Erasmus students... Go to Florence!

I had always wanted to do an Erasmus stay because it always caught my attention. It's an opportunity to live in a foreign country, and probably the only chance you will ever get to do so. At the start of your university course in your home country, the first few days will be all about Erasmus. They talk about all the different destinations for each degree, what the different cities are like, what level of language is required and what you need to do to sign up.

After you have seen all the different options, your first doubt will be, where's the best place to go? I had it easy because due to some certain circumstances, I had to go to Italy, but I had always wanted to go there so it was great. To find out what will be your best option, if you don't have anywhere specific in mind, you should thoroughly research the cities that are on offer. The internet helps a lot!

From now, I will focus on my own personal Erasmus experience in Florence, before I went and now I am here. Some day, after I have finished here, I will talk about what I gained from my experience here (slightly shorter than these ones). Here is the link incase anyone is interested.

When I knew I was definitely going, the first thing I did was type "Erasmus Italy" in Google. Later, I narrowed the search down and searched for the city specifically, Florence. Today, you can find all the data you want to about the city, history, government, religion, economics, demography, geography, culture, sports. Practically everything. You can learn a lot about a country without having ever visited it.

I personally had many doubts and questions, but they were solved thanks to the previous Erasmus students that had been there, and written about their own experiences. Hence, the reason I am writing this article!

The first thing, very important if you decide to do an Erasmus placement:

What paperwork do I have to do before I go and once I am there?

If you are going to do an Erasmus placement (I don't know everything but your coordinators will explain it perfectly), you should get the European Health Insurance Card so that you have health coverage in all European countries (as the name suggests). From my own experience, and although I did not need to go to the doctor, I would definitely recommend it. You just have to go to social security and request one. It is free and it lasts one to two years. I will just warn you that if you have a problem that isn't urgent, don't go to the hospital. There is a clinic near Santa Croce, (via Malcontenti, 6).

Another important thing is the bank:

How do you take money out there?

If you don't have Spanish card, there is a 4% commission charge. The best option is to find a Caixanova branch in your city and take out a bank account because they don't charge any commission. If, like in my case, there isn't a Caixanova in your city, you will just have to open an account in an Italian bank. I recommend Sanpaolo. And another bit of advice, be careful which ATMs you use. It is always better to use the actual bank. If you don't get why I am saying this, then read the terms and conditions of the bank and you will understand.

When you get there, in the first few days, you will have to get your tax ID code (via Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, from the Tax Income Agency). I recommend you go soon as possible before all the numbers are allocated... The card is a sort of Italian identity card and you will need it for renting an apartment (but not always, ask first) and to get WIFI in your flat, or when opening a bank account.

During the first few days, you should also get a Mensa card (at Antonio Gramsci). The Mensas are dining halls where you can get a first course, a second course, a dessert and as many drinks as you want, for just three euros. You'll probably go quite a lot at first, but after a while you'll just end up making pasta and rice at home. As well as it always being full, there is quite a queue at the varied food section, and people don't stop looking at your tray trying to figure out what's on the menu. So you will probably decide to stay in your quieter, more relaxed home. But you can always try it out, and it is also quite a good way to meet new people.

I would also recommend that you get the ESN card as soon as possible (Erasmus Student Network). With the card, you can go on group trips, get discounts on holidays, etc. The organisation specialises in arranging events for Erasmus students. You can find them on Facebook.

I will also tell you how you can stay in touch with people from home and the people that you meet here. There are two options: Wind and Skype. Bring a mobile and buy a SIM card from the company 'Wind'. Virtually all Erasmus students use this company because they offer free calls and texts for just two or three euros a week. Which works out to around ten euros a month.

If you want to talk to family and friends from back home, then use Skype. If you don't know what it is, it is a program where you can chat to and video call people. And it's free. You pay the same whether you use your 3G or not.

Another important question is:

What are the classes, department, and university like?

In Spain, I know that the exams are usually oral ones, which are scored out of 30 and you need 18 to pass. I gathered that it would be a pretty similar situation here. I was quite worried about the fact that that I had heard that the exams were oral (I'm very shy), so I didn't really want to look anymore into it for fear that this was the case.

Once you're here, you will realise that the different departments are located all over Florence. The arts and languages department is very central (where I study, on Via Laura) and is a brand new building. 4 floors, huge and smaller classrooms, some classes are called 'laboratories' which are the ones that you normally have to attend.

On the second floor, you will find a friend of Erasmus, Francesca. He might be on edge or he might be friendly, it depends on the day. He will tell you everything you need to know, whether that is how to fax your arrival form or any other things that you might be struggling with. I have already seen that, in more ways that one, it helps if you speak some Italian. If you don't know how to, it can be quite difficult. You go to Francesca's office if you want to change any of your classes. Yes, it is that simple. In Spain, it will drive you mad trying to navigate the university homepage (UNIFI), then having to meet with your faculty advisor, reading through thousands of guides about Florence, looking and looking for something you want to study for another year. You will find some courses that you want to take. Your coordinator will confirm the subjects and you will have some peace of mind knowing you have chosen the subjects that you want to study. All the time you spent wondering and asking "Will I be able to study this course? " and "Cultural antropologie? Sounds good", "This one is worth ten credits but it seems the same as this one, and this other one, so I can only do one! "...not worth the hassle. When you get here, you might notice that some of the courses are not even on offer that year, or if they are, they are only available in the second term. So, my advice is to not worry too much about it before you get here, because you can sort most of it out once you arrive. Some more advice is to make sure you know your coordinators contact details, because you will be sending them a lot of emails during the first few days. I hope that like me, you will have someone who replies quickly.

Once you have chosen your subjects, you're ready to start university. I started on the 19th October. I have heard that there are lots of student strikes in Italy. The timetables here are normally pretty rubbish, I had to go to classes in the morning and in the afternoon. The single-subject classes usually last two to three hours, and take place three days a week. I think you already know that the classes will be in Italian. In some of the classes, they set you work to do, but in others they don't.

What do you have to study? In my department, I used to go to the copy shop and ask Ana for certain subject notes, wishing that she would give me some 'advice' because I had to study the content for my exams. Here, teachers send you books, booklets, or massive tomes. Some are 100 pages long, others are more than 300, and I've even seen some that are over 600 pages. Read and learn all of it, and then on the day of the exam, you will have everything you know to answer any question that comes up. And you will find your grade out as soon as you have took the exam. Normally, you will always get more than 18 (what you need to pass). However, there are three 'factors' where you can lose marks if you're not careful. As there are three different days for one test, you have to submit online which day you want to take it. And then all you have to do is study, memorise and say "In bocca al lupo" to wish you good luck.

However, if you're not studying arts or languages, then you will be studying at another department and location (not everyone is going to party, right? ). My friends who study industrial design and telecommunications have to catch a bus that takes almost an hour. The social science department is in Novoli, where you also have to go during the first few days to get your course books. You have to go there to sit your exams too, because that's where they mark your papers. Compared to where we were living, Novoli is not in the center of Florence. So if you are studying something related to social sciences, you have to think if you want to live in the centre, which is where everyone goes out, and travel every day to Novoli. Or whether you want to live in Novoli, where you will have to wait until 5/6am to get a bus back to Novoli after going out and partying in the centre. If not, you can walk or cycle.

Here, the rumour is that if you are a Physical Education student, you should definitely go! However, if you are a Law student, it is a bit more difficult. Another important thing is that the subjects that are easy in Spain, are not easy here, they are the opposite. You can always start by going to lots of different classes so you can decide which ones you like. And don't worry, you can change your options more than once. You will experience all of this when you come.

Accommodation

So once you know everything about the academic side, you then have to start thinking about where you want to live. So the next question is do you like in student residency or in a flat? Do I want to live in a studio or a shared flat? In the city centre or not? How much will it cost...?

There is lots to think about. But normally everyone knows in advance what they want and what they can afford. From what I have heard, student residencies aren't the best option. They are expensive, you have to return within a certain time, and I know one of them doesn't have a kitchen or a dining room. Only a microwave. So, avoid them. The other option is renting a room in a flat. Forums often say the best way to rent a room in Florence is to book a hostel for several nights, and then once you are here, look at the ads in the famous Pulce magazine. But personally, I thought it was a waste of 2 euros. You can search for rooms that are advertised there, but when me and my friend called one place, we realised that the room belonged to a real estate agents, so the price was actually double as what it was advertised as. So the magazine stayed in my hotel room whilst we explored Florence looking for advertisements. Preferably, I wanted a two bedroom flat for my friend and I. But this is a bit complicated. The easiest way to find somewhere is to look for a room seperately because there are lots of people advertising free rooms in flats where two or three people already live. The people that I know that were in the same situation as us, ended up using a real estate agents. It is the quickest way to find a flat that you like and are comfortable in, since you will be spending nine months of your life there. I had to extend my stay at the hostel, but we were lucky because at least we could stay at the same one. I knew other people that had to change hostels numerous times whilst they were looking for a pernament flat.

I have to say that the rent is expensive here. A flat in the centre can cost 900 euros a month. It also depends on what it is like. Many of the flats are old, dirty, and have old fashioned furniture. Some will leave you speechless. Mine is perfect. But I pay more for it. People usually end up paying about 400 euros, sometimes including bills, sometimes not. For food, once you have got bored of the Mensa, you will have to go shopping. The cheapest supermarkets are Conad, Coop and the Esslunga.

These are the important issues during your Erasmus stay, and when your questions have been answered, you can either decide to throw yourself headlong into this experience or pull out. If you do decide to go, you'll have even more questions once you get there about the culture, the people...

What are Italian people like?

Well I'm sure you will have an idea of what they are like, especially the men! If you chose Italy as your Erasmus destination and you are a girl, you will be told the same thing everywhere you go, oh Italian men! Middle aged married women with children will tell you, 'I want to go too! '. No, ladies and gentlemen. They are the same as the men in Spain. At least the people I've met are normal anyway. Except for some odd characters that you encounter anywhere you go.

Something you're sure to be thinking about:

What is the nightlife like in Florence?

I can tell you for sure that something interesting happens every night. I do not know if its Florence, Italy, or Erasmus, but it is the best nightlife I have ever experienced. There aren't any massive clubs and most of them close at 4am, but no matter what, you will end up having a great time. There are also two or three bars that close at 8am, but I really don't recommend them. For the first month and a half, you will probably spend most of the night in Santa Croce, but after a while you will end up going out in some new places. You will visit Porce some days, and you might even go to Santa Maria Novella. Maybe you will do something different every weekend. When the nightclubs close, you can go to eat breakfast in the various "fornos", which offer sweet, freshly made pastries, so no complaints!

What are the pizzas, pasta and ice cream like?

All the pasta I have had has been very, very good... but I can not say the same for the pizzas. My favourite is still the Gigi in Lanzarote, but I will keep trying to find somewhere tastier! As for the ice cream, the first month you are here you will eat it all the time. They are so good, I recommend a place on Via Benci, where the ice cream is delicious and from what I have seen, the place where you can get the most for the cheapest price! So you have to go here before you leave.

What is the weather like?

When you arrive in late September, and you are walking the streets looking for a flat in the sun, you will be wearing short sleeves. In the autumn, you will probably have to wear jumpers. You might have bought one from the university with the logo "Università di Firenze" (they are cheaper if you buy them from Michelangelo). From November, you will always have to wear a coat, and as the weeks go on you will have to wear gloves, a scarf, a hat, and anything else that will keep you warm. Snow? Yes, but it normally only happens once throughout the whole winter. But when it does, it really does. I just hope you don't decide to go back to Spain when it happens because there are normally travel disruptions so it might be difficult getting back. It can be humid and rain quite often in December.

What is there to see in Florence?

Well, there are tonnes of things to see and visit in Florence. There are lots of websites that advise you what to do, but every time you walk down a new street, there is something different that catches your eye. And despite having lived here for a while, I still discover new places all the time. It's great. The architecture and art is incredible, every little detail is so unique. If you like photography (like me), you will fall in love with it.

Can you visit other places from Florence?

The answer is yes. You can easily get the train to lots of other Tuscan towns and major cities. The nearest (and therefore cheaper) sites are, Pisa, Livorno, Arezzo, Siena, Lucca, Pistoia, Prato, Grosseto. And before you leave, you have to visit Milan, Bologna, Rome, Verona, Venice. Although they were further away and more expensive to get to. There aren't many cheap flights that go from Florence ariport but, Pisa airport is just one hour away and they offer lots. Therefore, you have the opportunity to travel to many places in Europe for a very affordable price.

Finally, I don't know why other people choose to do an Erasmus placement, but for me, it is about living in another country, meeting people and discovering new places, learning a new language, having fun, and making an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life... which all have been achieved, and I've still got half of it to go!