Type of housing: On campus

Arranged by: Host university

If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House

Why? More privacy.

Personal comments:
Pretty good for a short experience as mine was. But I would try to find an apartment if I had to stay longer since in "Collegio" I had to share my room. The lack of privacy is a huge disadvantage if you have other habits than your room mate. Besides that I missed having a kitchen! Eating in canteen everyday isn't so healthy and going to restaurants a pretty expensive solution. All the rest was cool. Specially the place itself: very beautiful and very well located. And the girls were very nice (it was a girls residence).

Describe host city: Students interact with the local community without much university involvement

Activities: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment

Nightlife, Travel: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment

Personal comments:
Pavia is pretty small but it has a few decent bars - Nice One (great cocktails), Marecchaira (even better cocktails!), Irish Pub, and Dublino's are all cool. When I was there Pavia had one club - Ombellico's, but a new club has opended since. Student night's on Wednesday. STEP is the International student organisation and put on weekly events from meals and nights out to weekend trips away to Florence, Venice, and local attractions. And if all else fails, Milan is only a 20 min train ride away!

Course recommendations:
There's a 3 week language course for erasmus students in September for 1st semester and again in February for 2nd semester students. It's definitely worth flying out that little bit earlier in time for this course. It's a really good ice-breaker, a great way to meet other erasmus students and build a rapport with the Italian students on the STEP comittee and the teachers are really helpful if you need any accomodation or settling-in advice.

Personal comments:
Registering can be a bit daunting as you're pretty much left to your own devices. Best advice is to look at the course list, decide on a few you like the sound of then just turn up and sample a few lectures for the first couple of weeks before making your final decisions.

Language of instruction: Italian

Main source of funding:
Government assistance

Other sources of funding:
Family
An ERASMUS grant

Work opportunities:

Personal spending habits:
I spent more than I normally would at home as we went travelling most weekends and took up the opportunities of STEP excursions and events on a weekly basis in order to meet other students and socialise. Plus Milan was only 20 minutes away! Need I say more!

Travel, Overall, Telephone: was more expensive than at home.

Food, Nightlife: was the same price as at home.

Housing: was less expensive than at home.

I wish I had known...
about the weather (it was quite cold) and the corrispondence of the grades

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.