Erasmus student at Università di Bologna

Why did you choose to go to Bologna, Italy?

It's pretty cool that it's the oldest university in the world!

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

My scholarship for Bologna is 10 months and the Erasmus grant is about 260 euros per month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Bologna?

There's a lot of partying going on!

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

Bologna is a city full of history! Sadly it isn't always taken too well care of though (there's a lot of graffiti for example).

The university is great for subjects such as economy, medicine and Italian history and literature.

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What is the food like?

The region of Emilia-Romagna is known for its food.

Tortellini, parma ham, mortadella, Parmigiano Reggiano, ragù and the list goes on!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Bologna?

Fortunately, I have been to Bologna before and could therefore just contact my old landlady and live in the same flat as I did last time I was here!

How much does it cost to live in Bologna?

It's probably the second most expensive city in Italy (after Rome). It's pretty expensive to live in the city center (within the walls), so if you want to save money you should probably find a flat outside of the city center (and get a hold of a bike!)

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

There are some courses available but for what I know they aren't really sufficient (about two hours a week or something). But since I already speak the language fairly well I haven't applied and so can't give my personal opinion on them.

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

There's a direct flight between Copenhagen and Bologna!

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

LAB16? Lol... I'm not really into discos myself, but if you are you'll never be bored. There's always a party going on, every day of the week.

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

Spacca Napoli! I assure you you never have and never will see a bigger pizza than there (you should probably be 2-3 people sharing one if you don't want to waste half)

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Bologna has a great location and is very well connected to the rest of Italy.

You can take the train to Florence, Milan, Rome, Verona, Venice and so on.

Bologna is, like I said, a city full of history. There's a lot of museums and old buildings.

A piazza and church that is definitely worth a visit is Basilica di Santo Stefano/Piazza delle Sette Chiese which is seven churches built into one, each from a different period in time the innermost being a church-going all the way back to the 4th century! Pretty cool!

Is there any other advice that you could give to future students who are going to Bologna?

Just because it's Italy it doesn't mean it's always warm! Bologna can get really cold in the winter!

It can be somewhat of a struggle to find a place to live because there's so many international students arriving when the academic year begins so start early and be patient.

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