>>11432457>Anyone know why this is?Italy has some of the oldest universities still in operation (Bologna, Padova, Napoli to name a few), and depending on the courses they can be brutal. The teaching methodology and testing is quite antiquated (very theoretical approach, shitload of lessons upfront, absolutely punishing professors) and I'm sure it contributes, and depending on the university and on the course the success rate of an exam is usually lower than 50%, but it can be waaay lower than that, and the average grade can be quite low actually. This is helped by the fact that here in Italy you can repeat the exam as many times you want (or you're forced to), which means that unless you REALLY know your stuff you'll get stopped in your tracks, so those who succeed, even with mediocre grades, can be considered really prepared, more than sheer stats might suggest.
I also have a theory. In Italy the whole education system is way underfunded, especially the academic research, and this in my opinion has two consequences: first, the lack of resources creates an incredibly competitive environment, but secondly and more importantly, this lack of resources forces people to use their ingenuity to overcome problems instead of just shoving money at them. Also, Italy is a heavily bureaucratic and nepotistic nation, and circumventing those problems is a skill in an of itself. To give you an example: I have a bachelor in AE at the University of Padua, and the university gave me and my colleagues 15k€ to make an airplane. The project has been run in its most important phase by a professor who refused to set his ego and authority aside, with catastrophic consequences. We are not allowed (officially) to use any power tool in the laboratory or do anything remotely dangerous. Now, the professor has finally fucked off, but the University is asking for results and we have to deliver the plane by the end of this year or we get shut down. Believe me: in these situations you get smart.
