Erasmus Experience in Pavia, Italy by Katia

Why did you choose to go to Pavia, Italy?

I had to choose between Italy or Finland because that were the only options that I had. I finally decided to choose Pavia because I had friends that were here and told me that it was really great.

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

My scholarship corresponds to the time I'm doing Erasmus (4 months). I'm getting about 1500 € for this 4 months. But that is not enough, so my parents are also helping a little bit. The money from scholarship goes almost all of it to pay the rent (I'm living in a residence of students and pay 275€ monthly).

What is the student lifestyle like in Pavia?

Here in Pavia almost every week there's a party for Erasmus students, and besides that, me and my friends from Erasmus usually schedule some others parties or dinners. It's really dynamic and if you want you have always something to do in the weekend.

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

Yes. It's a small city but it has everything. It's near to other known cities. It's well served by transportation.

What is the food like?

Here I can find a lot of variety, but the basic is the cheese and tomato. Almost everywhere has good food. They have really nice crepes with Nutella!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Pavia?

Yes, it was really hard. Because most of the ads said that they only rent for at least 12 months. And the residence was almost full. I was very lucky.

How much does it cost to live in Pavia?

It's not that expensive if you manage well your money. But you can't also eat every day out.

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

For me it was really hard in the beginning but now (almost 2 months) I understand almost everything, but it's still hard to speak with them. The university offers many courses of different languages.

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

Plane (I'm from Portugal).

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

I recommend some bar with aperitivo.

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

Minerva (aperitivo). I also like the Delizia cafe (they have good paninis and muffins). I don't remember the name but there's a little shop in Piazza della Vittoria that has great crepes.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Orto Botanico, Museo Monet, Museo di Storia Naturale.

Is there any other advice that you could give to future students who are going to Pavia?

Let me know if you have any doubt!