Details

• Italy
• MAWiRe-21
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 5 months

1. Preparation

I did not prepare extensively before starting my exchange. However, I did some research in advance. I looked into museums, cultural activities, and nice places to study, such as libraries, which helped me settle into the city more quickly. I also researched the social programs offered by LUISS, as they are a great way to meet new people and connect with other exchange students. I travelled from Vienna to Rome by night train, which took around 15 hours. Although the journey was quite long, I found it to be a very comfortable travel option. In particular, travelling by train made it much easier to transport a larger amount of luggage compared to flying.

2. Accommodation

My experience finding accommodation in Rome was quite difficult. First, I tried to apply for a place in the LUISS dormitories, but it is extremely competitive to get a room there. The rooms are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, and during the application process the website even crashed due to the high demand. I also searched for accommodation on private housing platforms, which was challenging as well. It was very difficult to find a room in a shared flat, especially at a reasonable price. Additionally, I heard from other students that they had problems with some apartments, such as dirty flats or landlords who were difficult to communicate with. In the end, I found a room in a shared flat in San Giovanni. I really enjoyed the neighborhood because it has many restaurants, cafés, and good connections to public transport. Being close to the metro was essential for my experience in Rome, since the buses are often unreliable, while the metro is usually much more dependable. One thing I wish I had known beforehand is how important it is to start looking for accommodation immediately after receiving the acceptance from the university.

3. Academic life at host university

The law department of LUISS is located close to the B metro line, which makes it easy to reach. The campus itself is very nice and modern, although many classrooms are located in the basement. Some of the buildings can be a bit confusing at first, but there is always helpful staff around to assist students. One downside is that there are only a limited number of study spaces available. Especially during exam season, it is necessary to arrive at the library very early in order to get a seat. During my exchange, I took six courses: EU Law, International Law, International Arbitration, International and European Taxation, EU Private Law, and EU Law Before Courts. Overall, I really enjoyed most of the courses and learned a lot of new. The exam requirements were generally fair and manageable. However, most exams were oral examinations, which was quite different from my experience at WU Vienna. I particularly enjoyed International Law and International and European Taxation, both of which I would highly recommend. Especially the International Law course with Professor Michelsen was very interactive and engaging, which made it stand out from most other courses. In general, classes at LUISS were less interactive compared to courses at WU Vienna. I did not enjoy the EU Private Law course as much because it felt somewhat confusing and poorly structured. In addition, the professors changed frequently, which made it harder to follow the course consistently. At the beginning of the semester, the professors were very strict regarding attendance. However, in the end, attendance was usually not checked and you could also take exams where you did not fulfill teh attendance requirements. The exams were mostly oral exams lasting around 20 minutes. Typically, two professors asked questions separately, and the final grade was calculated as the average of both assessments. One interesting aspect is that students are able to reject a grade if they are not happy with it, and this is not officially recorded.

5. Every day life in the host country

Public transport in Rome can be quite unreliable, and getting around the city often takes a lot of time. The metro generally works well and is the most dependable form of public transport, but there are only a few metro lines. Although there are many buses, they are often delayed and sometimes do not show up at all. Therefore, living close to a metro station is a big advantage. Throughout my entire stay, I felt very safe in Rome, even at night. Rome offers a wide range of social and cultural activities. There are countless museums and historical sites to visit, and tickets are usually quite affordable for people under 25. In addition, there are many parties, concerts, and free public events, such as the New Year’s celebration at Circus Maximus. Travelling within Italy is also very convenient because the long-distance train network is excellent. It is easy to take weekend trips to other cities, and if tickets are booked early enough, they are not that expansive. The Welcome Week at LUISS was a good opportunity to meet other exchange students and get to know the university. However, personally, I would probably not buy the full pass again, as not all activities were worth the price. Due to the size of the city and the heavy traffic, it can sometimes be difficult to participate regularly in sports activities without spending a lot of time commuting.

6. Testimonial

Living in Rome for five months was one of the best experiences of my life. I loved the city’s unique atmosphere, its culture and history. Through the Erasmus network, it was very easy to meet new people from all over the world. One of the highlights of my exchange was travelling together with friends, for example on trips to Florence, Perugia, Napoli, Trivoli...