Details

• Italy
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months
• Contact: Login to see contact information

1. Preparation

Generally we got good support by both WU and LUISS during the preparation process. The application itself was quite straightforward, and I attended the information sessions offered by WU as well as the webinar organised by LUISS. These answered many of my questions, although I still found the LUISS course registration system quite confusing at first. Course registration at LUISS works on a first-come, first-served basis. Compared with WU, it is much less stressful. There was no need to sit in front of the computer with an atomic clock, but I would still recommend registering fairly soon after the platform opens to ensure you get all the courses you want. One thing that confused me at the beginning was the system of different "canali", which are separate groups of the same course with different professors and timetables. The term is used everywhere at LUISS, so definitely keep track of which "canale" you choose while planning your timetable and making sure you register for the correct one. I would also recommend checking the WU recognition database early to see which LUISS courses can be accredited for specific WU courses. For example, my course "Supply Chain & Operations Management" was recognised as "Beschaffung, Logistik, Produktion (BLP)", which is considered a rather challenging exam at WU. For me, this made the course especially worthwhile. In the end, I registered for 26 ECTS, consisting of three 6-ECTS courses and one 8-ECTS course. In hindsight, I would have preferred to take two 6-ECTS courses and two 8-ECTS courses, adding up to 28 ECTS. This would have allowed me to use 20 ECTS for the courses abroad and accredit two additional courses from the "Hauptstudium". I would therefore calculate the total number of credits and the planned accreditation carefully before finalising the course selection. There is another registration and course-change period during the first week of classes. I tried to use it to change my course selection, but the online system did not work properly and the changes did not go through. I contacted the administration by email and also went to the office in person. Since I had no evidence that the system had failed, the issue could not be resolved. I would therefore recommend taking screenshots immediately and contacting the administration by email if any technical problems occur. Another thing I wish I had understood earlier was the exam schedule. LUISS offers two "appelli", meaning two separate examination periods. Spreading exams across both "appelli" can make the workload easier to manage and provide more flexibility when planning the semester.

2. Accommodation

Finding accommodation was quite challenging. We started looking around 3 months before the semester started and checked many different apartments and areas. In the end, we found our apartment through Airbnb, but arranged a cheaper rental contract outside the platform. This worked well for us, but booking outside a platform always involves some risk, so I would make sure to have a clear written contract. We paid €800 each for two large rooms in Conca d’Oro, which was a good deal for Rome. The area had good bus connections to LUISS, and the journey usually took around 30 minutes. However, getting to most parts of the city centre often took 45 minutes to an hour, except for places along Metro Line B, such as the Colosseum. Overall, everything worked out well, but I would recommend looking for accommodation closer to LUISS if possible, as most exchange students lived near the university. This makes attending classes and meeting other students much easier, especially since buses in Rome are not always reliable.

3. Academic life at host university

The LUISS campus is very modern and has a great atmosphere. There are many green areas, outdoor tables and places to sit, study or meet friends. The lecture halls are generally good, and the largest one - "The Dome* - is especially modern and impressive. There is a cafeteria where everyone hangs out in the middle of the campus (1€ for an espresso!), as well as a mensa. I did not use the mensa very often because the food was not particularly good and you had to take a full meal with primo, secondo and dessert, which cost around €10, which was too much for lunch for me. I usually went to nearby supermarkets, restaurants or pizza al taglio places. The Language Café was also a nice and cozy place to meet people. It offers free tea, a microwave and space to hang out, talk or play music. Student events were often organised there as well. Compared with WU, LUISS felt more practical and interactive. Many courses included group projects, presentations, weekly problem sets or other assignments during the semester. This could sometimes be stressful because of overlapping deadlines, but it also reduced the pressure of the final exams, and the group projects were usually graded quite well. Group work was also a good way to meet both international and Italian students. I also enjoyed the guest speakers from companies, who shared some interesting insights, which made some courses more practical and interesting. WU generally feels more theoretical and academically focused, while LUISS often connects the course content more directly with business practice. One downside was that grading criteria, deadlines and exam organisation were sometimes less transparent than at WU, and information was occasionally communicated at short notice. Attending lectures, keeping up with the materials and completing the weekly assignments makes the workload much easier to manage. Overall, I really enjoyed studying at LUISS. I would especially recommend choosing courses that include practical projects or guest speakers.

5. Every day life in the host country

Public transport was probably the biggest everyday challenge in Rome. There are many bus lines and they also run at night, but the system is quite chaotic and buses often do not follow the schedule. During the day, waiting 15–20 minutes was common, and at night it could easily be 30 minutes or more. Since Rome is much bigger than Vienna and traffic in the centre is often very heavy, even short distances can take a long time. I mainly used the app Moovit because it usually showed more accurate real-time information than Google Maps. The metro was generally more reliable, but with only two main lines it was not always useful, and even there trains sometimes did not arrive as expected. I also used Lime scooters/e-bikes a lot. They are almost everywhere in Rome, and for me they were often much faster and more convenient than taking the bus. Overall, I felt very safe in Rome, including in the evenings. The areas around LUISS were especially calm and pleasant. As in any large city, I would still be more careful around Termini and in some cheaper areas such as parts of San Lorenzo, particularly late at night. Rome is a great city for an exchange semester because it is always lively. There are many bars, events and places to meet people, while at the same time the city still feels very Italian and less international than some other European capitals. ESN LUISS organised many social activities, including parties, trips, a football club and a running club, which made it easy to meet other exchange students. We did not go clubbing very often, partly because several clubs were closed for renovation. However, Rome offers so much in terms of museums, art, history, food and neighbourhoods that it is almost impossible to get bored. Even after several months, walking through the historic centre still felt impressive.

6. Testimonial

Studying at LUISS made my exchange semester in Rome feel especially unique. I really liked the contrast between attending a modern, highly regarded university and then stepping outside into a city shaped by thousands of years of history. I met many great people, both Italian and international, and enjoyed becoming part of the everyday life, language and culture of Rome. Even after several months, I still felt that I had only seen a fraction of the city, which is exactly what made the experience so memorable.