Exchange Report: Bocconi University Milan, Italy

Alec M. FALL 2014/15

Monthly Activity Log September I got to Milan in late August and class started in the first week of September. I joined the language course which I regret it so much. That costs quite a lot. The tutor however only spoke in Italian in hopes of us grasping the flow how Italians talk but that did not and still does not make sense to me at all. First, it was only a 2 week course and second we are not babies who can absorb a new language through that approach. Therefore, I only went to the first class and never went back again. If you want to learn Italian, live with Italians, which was what I did! During the first and second weeks, I partied a lot. That is the period you should go out more and make more friends especially if you are not living in dorm where you can meet bunch of exchange students. Go to the parties where ESN organize! You will know about ESN when you are in Bocconi the first day during the orientation. I don’t have to say much about it because I couldn’t get the full idea how ESN was like when I read the exchange reports written by the people who went to Bocconi previously either. Also, I went to Cinque Terre, which is my favorite place in Italy, with 2 friends at Bocconi and I met my midterm break travel buddies there. So yeah, socialize more! At the end of September, I went to Oktoberest in Munich by myself but I had family and friends there. That was really fun! October At the beginning of October, I went to Athens and Santorini to meet up with my friend. We booked ahead this trip over the summer. You should go there as early as you can before it gets cold. The second week, I went to Rome to visit my friend who was interning there. The third week and the fourth week were the midterm period but I didn’t take any midterms so I went on a trip with 4 of my buddies in Bocconi to Prague and Budapest. November In the first week, I went to Barcelona with my roommate. That was really fun. The second week, I went to Venice with my friend. The third week, I went to Edinburgh to meet up my friend from London. The last week, I visited my friend in London. And we went to the Horry Potter Studio as well! December

The first week I went to a ski trip with ESN along with the buddies of mine. It was really nice. Great deal as well! Only with 260 eur, you have transport and 3nights of a 3 star hotel with complementary dinner and breakfast and ski pass. I only snowboarded though. But that was so fun. The second week was already the final exam week. I left Milan right after the final on the 16th or Sicily. My Sicilian roommate invited me or Christmas but I got plans already so I went there before Christmas. See? That’s also an advantage of living with Italians! We are more than just roommates. We are more like a family. But it really depends on lots of factors I you can bond with the people who you are living with.

General Exchange Information Visa Procedures If you are not an EU citizen then you will need a Visa, given you are staying in Italy more than 3 months in 1 year. More visa information can be found on the Italian Consulate website. They change the application quite often, so you better check it online by yourself. Orientation Activities You will receive all the information from Bocconi. Bascially I did my orientation the day before class I recalled. And I met 4 of my best buddies during exchange in the orientation. Well, it was only a talk, no games, but we were sitting on the same row and we bonded pretty fast and partied together quite a lot the first 2 weeks. International Services & Activities The staff at the International Student Office were nice. Accommodations The dorm was located 30 min tram ride away from the campus and it costs 600-700eur. My apartment costs me 500 eur a month and it was 5min walk from the campus. I got lots of Italian experience thanks to my roommates. We are a family now. We are more than just roommates. Living in dorm however will definitely give you more chances to meet more people. I am happy with my choice anyway. I will say both options are great. Courses Registration I took 4 courses. But I am in the 3Y program so I can’t tell you about the credit transfer how it works for you. It is basically like UST that you register your courses online. Teaching & Assessment Methods

For exchange students, it is not hard to get a pass. I will say Bocconi’s teaching style is actually better than UST. All the things they teach in Bocconi are more practical and applicable to your career instead of theories that UST has been focusing on mostly. Besides, you get to choose to be an attending student or a non-attending student. Because I partied too much during the first few weeks, I was too fatigued that I missed the class that was supposed to find your groupmates for the group project in my marketing course. I then had to take the course as a non-attending student meaning you don’t have to go to class at all and the final exam will be based solely on the books that are assigned to you to read. I passed that course with 27/30. So, don’t panic if you are doing as a non-attending student. You are on exchange and not only for studying! If you are so academically driven, you should probably stay in UST. Sports & Recreation Facilities There is a gym at Bocconi but you need to pay for it. IT costs around 160 eur for everything. Cost/Expenses Milan is expensive but when it comes to alcohol, Hong Kong is definitely more expensive. Dining out in Milan costs you from 10eur-25 eur on average.

Social Clubs & Networking Opportunities Bocconi is the Harvard in Italy. If you are looking for jobs in Italy later on, Bocconi will definitely help your CV a lot! It is for the smartest and the richest in Italy.

Health & Safety Get insured! That’s all I can say. Milan is a very safe city. But you still need to look out for your belongings especially if you are a girl who likes to wear a small clutch or bags like that. Personally, I never got pickpocketed. I always put my wallets and phone in my front pockets. Food Italian food is all carbs!! Bring your protein powders if you are in training. Transportation Get the ATM card! ATM is like the MTR in Hong Kong. Pay 10eur for the one-time activation and 20 eur for a monthly pass. I found it very useful to have a monthly pass. You will need it. Climate

Go out more before November before it rains a lot!!! Communication English does not work that well in Italy. But Italians are very nice in general especially the young ones! Even their English is not that good they will try their best to talk back to you in English. RESPECT!

Items to Bring and Contacts 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

All the needed documentation Electronics Toiletries Clothes (Summer & Winter) Cash Credit Cards

Why Bocconi? Location is very important to me when I applied for exchange. So I only picked the big cities where I could easily travel to other places. Ranking is also important. Bocconi is the top business school in Italy. It will look good on your resume. If you are looking for universities in the top 50 in the world, I can say there are not many options you have. Instead of forcing myself to some schools in the U.S., I personally will rather go to a top school in a country which will give you a competitive advantage for your future career.

Feel free to contact me via SBM if you have any question relating to the school itself and Milan.