A experiência Erasmus em Bolonha, Itália por Rita

Why did you choose to go to Bologna, Italy?

I wanted my lab placement to be in Analytical Chemistry, and out of all the universities my faculty has an Erasmus agreement with, Unibo was the only one that offered it, so that's where I went.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I was only there for 3 months and I received a little over 700€, though not all at once. I got 80% a few days before departure and the remainder 20% after I handed in my report.

What is the student lifestyle like in Bologna?

There are lots of students everywhere, both from Italy and other countries! Since my placement was a short one and I worked at a lab instead of having classes, I didn't have the chance to meet many other students aside from my lab partners; I also didn't get Italian lessons because of that... But all in all, I think students can feel right at home in Bologna.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Bologna to other students?

Yes, definitely! You can always find something to do or some place to go, and the city itself is big enough to provide variety but small enough to feel cosy :)

What is the food like?

Italian food is absolutely delicious! You cannot leave Bologna without trying some homemade tagliatelle al ragù, or lasagna alla bolognese, and after only a few days you'll forget all about dessert at restaurants because gelato is so much better, and gelaterie are plentiful in Bologna.

Source

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Bologna?

This was actually the hard part. I was only staying for 3 months so a lot of people turned me down on that premise, whereas some offered me rooms for prices far above my budget. In the end, after a week of searching and panicking, I found a lovely double room and awesome flatmates right next to Via del Pratello (nightlife lvoers, take note of this name :P).

How much does it cost to live in Bologna?

My rent was 256€ per month, the bus pass was 27€, and I also took the chance to travel here and there on weekends (vividly recommend Modena, Ferrara and Ravenna). Going to the supermarket turned out to be far more expensive than I had expected and took out a big chunk of my finances! I'd say I needed about 500-600€ per month, and I'm not a party person so I didn't spend much on drinks and partying.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

Being Portuguese, I thought Italian was rather easy to pick up on. I had no courses, but speaking in Italian with my flatmates and lab partners did wonders for my oral fluency (thank goodness all the lab paperwork could be done in English, though). When I left I could do everything pertaining to daily life, including going to the hospital, with little to no problems when it came to speaking Italian.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Bologna from your city?

TAP, the Portuguese arline, has direct flights from Lisbon to Bologna, but unless you nab a discount offer, they can be quite expensive. I flew Lisbon-Venice with TAP for 62€ and then took the regional train to Bologna for 10€ (it took almost 2h30 to get there, though). For comparison, I flew Bologna-Lisbon with TAP for around 115€, and that was because I looked up tickets over a month in advance and selected the day with the lowest fare.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Bologna?

I'm not the right person for this, but while I was there one of the Irish pubs in Via Zamboni had a tandem night every tuesday. Via del Pratello, next to which I lived, also had a myriad bars and clubs that were almost always full. One of my flatmates had her birthday party at one of those, 'Les Rois du Monde' if I recall correctly.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Bologna?

Spacca Napoli, obviously, for the sheer size of the pizzas! Also Naldi in Via del Pratello for some yummy, handmade homestyle pasta, Papappero (or however it's spelt) off Piazza Verdi for a slice of pizza, Gianni right by the Due Torri for the best ice cream ever (for many people the best gelato is found at La Sorbeteria in Via Castiglione, but I beg to differ).

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There's the Due Torri, San Luca, San Michele in Bosco, dozen of beautiful churches... if you feel like venturing out a bit, you can check out Dozza for its art biennale and its Rocca (a castle built by one of the Sforza), Ferrara and Modena for their duomi (strangely eough, Bologna doesn't have a duomo) and food, Ravenna for the World Heritage sites... Just grab a train and you'll see Emilia-Romagna has a lot to offer!

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Bologna in the future?

Enjoy every single minute you are there, don't be taken aback by Italian burocracy (even between departments of the same University... ), eat all the gelato you can, and once you get back home start looking at flight tickets to spend a weekend visiting your friends in Bologna ;)