On the 1st September, I left Italy with destination to England, for the city of Reading in Berkshire, where I had the chance to spend a month to the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences of the University of Reading.
Initially, when this experience was offered to me, I was very anxious but also excited, because I didn’t know what I would find.
These initial fears immediately disappeared when I arrived in the quiet city of Reading and this experience turned out to be wonderful and positive to improve my personal skills, meet new people and undertake new projects.
From the first day at the University of Reading I had the chance to meet the team with whom I shared the laboratory and some experiences during the month.
A multicultural team as they have different European and Asian nationalities, everyone very sociable and available both at work and outside the university, to share some moments of leisure. They made me feel very welcome.
The University of Reading is a reality with enormous qualities, where study and research, but also sports activities and social events are valued.
Moreover, there are numerous cafes and pubs on the campus where it is easy and pleasant to get lost in chatting and spending time together.
During the secondment in Reading I had the opportunity to learn a lot about methods to identify and characterize phenolic compounds in alimentary waste; about the Liquid Chromatography and about the analyse of volatise substances by SPME.
The city of Reading is a nice and lovely university city, rich of history but also entertainment. From the modern commercial area, full of restaurants, to the pubs in every street, it is a city that is always active and lively.
During this month I also visited the cities of London, Oxford, Southampton and Henly-on-Thames; all fascinated, typical and with its own because to see by walk.
This fantastic month was short but intense, where the days have practically flown.
I had the opportunity to make new experiences, learn about a new environment and above all acquire new skills for my future.
An unforgettable experience!
