Mobility specification

Country:Italy

Institution:University of Pisa

City:Pisa

Program:Erasmus+ traineeship

Activity type:Traineeship

Academic year:2023/2024

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Medicine / Department of Biology

Study level abroad:Doctoral

✅Check the boxes

How would you categorize your internship?Natural Sciences

💼How-to: Interning abroad

How did you discover this internship opportunity?Other

Other - please specify:I approached the head according to the recommendations of the teachers in the field.

Did your tasks align with the pre-defined conditions?yes

Did the internship meet your expectations?yes

Did you apply any theory you learned at university during the internship?yes

If yes, can you provide a specific example?Basics of structural biology.

How well did you manage to communicate in a foreign language?perfectly

Why would you recommend students do an internship?Not only to broaden their expertise, but mainly to expand their comfort zone, learn and realize a number of things about themselves, and gain some perspective on their research project.

💰And how to fund it?

What were your average monthly expenses during the internship?24000 CZK/month

Did the institution provide accommodation?no

If not, how did you find it?On Facebook and various websites.

Did you have any unexpected expenses during the internship?yes

If yes, what were they?I generally haven't had that much unexpected expenses, but my meals aren't that cheap due to food restrictions, so my costs per month are quite high.

The only unexpected expense was having to spend another night in Perugia due to the rail strike (trains were gradually cancelled until the last one was cancelled, so I had to book accommodation for another night).

Do you have any tips on how to save money during the internship?Cook for yourself, limit some of your standards (e.g., don't buy coffee/ice cream/whatever regularly; don't go to the gym, but go jogging or exercise at home).

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How difficult was it for you to adjust to life abroad?no big deal

How well did you manage to communicate in English?perfectly

How does public transport work in the city?neutral

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Trenitalia.it and their apps.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?A walk around the walls, it's definitely worth it, you see many things from an unexpected perspective.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Perugia, Siena, Cinque Terre

Share your best experience:A sunny day in Perugia, a walk in the Cinque Terre off the main route (i.e. away from the millions of people).

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Train

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Beware of scammers when looking for accommodation, there are a lot of them on Facebook and various websites, especially in cities where the search is quite complicated and you need to react very quickly to an advert (like Pisa) - check everything, ask around, ask someone for a second look. Italy is a country of bureaucracy, you have to get a codice fiscale to rent a room; it is advisable to know at least a little Italian, although in the research group I went to, everyone spoke English if necessary.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?The willingness to speak Italian, even if you don't speak it that well, maybe an extension cord, there aren't all those round sockets in Italy
warm socks and thermo clothes - Italian homes are made so that you don't die of heat in the summer, but in the winter you don't really stay warm.

🥳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?For me, the internship was an emergence from a sea of experiments, it allowed me to gain perspective on my PhD project and to learn something about myself.