Mobility specification

Country:Italy

Institution:University of Bologna

City:Bologna

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2025/2026

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Social Studies / Department of International Relations and European Studies

Study level abroad:Bachelor

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?they have tons

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?I would say that, unlike MU, students are required to participate more in seminars and classes where there was a certain amount of expectation that we would be active and participate in class. At the same time, I was surprised by the number of classes - there were much more than in Brno. While the standard at MU FSS is that one course=1 lecture per week, in Bologna it was 1 course=2 to three lectures/seminars per week.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Yes, the university offered courses such as Italian for beginners, but also various courses on Italy and italian culture expressly for Erasmus students.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Support for LGBTQ+ students (e.g., safe spaces, counseling services)

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:35000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?no

Do you have any tips on how to find private accommodation?I would recommend going through some of the colleges that UNIBO offers or directly through an agency or college where you can be sure it is not a scam. It is possible to find accommodation through a FB group (I did), but with the high demand for accommodation in Bologna, I have also heard of cases where people have sent money and never heard back from the "lodger".

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?Right at the beginning of Erasmus, I got an inflammation of the dental nerve. It was very painful and uncomfortable, and I ended up having the procedure in Italy, so it was also quite expensive (luckily my travel insurance saved me).

Do you have any tips on how to save money?For me the top shops were CONAD and Lidl, where they often have discounts if you get a card. I'd also recommend it for transport around Bologna, where only buses run at the moment, for a student to get a monthly card and not pay for each ride individually.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?almost without problems

How does public transport work in the city?terrible

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?As for travel outside of Bologna, you can buy everything online, and I mostly travelled on the state rail company, whose trains were quite good - occasional delays, and I experienced train cancellations, but usually no problems. Within Bologna it was more challenging - Uber is quite expensive, also one bus ride (2,3 EUR, while in Brno it's about 1 EUR). The buses were terrible - outdated and had their own timetable. If I had a tip, I'd recommend getting a cheap old bike (some fb group, market...) and travel using it. The city may only have basic bike infrastructure, but pretty much everyone here uses a bike.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?yes

How do you rate the availability of healthcare?mostly fine

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Undoubtedly, it is the ascent to San Luca - a pilgrimage site above Bologna, which is relatively easy to reach on foot from Bologna. And for Erasmus students, other must-visit places in Bologna include the Irish pub, where international students meet every Tuesday, and Cassero, the club where the best Erasmus parties are every Wednesday.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Venice and Florence are relatively easy to reach by train. For me, these are absolutely top places in Italy that one must visit at least once in a lifetime. Also Verona is quite close and is quite underrated, but a neat hidden gem is Ravenna - relatively unknown and with wonderful Byzantine frescoes.

Share your best experience:For me, it was a trip to Sicily - a bunch of Erasmus friends and I went from Bologna to Sicily, since you can get airline tickets for up to 30 euros. We flew to Catania, where we rented a car, and drove around much of the island. We ended the trip in Palermo, where we returned the car and headed back to Bologna. Sicily is beautiful, full of history, great food and very nice people. I visited in November, it was beautiful sunny weather, and the temperatures were still quite favorable for swimming in the sea.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Plane

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Having travel insurance - you never know what can happen to you, and it saved me from having to pay for medical care at a private dental office out of my own pocket.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Swimwear - Bologna may not be by the sea, but it's easy to get to Rimini, famous for its beaches, by train.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?Through a great university, amazing food, historical vibe and great classmates, Bologna showed me what true dolce vita is.