Semester Abroad in Italy at the Politecnico di Milano – Bachelor's Degree in Communication Design (BA)

Why did you want to do a semester abroad?

As a designer and open-minded person, it was important to me to develop myself further, seek out new things and broaden my own horizons. That was one of the main reasons why I wanted to do this exchange year. Since I started my studies, I have met many international people who have come to Germany for an exchange year. This opened my eyes to a wide range of cultures, lifestyles and mentalities and inspired me to do my own semester abroad. I also wanted to broaden my horizons academically. The FHPhas a very pragmatic and practice-orientated approach to Design, and after three years of studying, I wanted to get to know a different approach.

How did you prepare yourself?

The application process was largely straightforward. Due to the requirement that a B1 language level was needed for the Italian language classes at the host university, I had already started learning Italian almost 2 years before my departure. I attended Italian courses at the adult education centre in Potsdam and at the VH Berlin and also continued my education on my own.

As I was staying in the EU, I didn't need a visa, so travelling to Italy was straightforward.

How did the search for accommodation go?

In Milan, housing is scarce and very expensive, even for locals. It was therefore difficult to find suitable accommodation. There were only a few student residences and allocation was based on the "first come, first serve" principle. As a result, all places in halls of residence were taken within minutes and I was forced to look for a private shared flat. Unfortunately, I had a very bad experience here too. I was supposed to move into my first flat for the whole year. But when I arrived, there was no electricity for about a week. A few weeks later, the hot water also failed and our landlady refused to arrange for repairs. What followed was almost three months of almost constant harassment and threats from our landlady, as well as dozens of other problems that could only be resolved by involving the police and a lawyer. Four months after my arrival in Milan, I was finally able to move to another flat. Fortunately, there were no problems there and I was able to finish the second half of my stay abroad without any problems.

What was it like to study at the partner university?

The Politecnico di Milano is one of the largest technical universities in Europe and therefore offers many opportunities for international students. In addition to welcome weeks for international students, an ESN (Erasmus Student Network) office on campus and many English-language courses, you were always in a very international environment. Although about half of my courses were held in Italian, there were still a handful of other Erasmus students in every course. The majority of my fellow Italian students were also open-minded and willing to make allowances for our lack of language skills. As an Erasmus student, I had the opportunity to choose my courses freely. This was a little complicated, as the course descriptions were often very vague and sometimes only remotely related to the actual subject matter. I therefore sometimes had the feeling that I was choosing my courses blindly, but this turned out to be an advantage as I was able to immerse myself in areas that I had hardly dealt with before. The subject matter, teaching methods and general learning environment varied greatly from professor to professor.

How high was the cost of living? What leisure and sports activities did you take advantage of?

The general cost of living and housing in Milan are above average, especially for nightlife. Clubs and bars are very expensive in many places, but there are some that are aimed at students and are therefore slightly cheaper. Sports programmes are available both through the university and privately. However, my university's sports programme was not overly extensive, so I often went swimming privately in a local hall.

Many of my leisure activities were organised by the ESN (Erasmus Student Network), even if they usually only took place once or at long intervals. For example, there was a meeting in a bar every fortnight, occasional trips to neighbouring cities, tours of Milan and various other local activities. Joining the ESN is therefore definitely worthwhile.

Conclusion and tips

On the whole, my year abroad went well. My difficulties with my landlady during my first semester did cause a lot of stress, but in the end I was able to solve the problem and was able to fully enjoy the rest of my Erasmus stay. My biggest tip is to join as many organisations as possible. The ESN in particular is definitely recommended, but sports or creative clubs are also a wonderful way to meet new people. Specifically for Italy, I would recommend learning at least some of the language. Very few people speak English there, and you won't get very far without a rudimentary knowledge of Italian, especially outside the university context. It is also important to pay very close attention to warning signs when choosing a flat. If something seems strange, it's better to trust your instincts and look for something else and spend a few euros more. And last but not least, even if something goes wrong, it's not the end of the world and there is almost always a solution.

All in all, the year abroad was an enriching and unforgettable experience, despite some minor setbacks.