Università della Svizzera Italiana

I started studying Italian one year before I left for Switzerland with no previous knowledge of it and about 5 courses of French, but not a good conversational knowledge (pretty passive, there). I left Canada with a decent knowledge of Italian and then spent almost 2 months before school started immersed in the life of the city. I didn't have a glowing social life before school started, so I can't say that I got intense practice, but it was sufficiently in my ear so that, by the time lectures started, I was able to follow them at a good pace. I did have a little trouble in the beginning, but by the time exams rolled around, I was able to take them in Italian (where required). Socially, people were really nice about correcting me, helping me to understand things, and generally support me through the whole experience. The staff at the university was understanding of my position, but the again, I became fluent in pretty good time, so it wasn't as if communicating with me was a struggle for them.

There is only ONE bookstore in Lugano!!!! We had to buy some of our books online through Amazon, so we got a little shafted. I brought my own bedding, cutlery and other kitchen stuff (even food, for God's sake!!) so I didn't have to spend any on that. My building had a dedicated Internet connection so that you could have a high speed connection in your room (included in the rent) or you could go into an apartment that was converted into a computer room and work there. Banks all around, banks abound... Phone: aparently you need a huge deposit for the phone, so I was lucky that one of my flat mates already had a phone. I had the use of it, but at the end of the month we had to claim calls that were our own and pay accordingly. NB: get insurance at home. It's prohibitively expensive in CH. I was covered by my mother's company. Cost saving tips: eat at home, have fun at home with your friends, cook a lot and *don't* go shopping in the old town.

Buy the binario metta prezzo (half price train tickets for a year if you pay a lump sum of CHF 150 and get a card with your picture on it) - it pays for itself in pretty much 3 trips and it's essential if you're planning on seeing any of CH (doh!) Go skiing in St. Moriz (or anywhere, for that matter) but see if you can hook up with some local friends and stay at their house/chalet so that you don't have to pay tourist prices for the hotel etc. Travel more. Pack twice the money and half the clothes. Don't worry about your accent/pronounciation. Be nice to the profs and get to know them. Fawn on the secretaries, they will love you and help you when you need it. Climb the hills around Lugano (great! view). See if you can find a canoe (*not* a kayak!) and go for a paddle on Lago di Lugano (calm water, great sights). Forget English/your mother tongue. Join AIESEC. *Don't* call the Swiss-Germans "zucchini" unless invited. Smile at the hills for me if you go, I miss them!

Hmmm.. "Tra" restaurant/cafe was a great hang out spot, and pretty close to the university. There is a small cafe/bar/restaurant in the main university building and it was *the* place to find/meet people. This may have changed since they added new buildings since I was there. In the city itself, the old town is not to be missed, but it doesn't hold eternal appeal since it's pretty commercialised (aimed at the jet set/rich tourists) and the cafes though nice are forbiddingly expensive. Lugano has a jazz festival, and generally there are things happening in and around the city. Get the paper, suss it out and hopefully you won't miss BB King when he comes to the Bellinzona blues festival like I did! As far as clubs and such go there are two things that you will need: a car and lots of cash. Clubs are usually outside the city proper and there are no buses that run to them, so you will have to drive. Once there, you will have to pay quite a bit for drinks... dress well, Lugano is the third largest banking city in Switzerland with plenty of bankers and rich kids to scoff at your outfit... I found the most of my fun through friends. I met a lot of really cool and nice people that I hung out with after class/during weekends/study periods so my social life did not suffer. The best part was going over to a friend's house for a party/dinner and just hanging out, talking and drinking wine.

The university itself does not have a residence hall. However, there is a private company that owns two buildings intended for the use of students. One (Castalia 2) is right across the street from the main university buildings. The other (Castalia 1) is a 20 minute walk from the university, a short commute by bus (which are infrequent in the evening) but very close to the train station (which *can* and does have its drawbacks). The rent is affordable, apartments spacious and well lit with a nice, large kitchen. They come semi furnished (one shelf, bed, armoire, desk, chair and small hanging shelf) which again suited my purpose. The only bad side of the accomodation is that you can't really choose your flat mates so you might end up with people you dislike/don't get along with (which is what happened to me).