Erasmus Experience in Teramo, the Italy of Miriam

Why did you choose to go to Teramo, Italy?

I chose Teramo because it was small, it offered me the option to apply for a scholarship for living and the ability to take trips. It is also the place in Italy where most of my subjects from my degree could be accepted and it had good connections to Rome for the airport.

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How long did the scholarship last?

How much money did you receive to help you with living costs?

9 months and the year before we received €450 per month. You have to take into account that, this is not Andalucia, because the rest of the communities had a lot less.

What is the student lifestyle like in Teramo?

The student life is centered around the Erasmus students, because it is like a small town, small and full of love. Where ever Erasmus students go, they will find more Erasmus students. To "study" the subjects really made it very easy, because there were always summaries of everything we had to study.

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

Yes, without a doubt. I have spent the best year of my life there. It is small and it is not that it has anything special, but it is about how you live there with the people, because with it being so small, you know all of the Erasmus students and you always know where to find people or where to go. It creates a family between Erasmus students; and even with some Italians that always walk among the Erasmus students or in the same areas.

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About the university, I would recommend it; although it's hard to sort out the formalities there, because of the patience they have in terms of bureaucracy, but it's worth it. They have a lot of facilities to help you pass and a lot of application periods for those who want to drop out of a subject. It's a gift, really.

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What is the food like?

The food of the country is always ideal, lots of pizza and a lot of pasta, but also there is a lot of variety in supermarkets, you can eat almost everything we eat in Spain. And in Teramo, more than anything the "arrosticini", which is typical to Abruzzo, was delicious.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Teramo?

No, at the start I went with the idea of spending a few days, with what would later be my roommates in a hotel, so that we could go looking for an apartment. The next morning, we started looking, and by noon we had seen about three flats and chose ours. So it is very easy to find one.

How much does it cost to live in Teramo?

It is cheap, I spent around €500-€600 a month, including travelling a trip for one month there. The flat costs between €150-€200 at the most. And food wasn't too expensive either. What cost the most was the bills that come every two or three months. But they weren't extortionate either. It was an affordable standard of living.

Is the language easy to get to grips with?

Are there language courses available at the university?

When I arrived I didn't know any Italian, I lived with an Italian and I learnt a lot of words and expressions from her, but when I started university, I was given a basic Italian course which had an exam and everything. And later I did the course and exam for the B1 level. It is very easy and you learn Italian and progress very quickly there through necessity.

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

By plane from Seville to Rome, and then a bus from Ciampino, Rome to Teramo which costs about €30 for a return ticket.

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

In Teramo, on Tuesdays the Erasmus students usually go to "Caffè Dell'Olmo", which is like a bar but at night it is more of a pub. On Wednesday we went to "Albula" (a club), but this year it is on a Thursday. Thursdays for us, was almost always a night to have a house party, or take the opportunity to go to Pescara. On Friday we went to "Heaven", another club which was a little further away, but we always used the "navetta" (a small bus that takes you from the centre of the city to the club). And Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, we had house parties or went to Pescara which was one hour away by train and boat, to the side of the beach with the a lot of parties.

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And to go out to eat in Teramo?

Can you recommend some good restaurants?

To go out to eat "Trattoria da Mauro", was great. It was economic and they had huge pasta dishes. Ordering or going to "Teo", which was a pizzeria where they also sold 'arrosticini' and it was pretty cheap. They always put some more food than we had asked for, because it was for Erasmus students. Also in "Dolce vità", which is parallel to Corso Sant Giorgio, you can eat very good 'arrosticini'. To include a bigger and more elegant place, it would be Strabacco, where you can eat all kinds of Italian food. And above all, on Saturdays in the market, there are some food stalls that sell "panino porchetta" and others that sell chicken, which are very good and very cheap.

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What good cultural sites are there to visit?

As cultural visit there is the Duomo, a small castle, a very old mental hospital, some Roman ruins and some other things, but not for the building in particular but just for its streets which have very curious and beautiful things in every corner.

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What advice would you give future students heading to Teramo?

Enjoy it from day one, those nine months will fly by, and before you realise it you will be saying goodbye to your "family from Teramo". And have an incredible experience with incredible people from all over Spain.