My Exchange at Bocconi University
As cliché as it sounds, my exchange to Bocconi University in Milan was a pivotal point in my life. Coming from the complete opposite side of the world, I was exposed to a whole new world in terms of culture, people, opportunities, and experiences. I can wholeheartedly say I am so grateful for the opportunity for me to go on this exchange through the 360 International exchange programme, and I cannot recommend this enough.
I found out about the 360-exchange programme before coming to UoA, at an open day when a student shared their experiences going abroad. Ever since then, I have always dreamed of going abroad, but I had no idea how much of a life changing event this would become.
My choice to come to Bocconi University was mostly stemmed from my love for fashion and Italy. Bocconi University, being in the centre of Milan, and world-renowned to be one of Europe’s best business schools, it was an easy choice on my behalf. When I first arrived in Milan, despite travelling for 30 hours, I was full of adrenaline and excitement to experience the new city. Ever since the beginning, I fell in love with the city, in terms of the atmosphere, culture, and the quality of life. Due to the prestigious nature of the school, I was surrounded by like-minded and ambitious students, which only grew my love for the city.
Life in Milan was completely different to New Zealand. Not only have I travelled to 9 different countries in the past three months, but I also had the opportunity to attend 2 Milan Fashion Week shows, meet friends from all over the world, and my diet be full of aperol spritz and pasta. Being in a completely new environment without friends or family really makes you come out of your comfort zone and grow personally. Italy is an amazing country to be in, I thoroughly enjoyed the Italian way of living of balancing their work and social life. Although hard-working, I quickly learnt that Italians value connection and taking a break over a spritz (also called an Aperitivo) mid-afternoon. As I am also highly interested in fashion, another culture shock I experienced is that Italians dress for the season, not the weather. I am still yet to adjust to wearing coats and scarves as technically it is still Winter/Spring despite the temperature being 20+ degrees.
As mentioned before, I was fortunate enough to have travelled 9 countries during the semester so far. The perks about being in Europe is truly how easy and affordable it is to take a flight or train to a different country. One of the key mottos I lived by was to take every opportunity to make memories. Once the honeymoon phase of living abroad was over and the reality of life and studying kicked in, I quickly felt the stress creep up of trying to balance my social life, travelling, studying and figuring what I was doing with my future after the exchange was over. Looking back at those times, I am still so grateful I focused on living in the present and making sure I moved past those internal stress to see the world and make memories. The exchange made me realise that there is so much more to life than exam grades and what company I work for. Travelling is a whole other realm of growth that no school or work can prepare you for.
If I was able to experience the exchange semester again with the knowledge I have now, I would have liked to know these points:
– Try to learn the language, even basic phrases to try understanding locals as not everyone speaks English.
– Budget, budget, budget! Taking into consideration how much spontaneous travelling you might end up doing.
– Before the exchange, don’t be afraid to post on the exchange Facebook page to find friends/flatmates, and start looking for flats early!
– If the exchange semester is also your last semester, plan ahead of what you want to get out of it and start looking/applying for graduate jobs early – before exam season rolls around.
– Don’t be nervous to try new things. You are starting out in a completely new city (country) and people! This is your time to test out your comfort zone and grow!
– Everyone’s exchange experience is different. Do not compare your time to someone else’s.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
Since Bocconi University is a highly prestigous business school in Europe, there were amazing connections linked to the school, such as LVMH, Dior, Satispay and more. One of my highlights were attending a networking event with the directors or c-suite level executives of luxury fashion houses.
Another highlight was taking courses that I would never be able to take while at my home university, such as Technology and Innovation Management.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
I will recommend immersing into the Italian culture by going to aperitivos, to truly meet the locals and live the Italian way of living. Food is a big part of the Italian culture, so trying the local cuisines and the way they appreciate food coffee will be a big one!
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
– Say yes to all trips/opportunities to meet new people, even if it is out of your comfort zone!
– Try to talk to the professors to get networks, especially if you are planning on staying or working in the host country. Utilise the school networks!
– Take courses that you actually find interesting.
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?
I budgeted around $10,000 NZD. This was enough, but obviously, the more you save, the better.
One lesson is to never underestimate how much a trip will cost. It may seem ‘cheap’ based on the cheap airline tickets but research how expensive the city is to get an understanding of how much you should leave room in your budget.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
I learnt that although I love meeting new people and socialising, I highly value alone time. During the first few weeks of exchange, you are either constantly surrounded by people or completely alone, so it is important to make a balance of social time.
Also, it is the mindset of ‘you never know how it is like unless you try it’. This applies to everything in life, I felt this especially when some people had negative outlooks/experiences regarding a particular city/country whereas I found to love it. Although other people’s thoughts and insights are important, it is only yourself that will discover how you feel about something.
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