My Erasmus Experience in Rome, Italy

Why did you choose to go to Rome, Italy?

Actually I didn´t choose Rome: it was my third option after Arnhem, Holland and Le Havre, France. I´m really happy now though that I was sent to my third choice, because I´m sure my experience in Rome was better than it ever could have been in Arnhem or Le Havre.

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

It lasted for six months and I received 4, 000 euros. I regret not having stayed for the whole year.

What´s the student life like in Rome?

The student life is incredible since there are loads of students, Rome being a huge city. There are three Erasmus organisations that I know of, who are in charge of organizing parties, meaning there are Erasmus parties every day of the week apart from Sundays. A lot of the parties are exclusively for Erasmus students and their guests, and there´s a great atmosphere.

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

Yes, I think it´s easy enough to pass at all the universities. It´s perhaps a little harder at Tor Vergata, according to what friends have told me. I was at LUMSA, and it was very good, a few paces away from the Vatican City. It was lovely walking through the Plaza de San Pedro every day, and you almost don´t appreciate the beauty of the place you´re living in.

What´s the food like in Rome?

Food is expensive in comparison with Spain, and I was generally disappointed just as much by the price to quality ratio of food in restaurants as by the food in the supermarkets. However, the universities in Rome have cafeterias you can eat in for as little as 2 euros (I think), and they offer lunches as well as dinners. This solves a lot of your problems. That´s what they do in the public universities - LUMSA, which is private, is even better, since for 3 euros you can order the menu of the day in the tourist restaurants around the Vatican City. Brilliant.

How did you find your accommodation?

I stayed in a hostel at first, and made friends with some Portuguese people who I ended up living with. You can look for adverts in the newspaper, and there are also lots of ads up on the walls at the universities. I remember it was quite exhausting looking for a flat though.

What are the accommodation prices like, as well as the cost of living in general?

The prices are very high. You pay around 500 euros for an individual room, and 300 euros for a shared room. You´ll find that neighbourhoods which are near to the city centre are more expensive, whereas if you live further away it´ll be cheaper. Prices in general in Rome tend to be high in certain cases, for instance, for food, and drinks in bars and clubs are expensive (at Erasmus parties however, everything is half price). Other things such as public transport, are cheap - 20 euros per month for a bus and metro pass.

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

The language is easy to learn for Spaniards, although there are some people who insist on not learning it. I attended a course during the six months that I was there, it was free and the classes were very helpful.

What´s the cheapest way of getting to Rome from your home city?

By plane.

What are the best places for partying in Rome?

I mainly went to Erasmus parties, since they were cheaper and I liked them more than the Italian bars and clubs. Generally, the parties which ESN organise are very good. On the other hand, I went to Circolo degli Artisti and to Rialto several times, plus to the posh La Maison. They weren´t places whose atmosphere impressed me though, and also it´s often the case that the posher bars are the more expensive ones.

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

I didn´t find anywhere that was really worth the money enough to recommend it in a forum. Maybe I should have looked harder.

What does Rome have to offer in terms of culture?

In the province of Rome, I really liked Tivoli. I also found the catacombs really cool. Apart from that, the places everyone always recommends.

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

In my opinion, we Spanish are very closed-off people. I´ve lived in two foreign cities now and I´ve seen how they´re never interested in socializing with people from other cultures. It´s actually quite easy to learn Italian, and there are people you know will return home afterwards without knowing a single world. I think it´s very easy to get by in Rome, learning the language, having a great time at parties, not studying and passing anyway, and making friends from other places - but there were people who just hung out with other Spaniards all the time. I recommend opening up a little!