My Exchange at The University of Bologna
My exchange at the University of Bologna was probably the best few months of my life! In Global Studies, we are encouraged to go on an exchange, and it was actually something that drew me to the degree initially. And having learnt Italian for 2 years, the University of Bologna was the perfect place for me. I chose Bologna due to its smaller size, delicious food, and long history of being a very political student city. Plus, the University of Bologna is the oldest continuous university – pretty cool!
Although it’s definitely hard to move so far away from all your family and friends, I came home a much more independent and confident version of myself, with friends from all over the world. The first few weeks when I arrived in Bologna were a bit tough – the weather change from peak NZ summer to dreary winter days was a bit of a shock, and the time difference made it hard to talk to my family and friends and felt a bit isolating. But I was also immediately in awe of Bologna, it is such a beautiful and vibrant city and so different to anywhere I’d been before.
Bologna is a student city which means there is always something to do. There are numerous museums to explore, an unlimited number of bars that serve Aperol spritz for as little as 3 euros, beautiful parks, the gorgeous (if a little challenging) walk to the San Luca church with a view of the city, and so much more. Bologna is also considered the food capital of Italy, with so many delicious specialties. I’m vegetarian but had no issues at all in Italy, each region usually has at least one local pasta that is naturally vegetarian (in Bologna it’s tortelloni – the delicious bigger version of tortellini).
Unfortunately, finding accommodation in Bologna is near impossible – there is a serious housing crisis made worse by scammers trying to take advantage of desperate students. I only found my accommodation the day before I left NZ and had to take the risk of paying a deposit without having seen the place. Luckily this worked out for me, but I have heard a few horror stories. The great thing about Bologna is that it is a very compact city, my apartment was only a 20-minute walk to my campus, 10 minutes to Piazza Maggiore (the main square), and 2 minutes from the nearest supermarket. The ability to walk everywhere, even home from the clubs at night, really added to the community feel of the city.
Unibo has a pretty strange timetable system where every faculty starts and ends at different times and has their own rules, which meant there was no orientation and exchange students arrived slowly over about a month-long period. However, joining the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) was the perfect way to meet people – they hold weekly tandem nights at the local Irish pub, organise trips, and the group chat with thousands of members is a great resource for any questions you might have. I didn’t have any issues making friends, Bologna receives huge numbers of exchange students who are always eager to meet people. Making friends with Italians is definitely harder, in my experience they tend to have very established friend groups and (naturally) prefer speaking in Italian.
The Italian education system is quite different to ours in Aotearoa, at least in my experience. There is a much greater focus on traditional lectures, with each of my courses having 3 two-hour long lectures (although I only had 3 courses). Although this resulted in more class hours than I’m used to, it meant we were not expected to do much else outside of class besides readings – I only had one internal assessment the whole time. Instead, your grade tends to be entirely exam based, and often oral exams. However, I was lucky and avoided having to do an oral exam. All of my professors were great, they were very passionate about the topics they taught and hugely knowledgeable.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
Although having almost no internal assessments and all exams was quite shocking for me – especially as a humanities student who is used to writing multiple essays per course, I overall found the exam system to be pretty great. Rather than having one set exam date which you must attend, each course has around 4 or 5 exam dates across a few months (for me, from late May until September) which you are able to choose from. This is perfect as an exchange student, because it meant I took my exams as early as possible and then was able to spend my last month travelling. What’s also great is that if you fail your exam or are unhappy with the grade, you are able to take it again at the next exam session, no questions asked. Although I didn’t need this, it certainly took the pressure off exams.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
Whilst Bologna is an amazing city and you should definitely make the most of exploring it, another great aspect is its centrality for travelling around Italy. With the great train and bus network, there are endless options for both day trips and longer trips that you can get to with very cheap tickets (especially if you plan a bit ahead). What makes Italy so unique is its strong food culture – each region and town has its own specialties that you cannot get in other places, making it well worth exploring the country (and the beautiful scenery, of course). I would also highly encourage you to take at least one cooking class while in Italy. You can find them for a pretty good price in any city – there’s nothing better than enjoying a glass of Italian wine with pasta you made by hand.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Flexibility is key: While Italy is an amazing country with so many things to be appreciative of, it is notorious for its long-winded and seemingly unnecessary bureaucratic processes. This is the case both outside of university, with months-long waits for appointments to secure your residency permit, and within the university. Although this can be frustrating, the most important thing is to be aware of it going in and remember to be flexible and patient (and complain to all your friends – it’s the Italian way!)
Say yes to everything: Your exchange is such a unique experience in your life, I believe it is so important to make the most of it. So jump at every opportunity to go out with your friends and travel – you’re not likely to experience student life in Bologna ever again! Getting to let go and not worry about your GPA for a semester is great, don’t waste it.
Learn some Italian! Although everyone in Bologna (and you’ll find most parts of Italy, especially any tourist destinations) speaks perfect English, why not learn the beautiful language from the locals. You can take a free course through the University, which is another great opportunity to make some more friends! Even just the basics is always appreciated (but don’t be disheartened when they switch to English – I promise they’re just trying to help).
How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?
While I was too busy making the most of my exchange to keep track of expenses, I would say that day-to-day living in Bologna works out to be slightly cheaper than in Auckland, despite the current exchange rate. I saved money on rent by having a shared room, and the walkability of Bologna meant I had zero transportation expenses. Food is definitely cheaper, both eating out and in supermarkets (although any non-Italian food is a lot more expensive) and the price of alcohol is shockingly low.
Overall, a very rough estimate of how much I spent on housing, food, and travelling both within Italy and 3 weeks around Europe would be about $14,000 NZD – but you could definitely spend more or less than this depending on your lifestyle.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
My exchange was my first time in Europe, and only my second time outside of New Zealand. Getting to make so many friends from all around the world and being immersed in a different culture was such an incredible experience and only fueled my desire to get out and see the world. My exchange lead to so much personal growth, including more independence, resilience, and confidence.