Chloe – Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi
Semester 1, 2024
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
From January to June 2024, I studied at Bocconi University in Milan. I can now safely say that this was the best six months of my life. In the time I was away, I learned more about myself, Italian culture, making friends and navigating adult life than I ever had before. It’s said by pretty much every exchange student, but it truly is an experience quite like no other.
Preparing to go on Exchange
I believe my exchange experience started months before I left the country though, because I will admit that the application process is the start of a grueling process, one which I did not expect. In the lead up to exchange, once I’d successfully applied to Bocconi, I found that the toughest part of my whole exchange experience was the battle to obtain an Italian student visa, and even more difficult, finding accommodation.
Accommodation
The Bocconi student accommodation process was much like trying to get Taylor Swift tickets, and unfortunately, in the peak of university exams in November, at midnight, I was unable to secure them in the extremely busy online queue. However, I was lucky enough to secure a plan B, a townhouse with six student rooms, which I luckily secured with two other Australian girls I knew. The other rooms ended up being filled by three American guys and I still cannot believe how lucky I was with my roommates – they’re now so close I’d consider them family.
University Life
Nonetheless, the stress I’d felt organising accommodation and enrolment before exchange turned out to be more than I’d feel the entire six months I was away. Bocconi itself was a beautiful campus, and I’d luckily found an apartment two minutes’ walk from the main building. I am also eternally grateful that Bocconi was one of the most popular exchange universities in Italy, because within the first week of classes, I’d been to more than seven social events, including karaoke, sushi lunch, pizza dinners and more. It was a great opportunity to network and make friends that I still message with to this day after my return to Australia.
My Advice
The biggest tip I have for any prospective exchange students is to just do it! Take the leap, and know that at the start, it will be a bit of work to get yourself over there. But once you do, it will be so worth every stressful email or phone call, or visit to the Italian embassy you’ll have to make. You’ll have friendships to last a lifetime, and be living in a country with 24 euro return trips to amazing countries on the weekend and student holidays! I’m so genuinely grateful I went, and can confirm I did in fact feel bittersweet emotions about returning home after six months. There truly is no experience like exchange, and it will change you for the better.
Find out how you can apply for exchange via the QUT Student Exchange website.
