Brescia, the great unknown

I'm going to tell you a little bit about the ten months that I spent in Brescia in 2014/15 (this is quite a long text, but necessary in order to give you all the important details). Brescia is a city of 200, 000 inhabitants, situated in the north of Italy between Milan and Verona. It has two beautiful lakes (Iseo and Garda) where you can take a dip in the hot months. During my time there, there was around 60 Erasmus students which, compared with other Erasmus destinations, doesn't seem a lot. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing as you'll form one big group and end up like one big family!

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Accomodation

This is one of the biggest concerns for all Erasmus students at the beginning. The good news is that the University of Brescia offers student accommodation when you fill in the paperwork. I chose student accommodation and had even more freedom than I'd already anticipated! There is just one small camera in the entrance hall (at least, this is the case for student accommodation in the centre for those studying law or business administration), and there is no other form of monitoring or inspection other than the "senior", an Italian student that is assigned their own room, usually a little older than most Erasmus students, who is there to make sure there is a little bit of order. Visitors are allowed, whether they are staying for a few days or just a few hours so you don't need to worry about that. The main advantage is without a doubt the price, which is around €200 for a shared room and €230 for an individual one (including WiFi, heating and water). The only additional costs are the cooking utensils which you need to buy at the beginning because everyone uses their own. There are communal kitchens on each floor, each with a cloakroom and key. The accommodation in the centre (for the law and business administration students) is as follows: San Faustino (shared room for females, the worst one), Paitone (shared room for males, old but with big bedrooms, where I stayed) and just in front, Carmine (individual rooms for females, shared rooms for males, the newest and the best). They are all just a two minute walk from the faculties and are in the heart of the city centre. Three metro stops away is ISU, the main campus with the new, enormous Valotti residence where the rooms are also shared. Here you find the architects and engineers, among others. Another thing that I forgot to mention above is that in all accommodation, each room as its own bathroom.

Renting a flat tends to be more expensive and you have to pay bills on top. My advice would be to stay in student accommodation initially, and if you don't like it, move to a flat instead.

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The University

For those studying Law like me, it's quite an easy process. Once you've overcome the initial shyness, you can speak with the professor and let him know that you have some difficulties with the language. You can ask to take an oral exam and for them to let you know what the most important things are to study. A lot of people will tell you that it isn't obligatory to attend the classes! The Business Administration students have a fair bit more to study, and the architects have a few extra little assignments, but its a reasonable amount. The university administration is good and all the paperwork is really simple.

Prices

It's an expensive city, where going out for a beer or a Pirlo (an orange drink that everyone there drinks) with an aperitivo included costs around €4. The supermarkets are also a little bit dear, but with €500-€600 per month you'll have more than enough.

Nightlife

It's what all Erasmus students want, and in Brescia there is great nightlife on the weekend. During the week it's very quiet but you can always go to Milan. At the weekend in Brescia you can go to Circusbeatclub (my favourite), DLQ, Social club (which in the summer months has a brilliant outside area), and Smile. The bad thing is that the clubs are on the outskirts of the city and you need to take the Metro (free for Erasmus students), a bike or a taxi which, between a few of you, is pretty cheap. On Thursdays I liked to go to Seconda Clase (a bit closer to the city), having first been to Bar Università for 2 for 1 beers. If not, you can always find someplace outdoors to meet up with friends and take your own drinks. This is not something you'll see the locals doing, but it's not illegal either. The Carmine and Arnold areas are good to go for a few beers but the bars do shut early. The Lio Bar is good, too.

When we wanted a big night out during the week we would to go to Milan, taking the last train there and the first train back. The clubs in Milan that I remember are Alcatraz, The Club, Le Banque, and Fashion club. Be sure to look out for offers during International Week because throughout it cost Erasmus students just €1 to enter different clubs, including Alcatraz (which is huge) on Thursday and LeBanque on Saturday, and so going out during this week is cheaper.

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Language

At the beginning you might feel a bit lost, just like everyone who turns up with little to no knowledge of Italian, but you start to improve quickly and it gets much easier. The university offers a free course from which you can gain a qualification up to A2 level.

Transport

For the first month we had to pay for the Metro (which as you'll see is brand new), but the University eventually reached an agreement with the local council which meant Erasmus students got free passes. Bargain! You should definitely also get yourself a Bicimia, a bicycle for €5 which is returned to you when you give it back at the end of the year. It comes in great for visits and tourism around Brescia, so don't miss the opportunity.

You have the Milan Bergamo (Orio al Serio) airport closeby with two options to get there: 1) a direct bus or 2) a train to Bergamo, followed by a city bus from outside of the train station which goes directly to the airport (this option is half the price of the first). We travelled all around Europe from this airport thanks to some amazing Ryanair deals from this airport so make the most of it!

We also travelled all around Italy with Trenitalia. Milan, Verona, Padua, Venice, Lake Garda, Lake Iseo, and Lake Como are all nearby, and you must, of course, tour Brescia, which was loved by everyone. The views from the castle are so impressive.

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Other aspects

• It's cold in winter, mainly because you're next to the Alps, but it's not unbearable.
• It's a city in which the locals are quite well off. There are nice cars everywhere and the businessmen/women are all well dressed. Having said this, there are some less well-off areas such as San Faustino which is right in the centre.
• For those who like football there is San Siro in Milan where you can watch Inter Milan or A. C. Milan. Make the most of it because there is a great atmosphere at these games.
• There's the Evento Nazionale, 3 days of partying with 2, 500 Erasmus students from all over Italy. You really can't miss out, although it will cost a bit of money!

I hope you really enjoy your experience of Brescia. Be sure to travel as much as possible, party lots, enjoy swimming in the lakes and generally have a brilliant time throughout what will be the best year of your lives! The legendary Brescia!