Riley – Politecnico di Milano – Italy
Semester 2, 2024
Bachelor of Urban Development (Honours)/ Bachelor of Science
I spent my study abroad experience in the incredible city of Milan, studying Urban and Regional Planning at Politecnico di Milano. The experience was one I was so lucky to be afforded, and one that will stay in my memories forever. It was more than just studying in another country, its about getting immersed in the culture, the way of life, and in my case, trying your best to speak the very bad Italian you learnt before you left (but definitely still try to learn some!).
Upon arrival, I immediately fell into the trap of Italian bureaucracy, spending my first few days trying to figure out how to finalise my visa and student permit – that’s to say, do not expect moving to another country to be easy! Make sure once you land and you’re settled in, go and explore your new home for 6 months. The city itself was magnificent, with beautiful architecture, incredible parks, and an overwhelming amount of fashion. I arrived about 2 weeks before the semester started which gave me a week to adjust to the new culture and really feel at home, and the second week I spent visiting as many places as I could around and in Milan. My favourite spot were the local villages, picturesque towns on the edge of a river, some surrounded by Swiss-style mountains and cottages, and covered in snow in the winter.
In terms of the university and classes, it was quite different to life at QUT. I had only a couple assignments, and the classes were more reliant on exams. The teaching style was also a lot quicker than at QUT, but for me the most interesting part was understanding how cities and urban communities interact differently around the world, and I would suggest studying subjects that you know will be different than in Australia to learn even more.
Most importantly get involved in the uni life! One thing I quickly realised is that there are a lot of people in the exact same position as you, looking to make some friends in a foreign country (I recommend ESNPolimi or their other university branches for some social events). Some of the friends I made, I shared some of the most incredible memories with over the 6 months. The people that you meet will very likely remain your friends for the rest of your life, and together we visited the magnificent hills of Switzerland, Vienna in Austria, the sunny Mediterranean island of Malta, the southern coast of France, and countless Italian cities.
If you can, give your friends from Australia an excuse to come visit you in Europe as well. We visited Portugal, Spain, Paris, and more Italian cities, and I could not think of a better way to end my exchange!
In summary, exchange is a lot of work and it’s not always easy, but it is all completely worth it once you get there and will provide you with experience, friends, and memories that you will reminisce over once you return to Australia.
Find out more on how you can apply: Student Exchange
