Details

• Italy
• MAEXINT-24
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

For preparation, I would recommend arranging international health insurance in advance and making sure that everything is organized so you can move into your accommodation smoothly upon arrival. I suggest arriving during the orientation week at Bocconi, as this gives you enough time to settle in and complete the check-in at the university before lectures start the following week. I traveled to Milan by car with friends and returned by plane; if you choose to fly, I would recommend Milan Linate Airport, as it is easier to reach.

2. Accommodation

Getting a place in a student residence is almost impossible, as many students book and pay for a full year in order to secure a room, which means shorter stays are often not considered. The rooms are taken within seconds, and although you can try, the time pressure to find an alternative is then very high. I teamed up with two other students and we looked for a shared flat. It is important to know that housing in Milan is very expensive. Ideally, you have local contacts to arrange something privately; otherwise, you should expect to pay around €1,100–1,400 per month. We booked our flat through HousingAnywhere and paid around €1,300 per room including all fees. The apartment was spacious, but the service of the platform was poor; upon arrival, several things were broken and the flat was quite dirty, although everything was eventually fixed. Location is very important. Milan is not very safe, especially in the southern areas. I would not recommend staying further south than Navigli and would suggest choosing a place within walking distance of the university. Public transport in Milan is not very reliable, although the city itself is not very large and many places can be reached on foot. After 11 pm, I would recommend avoiding being outside alone, as robberies are frequent; I experienced this myself when my gold necklace was ripped off. Instead of walking at night, it is safer to take an Uber, a taxi, or the tram if it is running.

3. Academic life at host university

In general, Bocconi offers strong corporate partnerships and practice-oriented projects. In most courses, group projects are conducted in cooperation with well-known companies, and at the end you present your results directly to the company. There is often a ranking of the best teams, which rewards strong performance. Professors are very approachable and respond quickly when support is needed. However, the campus infrastructure is not designed for the large number of students; the library is always full, and during breaks you often have to queue for study spaces, restrooms, and other facilities. Overall, the experience was different from WU and, in my view, somewhat weaker. Many full-time Bocconi students who pay tuition fees also mentioned that they would not choose it again and that the reputation plays a major role. Compared to WU, I found the content at Bocconi less sophisticated and less academically grounded. Another challenge is that group project submissions and exams are often scheduled within a very short time frame, which makes the period highly stressful. In some cases, the amount of material required for exams does not seem proportionate to the percentage they count toward the final grade. The level of difficulty of exams also varies significantly, with some being very demanding and others relatively easy. Regarding my courses: Management of Fashion and Lifestyle Companies (online course) is highly recommendable, with interesting content and a strong group project (in our case in cooperation with Brioni); however, the multiple-choice exam was very demanding. Luxury Companies in the Global Landscape is not recommendable, as the workload was extremely high and the didactics not well structured; the professor did not clearly communicate expectations. Although there were many interesting guest speakers from brands such as Moncler, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and consulting firms, the sessions felt more like marketing presentations than academic content. Family Businesses had a moderate workload and very approachable professors, but if you are not particularly interested in the topic, it can become repetitive, as Bocconi generally relies heavily on slide-based lectures with dense content. Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Digital Age is definitely recommendable, with interesting topics and guest speakers; there was no group project, but rather class participation and in-class case work in teams, and the exam was relatively easy. Sustainable Retailing and Communication was a new course and therefore somewhat unstructured regarding the group project, but the content was interesting, the exam and grading were fair, and we worked on a sustainability project in cooperation with Prada.

5. Every day life in the host country

Life in Milan can be very enjoyable, especially when it comes to food, shopping, and the overall dolce vita atmosphere. If you take the time to enjoy it, the cultural experience is beautiful, particularly during the first months when the weather is still warm and pleasant. There are many Erasmus events you can participate in, and we also organized some trips ourselves, for example to Como. From Milan, many destinations are easily and quickly accessible. At the same time, where you live in Milan is very important, and there are a few things to consider. Milan is not very safe, especially in the southern areas. I would not recommend staying further south than Navigli and would suggest choosing a place within walking distance of the university. Public transport in Milan is not very reliable, although the city itself is not very large and many places can be reached on foot. The air quality is relatively poor, and parts of the city can feel quite dirty. After 11 pm, I would recommend avoiding being outside alone, as robberies are frequent; I experienced this myself when my gold necklace was ripped off. Instead of walking at night, it is safer to take an Uber, a taxi, or the tram if it is running.

6. Testimonial

Overall, the Italian experience was very beautiful, especially in terms of lifestyle, food, culture, and the opportunity to travel. The atmosphere in the city, the warm weather at the beginning of the semester, Erasmus activities, and trips such as to Como made the time very special. Academically, however, I would rate the experience at Bocconi as weaker compared to WU, both in terms of depth and academic rigor. In addition, Milan can feel somewhat unsafe in certain areas. Nevertheless, despite these challenges, it was a valuable and overall positive experience that I would not want to miss.