critical moments of the journey.

First, there was the Italian ambassador at the time. She showed genuine interest in our situation and did not remain distant from it. At a moment when the administrative process could easily have stalled, she intervened and used her position to help move things forward.

There was also an Italian officer at the embassy who was closely involved in managing the scholarship process. He followed our situation and did what he could to support the procedures and make sure the opportunity we had been given did not disappear because of administrative delays.

Another person who played an important role was a kind woman living in Rome. I had been put in contact with her through my uncle when I was explaining the difficulties I was facing at the time. She listened carefully, tried to understand the situation, and started helping me look for possible solutions. I still remember how much encouragement she gave me during those uncertain weeks.

Through her efforts, I was also put in contact with a Nigerien brother living in Bergamo. He suggested that I try sending my application to universities in that region, including the University of Brescia.

That advice turned out to be decisive.

After reviewing my application, the University of Brescia accepted me. When I received that news, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted. It meant that the scholarship could finally move forward and that all the uncertainty of the previous months had not been in vain.

But even then, the journey was far from over.

Navigating the Administrative Maze

After receiving the admission, there were still many administrative steps to complete.

One of the most important documents required was the Declaration of Value, a document used in Italy to certify and evaluate foreign academic diplomas. This document was necessary for the pre-enrollment process on the UniversItaly platform.

Obtaining it took time, but fortunately, the Italian Embassy in Niamey helped accelerate the process. For that support, I remain very grateful.

At the same time, I was in constant communication with the International Students’ Office at the University of Brescia. Despite the challenges created by COVID, they tried to guide me through the procedures step by step.

But everything was slow.

Sometimes I would send an email on Monday and receive the reply more than a week later. And during that entire time, the scholarship deadline was still approaching.

Every delay felt stressful.

The Visa Challenge During COVID

The visa process brought another unexpected difficulty.

At that time, the visa procedures for students from my country were handled in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). That meant I had to manage the process from abroad, while embassies were dealing with lockdowns and restrictions caused by COVID-19.

Everything moved slowly.

The woman in Rome who had already helped me earlier continued to support me. She contacted people she knew in the Italian Ministry of Education to explain the situation: the scholarship had already been awarded, but the administrative delays were putting the opportunity at risk.

At the same time, the Italian ambassador also intervened to help accelerate the visa process, with the embassy handling my case.

Without those interventions, I honestly do not know if I would have managed to obtain the visa before the deadline.

Arriving in Italy and Entering a New World

Eventually, the visa arrived.

Once everything was finally coordinated with the University of Brescia, they sent me instructions about how to follow the courses. Because of COVID, many classes were still taking place online.

At first, I didn’t fully understand how the system worked. In my mind, I thought that once I arrived in Italy, I would simply attend classes in person like in a normal academic year.

But reality was a bit different.

By the time I finally arrived in Italy, it was already January, which meant I had reached the very end of the first semester. I had already missed many weeks of classes, and some students were already preparing for their first exams.

It was a strange feeling. On one side, I was incredibly grateful to finally be there after everything it had taken to get that far. On the other side, I immediately realized that I had to catch up quickly.

The academic environment was also completely new to me. Because of COVID, some classes were still online, while others were held in person with masks, distancing rules, and strict procedures inside the university.

Everything felt different.

It was a new country, a new system, and a completely new academic environment.

But despite all the uncertainty and obstacles that had come before, I had finally arrived.

And in that moment, I knew that the real journey was only beginning.

What That Experience Taught Me

Looking back today, this experience changed my understanding of international mobility.

Many people see scholarships as a simple opportunity: you apply, you are selected, and everything becomes easy. But the reality is often much more complex.

Behind every opportunity there are administrative systems, deadlines, and procedures that students must learn to navigate.

And sometimes, the difference between success and failure is not only determination but also the support of people who are willing to help along the way.

In my case, the kindness of a few individuals, the ambassador, the woman in Rome, the Nigerien brother in Bergamo, and others who worked behind the scenes made a decisive difference.

Their support reminded me that international mobility is not only about institutions and procedures.

It is also about people.

And sometimes, the path forward becomes possible because someone chooses to believe in your journey.

Ismaël Dadis Adam
Founder, IDA International Mobility Consulting