Erasmus Experience in Padua, Italy by Selma Dagmar

Why did you choose to go to Padua, Italy?

I decided to go to Padua mostly because it was the warmest place available for me to study abroad.

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

I was supposed to stay in Padua for 4 months, from the beginning of March to the middle of June. I'm from Iceland and from what I can tell the grant that we receive from Erasmus is one of the highest. I got approximately 750 euros a month which covered almost all of the living costs - maybe even a bit more than that if you spend your money wisely.

What is the student lifestyle like in Padua?

I can't really answer this since I didn't meet any people except for my three roommates since I was there during Corona.

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

I liked the city and the weather was really nice of course. However, I would not really recommend going there, at least if you are a girl. I have never felt more unsafe than when I was staying in Padua. Everytime I went outside I was harassed alot! Men would chase me in their cars, on their bikes or just walking obviously. It got to the point that I actually listed all the encounters that I had where I really felt like I might be in danger and it was at least 10 times (bear in mind that I stayed there for a month - during winter (so I wore winter clothes) and I never went outside later than 7 o'clock)). My roommates also experienced this btw. At least one advice I would give to you if you're a girl is to stay away from the train station, it's by far the worst place to be.

What is the food like?

I went to a restaurant one time in Venice and I had a nice pizza. The rest of the time I ate a lot of salads at home and sweet potatoes. It's probably good though - the restaurants were closed while I was there.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Padua?

I found my accommodation through Erasmus so I paid the fee that they have (maybe around 100 euros)

How much does it cost to live in Padua?

My accommodation was 275 a month. I was sharing a room with another girl but it was really nice and big and the apartment brand new so it was a good deal. It's pretty cheap to shop. I only spent around 175 euros on food in my first month and the first month is always the most expensive (I didn't buy any meat while I was there though - but the strawberries are really cheap).

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

I think I learned one word while I was there which was just thank you. My roommate spent a lot of time on Duolingo though and she sounded like she was making progress. The courses I took were all in English but I'm pretty sure there's a course that teaches italian.

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

I flew from Reykjavík to London and then to Venice and I lastly took a bus to Padova. There were many places where I could have a layover but London was the best for me.

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

No clue (Corona).

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

No.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The center of the town is really nice! I also went to the biggest square in Europe which is close to the center and that was great too.

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

If you decide to go to Padova I would advise you to not go out alone at night. That's all I learned.