Greetings from Genoa

Tobias Krißmer is spending his semester abroad at the Università di Genova and reports on his experiences.

Why did you choose this particular partner university?

I already learned Italian at school and have long wanted to improve my language skills (again). I'm generally a big fan of Italian cuisine, language, music, and culture. So for me it was primarily about the country, less about the city. Nevertheless, Genoa came in very handy as a partner university, as I had always wanted to live by the sea, and the area is also very suitable for sports that I enjoy (climbing, hiking, cycling, ...). There are also a few cities that can be easily reached in a few hours by train, such as Milan, Turin, Bologna, Florence, ...

How do you like the university city? How do you experience the culture of the host country?

Genoa is a beautiful city, but in my opinion you quickly realize that it is not a tourist stronghold on the scale of other Italian cities. This definitely makes the experience more authentic for me. The city is a pleasant size with sufficient infrastructure, but it stretches along a relatively narrow strip of coastline, which leads to quite long distances within the city. A big plus is the mild climate and easy access to beaches. The density of local suppliers is also very high. The nightlife here is mainly on the streets, where many people stay out late into the night. Of course there are also clubs, but there are relatively few for the size of the city.

Where do you see the biggest differences between your host university and the MCI?

Compared to the MCI, the Università di Genova is a bit chaotic. It is not very easy to use the online services. For example, you can't enrol before you arrive in Genoa and it's relatively difficult to find courses. If you want to complete all courses in English, the range of courses on offer is also relatively limited, which is exacerbated by time overlaps. Most courses take place on two to three dates per week and all courses end in mid-December. This is followed by two examination periods, and you can decide for yourself in which phase you would like to take which exam. The examination is usually an oral examination. The lectures are mostly frontal and not as interactive as you are used to at MCI.

What has been the biggest challenge so far during your semester abroad?

I was very lucky with my apartment, which was arranged for me by a friend from Genoa. Many other Erasmus students in Genoa have big problems finding accommodation and many arrive without already having an apartment. For me personally, the biggest challenge so far has been choosing which courses to take. I had to try out a few things, but I'm now very happy with my choice, and I'm confident that I'll be able to take a lot of new knowledge home with me, even apart from language skills!