Erasmus Experience in Milano, Italy by António

Why did you choose to go to Milan, Italy?

Since I was a child I have had a great passion for places in Italy as well as for its people, so, when I decided to go to Italy I knew that I needed to live in a great city. I spoke with my godfather because he travelled a lot there and he said that the best place to live for one year was Milan. I trusted him and I know I am blessed to have taken this option.

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

I receive 300€ per month. It's only enough to pay for my residence. For the food and some other things that I need it's not enough. Milan is an expensive city, but if you don't go out a lot and you don't have dinner at restaurants, I think that you won't spend much.

What is the student lifestyle like in Milan?

My lifestyle is good! You have to create one that you like.

The lifestyle is different for every student... I always go to my classes, I go to the gym and I play in the basketball team in my university.

I always try to eat with people from my residence and to go to the events that the ESN hold for us to meet new people and improve my English and Italian.

Would you recommend the city and the university of Milan to other students?

Of course! I've been here just for two months and I absolutelly recommend it. The city is really nice, it's a city both for working and partying (you always have good nightlife during the week).

It's important to go to aperitivos (you pay for a drink and then you can eat what you want. Drinks are a little expensive but you don't need to pay for the food), it's something that I really enjoy. You have to go to Navigli on Friday night because it's really awesome.

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There are many more things that you will discover during the time that you spend there.

The university is good too, the only problem is that you have to walk a bit to go to the practical classes. However, professors always answer to anything that I need.

What is the food like?

You don't have a lot of options... either pizza or pasta (I am kidding), but these are the most famous things. Everybody knows that pizza in Milan is always a good choice, but you have a lot of other things (like in your country) at the supermarket and in some restaurants.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Milan?

Pay attention! It's very complicate! In my year there was the Expo Milano 2015, so it was a little bit more difficult.

One tip: try to send an e-mail to CIDIS (they help you finding yor accomodation) to understand everything about accomodations. If you want to go in September, send the e-mail in June/July.

How much does it cost to live in Milan?

You have a special price to go to events with the ESN.

It's not so expensive if you cook at home and you eat outside only sometimes.

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

I am from Portugal, so you have some words which are similar in Italian and this helps a lot.

The university gives you a course to learn Italian and you don't need to pay anything. That's really good!

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

Going by airplane is the best way. It's a 2:40 hours flight from Portugal. You need to book 2 or 3 months in advance. For example, I paid 27 € for my first flight and now in Christmas I will pay a little bit more because it's only in one month and I have just booked it.

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

Navigli is the best place, in my opinion.

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

Close-by to the Duomo you have good restaurants. Don't go every night, though, because it's a great expense at the end of the month.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

As I said before, it's a working city, the economy city in Italy, so you don't have too many things to see like in Rome or other places. It's a great city to live, I am sure about that. To visit you have:

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One really important thing is that Milan has a good location. You can go by train to great places near the city, in Itay or even in another country.

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

The only thing that I want to say is that Milan is a great city, it's a good choice. I don't know the other ones, but if you are going for your Erasmus exchange you will have a great time here in Milan, but probably also in any other place that you choose; I talk about Milan because it's my experience.

I suggest you to do as I did: talk to people that you know and ask them for advices (especially people who travel a lot), it's important to know something about the city before you go.

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