The fourth most popular destination for French Erasmus exchange students, Italy has many attractions to attract students: culture, sunshine, pasta, but also a variety of courses and world-renowned universities.
Milan, a modern center and true economic lung of Italy, attracts a growing number of students every year who take advantage of the joviality of the Italians and their incredible artistic heritage to train and sometimes land their first job...
Milan, the second capital of Italy
Even though Rome is officially the capital of Italy, Milan is often seen as the economic capital: fashion, of course, but also big business and business, and above all, it is a city with a rich cultural heritage, the Duomo, the Merchants' Square, and the Vittorio Emmanuelle Gallery.
It is a dynamic city economically speaking and very cosmopolitan, allowing you to meet students from all over the world.
It is a lively and vibrant city where you can really have fun with students, but at the same time, a city full of cultural events and trendy restaurants, a real capital in a way!
Finally, the proximity of Italian culture to French culture also makes life much easier for students who have only very little experience of the language barrier.
A tailor-made schedule
Another particularity of Italy, generally very appreciated by students, is the possibility of creating a tailor-made timetable: it is the students who choose the subjects, the teachers and the class times. It is therefore possible to create a timetable according to one's own requirements. This freedom granted to students allows those who wish to do so to work in parallel or to devote regular time to studying their courses, cultural outings or any other activity requiring a certain regularity. The courses are often very theoretical and the notion of tutorials does not really exist in Italy, the teachers are however very flexible and quite available to receive the students, which is why it is advisable to arrive at the beginning of the year to be able to communicate more easily with them afterwards.
A City That Doesn't Require a Huge Budget
Finally, Italy's last advantage, while being a popular city that attracts people from all over the world, is that student housing prices are affordable. Milan ranks 5th among the cheapest cities for Erasmus students, with a budget of around €582 per month according to the ranking established by the Uniplaces website in 2016. This basic budget includes housing, food, and transportation. The transportation policy is particularly advantageous in Milan, as the city offers a reduced rate for Erasmus students, and transportation costs do not exceed €25 per month, which is rather rare in a large city like Milan.
There are plenty of opportunities for clubbing, museums offer reduced rates, and opportunities to have fun with students are therefore very real. Milan therefore represents a very good compromise for students who want to experience all the joys of a capital city without paying the usual capital city prices.
