Details

• Italy
• MAWiRe-21
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

Start looking for housing early enough (optimally at least 2 months) before your arrival. I heard that people had success using Facebook groups, but I can't speak from personal experience. What worked for me was idealista. There are a lot of apartments to choose from and you can message the landlord/landlady directly without needing to pay the deposit first (as it is the case for websites like spotahome etc). As for the transportation to Milan, I would recommend the night train. I booked it a few months in advance and got very lucky because in my cabin intended for 3 people it was just me on departure day. It is kinda difficult to get an appoinment at the Italian embassy in Vienna for your fiscal code which you could need in Italy (some landlords/landladies require them). In the first month of your arrival in Milan, you book an appointment at a local Agenzia delle Entrate and get your fiscal code there.

2. Accommodation

If you start looking for housing early enough (at least 2 months before your arrival) you should be able to find a decent apartment. I was using idealista the most and would highly recommend it. Don't make the same mistake as me and count on getting into one of the Bocconi student apartments, since they will be booked out immediately after getting available. They are also kind of pricey for the m2 you get, but of course very conveniently located next to uni. In the end I went for a studio apartment (2 room apartment for 1 person) that I found on idealista and I was very happy with my choice. The best perk was the proximity to uni. Since I was an attending student in all my courses I went to uni 4 days a week and could reach it by foot in about 15 mins. Of course you can get an apartment further away from the city centre (for less money!) but the apartment close to uni allowed me to go home in relatively short time after going out or chilling in Navigli. My studio apartment in Milan was a lot more expensive than my apartment in Vienna and cost about 1.300 euros per month. If you manage to find 1 or more roommates it can get a lot cheaper. As for studio apartments in this area and from what I have heard during my exchange semester from other students, my price was very much in the normal range of what apartments can cost near uni. But you can certainly find better deals, I am sure, but you need to be fast when booking! Some landlords/landladies require you to have an Italian fiscal code which you can either get beforehand or within 1 month after arriving in Milan at an Agenzia delle Entrate.

3. Academic life at host university

The Bocconi campus is a very lively campus. I didn't check if it is actually the case but it feels smaller than the WU campus and you will see students running around at all times. The library is good place to study if you manage to get a seat, which will get more difficult as the semester progresses and during exam weeks. Otherwise there are other places to sit and/or study on campus: in the Leoni Building on each floor opposite the classrooms; a bit hidden but around the corner next to the "old mensa" there is a quiet large hall with lots of chairs and tables. I would stay away from the mensas, they are too expensive for what you get. I ate there maybe 7-8 times during my stay and half the time the meal was disappointing or worse. There are a lot of restaurants near the campus which allow you to get a quick and inexpensive meal. You can choose to be an attending or non attending student. In some courses choosing to be non attending will mean that your exam will just be a little bit harder than the attending student one's (f.e. by having to answer additional MC questions, or not being able to choose the open question). I was attending for all my courses and would recommend this system. Especially if you chose the course Global Administrative Law do not choose to be non attending, since you will have to take an additional writte exam before being able to sign up for the oral one (which is easy if you attend). The teaching style is not too different from WU courses, a lot of theoretical input (Frontalvortrag) and some interaction with the students. In my classes participation was not needed which was a welcome change. I would recommend the courses Global Admin Law (awesome professor, easy oral exam if you attend, but be prepared for an interactive class), Citizenship and Migration Law (presentation + easy exam) and Fundamental rights in Europe (interesting class, medium difficult exam). Stay clear of Advanced Constitional Law (most boring lecture, completely non interactive, oral exam). I can also recommend signing up for the language course in Italian since you will be meeting a lot of other erasmus students.

5. Every day life in the host country

I would recommend to get the monthly ATM ticket, which costs about 30 euros (as far as I can recall). The public transport system is well designed in Milan, athough it can't compete with the Viennese one. You can use the trams as well just stay clear of buses if you can, they are very very inconsistent in their arrival times, don't trust the buses. I never felt unsafe during my stay in Milan, even when walking around at night time or when walking home. I also did not hear any stories from other students who experienced situations which made them feel unsafe. Just one girl in my language class got robbed on the bus (don't trust the buses). As for social activities I highly recommend attending some of the events being hosted in the first 2 weeks after signing in at Bocconi. ESN Milano and other organisations organize a plethora of differen events. I decided to go to the daily evening events from ESN (I think) in the first week (almost always involves some kind of drinking, you have been warned) and it turned out to be a great decision. It's an easy way to talk to more erasmus students and basically where I get my main circle of friends from. There will be other events during the rest of the semester as well, just not as frequent. Other than those events you can do basically anything that any big city has to offer. Try to join a whatsapp group chat (with all the sub chats) and you will find groups for every kind of sport (padel, tennis, football, swimming, gym, etc) or also cinema groups, study groups, everything you can ask for. We were told that the monthly gym membership at Bocconi costs upwards of 160 euros per months for students, but there are of course other gyms you can go to (although most of them are more expensive than in Vienna from what I have heard). Navigli is a 15 min walk away from uni and a hotspot for evening drinks or gatherings. It is quite touristy tbh but still a nice place to hang out. If you want a less crowded and more quiet place, I recommend sitting next to the water in a side canal of Navigli (turn right before the touristy canals start go downwards to the canal) Milan is also perfect for day or weekend trips to other Italian cities like Como, Bologna, Florence, Bergamo, Venice, etc.

6. Testimonial

Choosing Milan as the destination of my exchange semester was a great choice, I wouldn't want to miss in my life. I had the luck to meet some amazing people from all over the world which I can call true friends now and am still in contact with. The city itself is never boring, very vibrant and allows you to do everything you can wish for. The location and public transport system in northern Italy made it very easy and accesible to visit nearby cities and placs like Venice, Como, Lugano and many more. After countless hours hanging out in Navigli, studying at the modern librabry or watching Inter live at San Siro for just 5€, I look back with a happy face and countless memories.