My Erasmus Experience in Padua, Italy

Why did you choose to go to Padua, Italy?

I decided to go to Italy because I thought I would get along easily with the language; and I chose Padua in particular for its famed student life.

How long did your scholarship last? How much were you paid?

In my case, I was given a grant which lasted a period of twelve months. I don't know the total amount I received, since the payments still haven't finished yet. The UPM give me 300 euros a month though, which arrives in installments in December, February, May and again a few months after that.

What's the student life like in Padua?

In terms of the university, it's a city brimming with students. There are loads of study spaces and university cafeterias everywhere, and the city is pretty well-prepared to accommodate international students (there are lots of students halls of residences).

The party scene isn't comparable with Spain and other countries, but the Erasmus students go out a lot, which makes everything better.

The local bars close at midnight and the clubs at 3am. There are Erasmus discounts in lots of bars and clubs, especially those on the edge of the city.

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

The city yes, definitely, but I have to say that if you're coming here from a big city (such as Madrid or Barcelona), be aware that Padua is quite small, without a metro or large shopping centres.

It's a very accessible and pretty city with lots of parks, squares and bars. Everything is nearby (or at least easily reachable by bike) and there are excellent transport links with other cities, be it by train, by bus (Pullman) or by plane (from Venice, Treviso, Verona or Bologna).

I wouldn't really recommend the university, at least, not for engineering. The university there is quite famous, but I don't really see why. The university system is pretty disastrous. They don't give you the dates of exams until really late on, the secretary office doesn't operate very efficiently and the exact times and locations of exams aren't given out until literally the day before.

The good thing is that there's the possibility of taking an exam in either semester, which means you can distribute them well or resit one you've failed or that you want a better mark for.

What's the food like in Italy?

It's pretty good, but you pay for what you get. The Italians have very high quality standards: they won't sell you bad quality food, but you have to pay a suitable amount for it.

It's normal to eat pasta every day there, but it becomes quite a light meal with the sauces they usually serve with it.

The pizza there is incredible, and cheap, too. I recommend going to Pizza Passione, next to the Verdi Theatre. It's a super small pizzeria (most people sit and eat their pizza on the stairs in front of it) where they make the best pizzas I've ever tasted.

How did you find your accommodation?

Before I came to Padua, I looked for accommodation websites and put an ad up on one of them. This is the site I used: http://bit.ly/oGaJO8

You can use the Sassa Service to make looking for accommodation easier. You can apply for halls of residence through them, and reject them if you don't like the look of them, and even ask them to look for a flat for you if you're not having much luck with your search.

Some people come to Padua a few days before their course starts, stay in a hostel and look for flats while actually there. I didn't do this, but it is a good idea.

What's the price of accommodation like? What are living costs like in general?

Generally, the average accommodation prices are 250-350 euros per month for an individual room, and 150-250 euros per month for a shared room.

Other costs tend to be quite high, especially for a small city. The supermarket is expensive, and so is going out for a drink, but students do get discounts using the ESN card (from the Erasmus association in Padua).

Eating out is around the same price as eating at home.

Coffee and pizza prices are cheap: a cappuccino is about 1. 20 euros and a medium-sized pizza (for one person) is 6 euros. If you visit Venice while you're there, the prices are very varied, so I don't really recommend eating out there, at least not without knowing where to go, as they're good at ripping people off!

Spritzes (a typical drink here) cost 1. 50 euros with a student discount; normally they costs 2. 50 euros. They cost 1 euro in Café Madrid, although they're not that nice there!

A medium-sized beer costs 3 euros with the discount, so normally 4 euros.

Eating in the mensa cafeteria costs 3 euros (for the reduced menu, with two courses, a drink and a dessert) or 4 euros (for the full menu). The best mensa is Forcellini, which is quite far away, closely followed by Murialdo, which is easier to get to from the university and located behind the Carli halls of residence.

How are you finding the language? Have you signed up to a language class at the university?

The language is the easiest part. In my case, I came to Padua having already learned more or less all of the grammar, and with an A2 certificate which my school required me to have done. I learned a lot while I was looking for a flat, since I had to send emails in Italian, which forced me to look up words and verbs. A good site for Italian verbs is this one: http://www.italian-verbs.com/los-verbos-italianos.htm

The online dictionary I always use is this one here: http://it.dicios.com/esit

You can also use wordreference's Italian-English dictionary.

The University of Padua offers four-month courses in Italian according to your level, which are entirely free and consist of six hours' teaching per week. If the times suit you, do it. It's a good idea to work a little from an Italian grammar book before you start, even though it's the summertime.

What's the cheapest way of getting to Padua from your home city?

Definitely by plane and with Ryanair.

• From Madrid, the best connection is Madrid to Verona with Ryanair.
• From Seville, Seville to Treviso or Seville to Bologna with Ryanair.
• From Barcelona, Barcelona to Treviso.

• From Valencia, Valencia to Treviso.

The rest is just a case of looking online.

What are the best places for partying in Padua?

The best places for going out for drinks are Bar San Clemente on Piazza dei Signori. They do Erasmus discounts and there's a pretty terrace there. LeQueen is a good club for Saturday nights, and FishMarket for Wednesdays. You can go to Piazza dei Signori with your course mates, and to Piazza dell'Erbe on Wednesdays. You'll discover plenty of other places when you're there yourself.

What about eating out in Padua? What are your favourite places?

Passione Pizza: A pizzeria next to Verdi Theatre where you can try the best pizzas in Padua. They're to take away though, since there's not much room inside.

Restaurant Pizzeria Agli Eremitani: A restaurant with good food for reasonable prices. Quite big, and open until late.

Pizzeria Pago-Pago: Another place with good food for good prices.

Restaurant Chino Shanghai: A really lovely Chinese restaurant in the centre of Padua (next to Via Roma), with great food.

What does Padua have to offer in terms of culture?

There's so much to see. Padua is a very pretty city where culture is always at your fingertips even when you're just wandering through it. You can visit the Palazzo del Bò for free if you're a student in Padua, and they tell you all about the history of the university inside.

Don't forget too that Padua is a stone's throw away from Venice, Verona, Vicenza and Bologna by train, four cities which are really worth seeing.

Do you have any advice for future students coming to Padua?

I think I've already mentioned everything... my only piece of advice would be to remember you're not in your own country anymore, so be patient with the Italians, even if they get on your nerves now and again.;)

Enjoy yourself!