Exchange Report: Universita Bocconi (Italy)

Transcription

1 Exchange Report: Universita Bocconi (Italy) Margarita Mashkina (BBA in Economics)

2 Monthly Activity Log August-September I arrived to Milan at the end of August, and I started looking for accommodation since I was not able to find suitable housing beforehand. I spent first two weeks of my exchange in the hostel where I met other students from Bocconi University. I opted to take Italian language course so I started my language classes before university courses. University classes started at the beginning of September, and I chose to take International Banking, Monetary Theory and Policy, Evolution of Economic Ideas, Introduction to Econometrics, and Innovation and Technology. In the middle of September, I moved into the apartment that was located near the university so my efforts to find good flat were not wasted. My flat mates were also Bocconi students. I made real friends with them since they were very nice and reliable people. We cooked dinners together and went out to social events. During September I joined International Students Network and traveled to Verona, the city of love, with them. I also joined other exchange students and went on a road trip to Cinque Terra (several colorful villages located on the coast line) and Genoa. I was always interested in history of places so I attended tours in Verona and Genoa. October In the middle of October we had a midterm break, and I opted to take a two-week trip. I tried to find people to go with but it was hard to match our availability and interests so I decided to go on a trip by myself. I started with south of France. I went to Nice where at the beginning I was disappointed by rainy weather but in the middle of the day the sun came out. I took a bus tour and enjoyed beautiful views. My next destination was Cannes, the place of the famous festival. I went up the hill to a castle to take amazing photos of the city. I enjoyed a train ride around the city where I heard stories about different celebrities and movie stars coming to Cannes. The last city in France during that trip was Marseille. It was raining there as well but I was still enjoying walking around and going to a beautiful cathedral on the top of the hill. After France, I moved to Spain. I spent three wonderful days in Barcelona learning about its history, exploring street art and meeting new friends. I especially liked the tour about a famous architect Gaudi who built Sagrada Familia which is still under construction and is planned to be finished in After Barcelona, I went to Madrid where I saw royal palace and tried different tapas. The last destination of that trip became Lisbon. I felt a special atmosphere there, and this is the city where I will definitely come back to,

3 and I am planning to do so in June when there is a big festivity. At the end of October we celebrated Halloween, and it was fun. November I took Italian follow up course so I was attending more Italian language courses, and I finished the course at the end of November. My friend from Shenzhen came to Switzerland for work in November so we decided to meet in Zurich. We spent several days there enjoying food at the Christmas market, exploring churches and freezing because it was pretty cold. Also, in November, International Student Network organized a tour to the famous Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, and I was very excited to see the painting I heard so much about. At the end of November, my friend came to Milan, and we explored more of Milan together. We went to Brera Art Gallery that has a large collection of paintings by Caravaggio, Bellini, Rubens, Picasso, etc. In addition, I went to a famous opera theater called Alla Scala, and it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

4 December In December I managed to go to Rome, and I fell in love with that city. It impressed me by its size and cultural sights. We couldn t see everything during a short stay so we promised to come back and see more in a few years. Me and my friend went to Coliseum, Roman Forum, Vatican, the Trevi Fountain and some other sights. When I came back to Milan I had to study for final exams but I managed to walk around the city and watch how beautiful it was with Christmas lights and markets. I went to Paris during Christmas holidays, and one of my childhood dreams came true. I stayed in the apartment of my flatmate from Milan, and I had a unique chance to celebrate Christmas with his family. It was my first European Christmas celebration in life. Although I was not able to communicate with the whole family, I was welcomed very warmly by them and especially his grandmother. January As my visa was valid until February, I came back in January to take some exams and a trip to Berlin. I spent almost six days in Berlin with my boyfriend, and we took a tour about the history of Berlin. We also learned a lot about the Berlin Wall that divided Eastern and Western Berlin into two separate parts, and people couldn t freely move from one part to another. There were many sad moments during this learning process but I understood that it was an important part of the history, and that we shouldn t forget about it in order not to repeat it. Before coming back to Hong Kong I spent several days in Milan packing and saying good bye to my friends. It was a sad moment but I know I will see them again.

5 General Exchange Information 1) Visa Procedures Usually it takes three weeks to get a visa to Italy in Hong Kong. I had an issue with financial proof since they asked me to transfer money under my name and make a fixed deposit that would last till the end of the trip. Be careful and ask questions if they ask you to provide additional financial proof documents (especially for nonlocal students). In total, I went to the embassy four times, and at the end I didn t have enough time to get visa before my flight to Italy so they were nice and processed my application fast but it s an extreme measure so please solve problems in advance. Also, if you are from another country, you still have to apply in Hong Kong because you are considered a resident. Maybe there are exceptions but it s better to talk to the embassy in your home country first. 2) Orientation Activities Orientation activities were held for students as usual. They told about permit of stay and explained how to fill out the form. We got welcome kit with a USB-drive where we could find all necessary information. International Desk had their counter in the Lions building, and it was very easy to find them and ask questions. 3) International Services & Activities I attended several tours of Milan and speed exchange event where I met other students. International Desk had their counter in the Lions building, and it was very easy to find them and ask questions. I also went to social events such as aperitivo and open bar organized by International Student Network. There were many options for weekend trips so you won t be bored for sure. 4) Accommodations The best option for accommodation is an apartment or a private room. University provides housing but you may be on the waiting list, and some buildings are not located close to university. Be careful and try to find accommodation in advance. Agencies usually charge high fees and require large deposits so it s better to find accommodation though Facebook groups or local agencies like I did. 5) Courses Registration It s possible to take two to five courses. There was no problem with course registration since everything was explained clearly. You will need to log in to Agenda, system run by Bocconi where you will have access to course registration, and other services. Be careful with starting dates of registration and act quickly since you may not get the course you want to take. Also, since courses taken at the university are mostly electives, their schedule will overlap most likely.

6 6) Teaching & Assessment Methods You can opt to be attending or non-attending student. If you are an attending student, you need to participate in group work, exercises, etc. depending on the course. If you are a non-attending student, you can still come to lectures but all you will need to do is to take exam at the end of the course or two partial exams. Yes, you can opt to take two partial exams or one general exam for some courses. Grading is absolute, and you need to get 18/30 on exam to pass the course and transfer credits. It s not difficult to pass some courses but it s challenging for some as well since most questions are open-ended, and you can t guess. Also, you can choose different exam sessions, for example, in December, January or February. 7) Sports & Recreation Facilities Bocconi has less sports facilities compared to HKUST. However, they had sports classes that were very good for girls especially. They had Zumba, cardio jump, total body strong and others. I really enjoyed attending them because they were fun and effective. I tried to join rugby team but there was no university team, and I had to go to a stadium that was far away. Gym itself was smaller than in HKUST, and often it was busy during the weekdays. They have a small soccer pitch available for reservation as well. 8) Finance & Banking (including currency / expenses) Euro is used in Italy. For the trip, you will need to account for accommodation (around 600 per month), food, going out and other expenses will also be around 600. However, if you choose to travel it s better to count on your own. It s possible to find cheaper flights and accommodation but it s still not very cheap to travel since you will always want to try food, entertainment and go sightseeing. Also, you should prepare extra money for shopping if you are planning to do it. I would say, bring at least extra 4,000 euro for additional expenses. 9) Social Clubs & Networking Opportunities I joined International Student Network that I mentioned before. There were events organized on campus as well. You will get notifications. Also, they held career fair where exchange students could also participate. 10) Health & Safety I didn t have any serious problems with health. If you need medicine, you can buy it in the pharmacy or even in vending machines on the street. For safety, it s better not to walk on streets late at night alone. I didn t encounter problems but I know some other people did. 11) Food Quality of food was very good, and there were plenty of options. I like aperitivo a lot. It s kind of dinner made out of appetizers, and it usually includes one drink. Italians consider it pre-dinner meal but it s impossible to eat something else after

7 eating at aperitivo. I also cooked myself that enabled me to eat healthily and save some money. Fresh groceries are always available in the supermarkets. Also, make use of coupons and point cards. 12) Transportation Milan and especially Bocconi are well connected by transportation network. There are trams, metro, and buses nearby. Taxis are not cheap so I took them rarely and mostly at night. Metro works from 5.40 a.m. until a.m. usually so you will need to plan if you decide to go out. There are early and late trams usually. 13) Climate Compared to Hong Kong, Milan was not as hot and humid in summer. It was about 25 degrees in August. It gets colder in October-November, and it might get -4 in winter. 14) Communication People can speak English in Italy, but you always need to have dictionary on the phone, since many people won t be able to understand you, especially older generation. 15) Cautionary measures Always watch your bag because there are many pick pockets. I didn t have any accidents because I regularly checked my bag and was always alert but many exchange students got money and even passports stolen. Use lock on backpacks and don t carry much cash with you. When you look for accommodation, beware of scam, and never transfer money before getting the key. I faced this scam, and the way you can understand that it s scam is: ask them to provide their ID copy ( say it s needed for visa which is true in case you sign contract with that person). Items to Bring Cash/credit cards Passport with visa Documents including original copy of acceptance letter and documents needed for visa Suitcases (plus small one for travelling) Medicine (if you have some special) Light and warm clothes Nice clothes for going out Laptop/tablet Useful Links and Contacts - agency through which I found apartment;; they don t charge fees, and you will talk directly to the owner.

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