The best year of my life: Modena

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Why did you choose to go to Modena, Italy?

I chose Modena because it seemed like a well-situated city. It’s very close to other beautiful cities I wanted to visit like Bologna, Florence, Milan, Verona, Venice... I also thought that it in terms of rent and other expenses it would be cheaper than Bologna which is only 30 minutes by train. (a ticket costs €3. 70)

How long did your grant last for? How much money did you receive?

My grant was for 9 months but I stayed from the end of September to the end of July. In fact, I still have some days left. In terms of how much money I received, that depended on the different sources of income. I got around €135 a month for 9 months from the European Fund, €100 a month for 8 months (the maximum time) from the government; and lastly, if you’re Andalusian and going to Italy, the local government gives you €193 a month for 9 months, a smaller amount than last year which I believe was €272 a month.

How’s the student life in Modena?

It all depends on the faculty but you’ll always find students in the streets or party areas. It’s obviously nothing compared to the student life in other cities like Bologna, the sheer number of students just can’t compare to Modena.

Would you recommend Modena as a city and university to other students?

Of course, it’s been the best year of my life. I have no regrets about choosing this city. Knowing now it’s strengths and weaknesses, if I could do it all again I wouldn't change my decision at all.

How is the food in Italy?

In general, the food is very similar to Spain. Modena has some traditional food like crescentine and tigelle, obviously Modena vinegar and other things, but overall, I don’t think anyone would have an issue adapting to the food.

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Modena?

It wasn’t too difficult for me because one of my flatmates had already spoken with a friend of hers who did Erasmus the year before. That’s generally how it works, so this year all my friends have passed on the details of their flats to the people going to Modena next year. There’s also the student residence Costellazioni, it’s quite far from the centre and not that cheap but the people who work there are great and in general it’s very good for people who are only going for a couple of months and therefore not worth the bother looking for a flat for such a short time.

What is the cost of living in Modena?

It depends on the area, I know people who rented a room for €220 with bills included (electricity, gas, heating, water and internet). You have to be careful when it comes to the heating, whether central or autonomous, I know some friends who ended up paying €300-400 in heating bills. It’s also important when looking for a flat to think about community costs, a lot of advertisements will trick you by leaving this out, they can be up to €100-200. Then whatever you have left you can spend on food, going out or travelling.

How did you get on with the language? Did you attend a course at the University?

The language is easy to learn. Before long you’ll understand almost everything. The university offers courses which can be recognised as credits at your own university. There’s also a course for foreign students which costs €15 for the semester.

What is the most cost-effective way to get to Modena from your home town?

From my city, Cordoba, I travelled to Seville, and from Seville I flew to Bologna. From there you can easily get to Modena by taking a bus which goes direct to the city from the airport with a number of stops along the way, I would recommend this for the first couple of times to save any trouble. The bus costs about €15. You can also catch a bus from the airport to Bologna train station (€6) and from there catch a train to Modena (€3. 70 for a ticket). Another option is to fly to Milan, specifically Bérgamo airport which is the cheapest and from there get a bus to Milan train station and a train to Modena. This option is a bit more expensive since the just the train from Milan to Modena costs €15, however, flights from Milan tend to be cheaper. It’s a question of figuring out what’s most cost-effective and convenient, consider the proximity of Bologna and the flight times.

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Where would you recommend for a night out in Modena?

Whoever said that there’s nowhere to go out in Modena is lying. In September, when you first arrive, there are many clubs: Wednesday is student night at Movie, Thursday you can go to Tube, Fridays we normally went to Bologna but Tube, Vibra and Baluardo (which is very good) were also open and on Saturday we normally went back to Tube, the most popular day. There are also other clubs in the city (the ones I’ve already mentioned are in the centre) called La Crepa, KYI and Frozen. Later, Movie relocated to the club Snoopy and so the routine was normally Wednesday: Snoopy, Thursday: Tube, Friday: Bologna and Saturday: Tube.

When summer arrives Snoopy closes and student night moves to Baluardo. Eden also opens, as do Dogali (a pool where they also have parties), El Viale, and an avenue full of open air bars. In terms of quieter places to have some beers and have a laugh with mates, there’s Griffin’s, Red Lion or Stile Libero. This first one is an Irish pub which is always lively, the second is a bar where you can watch football and a different event is held each night, karaoke on Tuesdays was a good laugh. The third one is well located being right in the centre. Lastly, there’s la Piazza Pomposa, one of the key areas of Modena where there’s always people around. There’s a couple of terraces where you can sit out although it’s full of people who get their beer from the local shop (here the shops are run by Pakistanis instead of Chinese). There’s also Novi Park, just beside the economics faculty, Marco Biagi, where we always meet to have some beers and other drinks and have a good time. We also sunbathe or play some kind of sport when the weather gets better.

Where were your favourite places to eat in Modena?

There are loads of places for going out to eat. From pizzerias like 360 (close to Piazza Pomposa) or pizzeria Taglio (Piazza Mazzini), any one of the thousand and one kebab places that there are in Modena (I recommend the one in front of Novi Park), the man who works there is really nice, he always gives us something for free), to Japanese, Chinese and Asian restaurants. And in terms of restaurants in the city I always went to Caffè Concerto (Piazza Grande). For a small bite to eat (with a drink there’s a mini buffet, or not so mini depending on the place and price) I recommend : Juta (€3), Picari (€5), Caffè Concerto (€7), Embassy y 212 (€7-8). The best ones with the greatest variety of food are the most expensive.

What is there in terms of cultural places to visit?

There are some very beautiful places to visit like the Ghirlandina, the bell tower of the Duomo (declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO). There are also palaces, loads of churches or the Duomo itself. For car enthusiasts, there’s also the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena and the Ferrari museum in Maranello, very close to Modena.

Any advice for future students in Modena?

The only advice I can give is that you enjoy every second of your time in Modena because it will fly by. The people you meet will become your family and that’s what truly makes Modena the best possible Erasmus experience. Travel as much as possible across Italy and the rest of Europe, but when exams are around the corner you’ll realise it’s difficult to organise a date that suits all your friends. Go with an open mind and learn from others as much as you can, after this experience you’ll never be the same (in a good way), I’m sure of it.