Bella Italia | Erasmus in Macerata: What does it really feel like?

Should you go on Erasmus in the first place?

If you have been throwing quick glances at that Erasmus exchange announcement at the university and been wondering: “Should I do that? Is it worth it? Should I leave the comfort of my life for a few months in a completely foreign environment and people? Would these classes even be recognized when I come back? Would I feel OK in a completely new and unknown environment?”… 

I know exactly how you feel. In fact before leaving (I had my Erasmus a few years ago) I hesitated for quite a bit: I was in the middle of my Master’s degree, I already had a job , etc. You know, all these comfort zone strings which one usually gets attached to. Or attached by.

The truth is: the answer to all of the above questions about leaving is “Yes! You should give it a try!”. Yes, at some point you will be waaaay out of your comfort zone (and it is easy to go out of line, too, if you don’t have a steady head on your shoulders) but this is one of the best ways to: gain international experience among other interesting young people…learn a new language…meet wonderful new people (some of which might turn into really long-term friends)…get a refreshing crash course on culture shock…discover new sides of yourself...see a different educational system…pick up new habits and hobbies,  explore new fields…and of course: have a lot of fun.

And if you are planning to study or live abroad in the future: Erasmus is an excellent Bootcamp to see how well you cope on your own, how quickly you adapt to a foreign culture and how well you can do on a more or less tight (scholarship) budget.

Some people will tell you Erasmus is all about drinking, partying and no studying at all. The truth is: Erasmus is what You make it. If you want to party, there are unlimited options for that, but your experience is limited to what you choose for yourself. In the end: your own interests, habits and character will ultimately determine the balance between fun, work, exploration, studying, rest, etc. And by all means: you will meet other people who share the same interests.

Reasons to choose Macerata:

If I can go back and choose another country for my Erasmus exchange I would pick…Italy.  Again. As any country, sometimes it can also offer some infuriating things but overall Italy is the perfect place to spend your Erasmus exchange. I don’t need to advertise the amazing history, culture, food and language: they are trademark dreamy features of Italy which will be explored in detail in the Bella Italia series. When it comes to Erasmus, however, I can only share my impressions from the lovely Medieval town of Macerata in the Marche province:

1.  A great travel starting point right next to Tuscany

Macerata is part of the beautiful Marche region, situated to the East of Tuscany and South of Emilia Romagna. It is like a well kept Italian secret: not overly famous outside of Italy but with an incredible charm, rich history and breathtaking sceneries.

Macerata is only a few hours away from low cost hubs of Ryanair like Ancona, Pescara, Perugia, etc. which offer easy and affordable opportunities for trips to other countries for a long weekend or for the winter holiday. 

2. One of the oldest universities in the world!

Universita degli studi di Macerata was founded in 1290: preceded only by academic landmarks like the Universities of Bologna, Paris, Oxford, Cambridge, etc. As one of the oldest universities in Italy and in the world, it has century old traditions with a strong emphasis on the humanities.

 3.  A great spot to practice “Trainjogging”

Our favourite sport with the Erasmus crew was running like crazy to catch our train to neighbouring cities on Saturday morning (known in Erasmus lingo as “trainjogging”). There is nothing more refreshing in the morning than running late and taking your phone out to call your friends…just to turn around the corner and see that they are also late and running like crazy to the train station in front…

Unless you are an extremely punctual person: after you spent some time in Italy with the locals (and with Spanish people) you will see how your punctuality starts to wane off, as your chillout-ness and dolce vita hunger for exploration skyrockets.

The Italian railway system is a great thing to have around when you are on student exchange: it is a fast and relatively cheap way to see both small and obscure little cities and big tourist landmarks across Italy (Read more in: A night trip to Rome).

4. Old city for young people

This area has been a Roman settlement since III century BC and there is a distinct charm to the small size and the old, medieval fortress layout of the city. Despite this, the streets, cafes and venues are full with young people: locals and residents of cities who came for their studies. And Erasmus students, of course.

Of course, everything in life depends on your own taste and preferences and if you are used to the buzz of big cities with millions of people, Macerata and its population of 43K might be too small and tedious. For me it wasn’t. I’ve had my fair share of noisy cities with 1M+ inhabitants so I was more than happy to spend time in a cosy, quiet Italian town.

Also despite its small size: there were several dance clubs, 1 rock bar, 1-2 venues for undeground music, several big parks for hanging out in the sun, nice bars offering aperitivo and for the nerds like me: many bookstores, several lovely large libraries, theatre/opera house, many art exhibitions, poetry reading events, etc. This is a much more vibrant cultural life than a city of similar size in Bulgaria can offer and frankly it was very refreshing to enjoy La dolce vita in such a relaxed, cosy and charming place.

5. The Erasmus family

I’ve talked to people who spent their Erasmus in bigger cities like Milan for example and their experience was completely different. Getting scattered across the big city dilutes the group, so to say.

Macerata, on the other hand, is quite small so you form something like a big Erasmus (extended) family and meet most of the other international students on a regular basis: in your classes, for parties and get-togethers, during casual walks on the street…literally all the time!

6. Meet all the Polish people!

If you haven’t been in touch with a lot of Polish people, please correct this mistake as soon as possible. Poles are some of the warmest, friendliest and most welcoming people around and apparently a lot of Polish universities have contracts with University of Macerata, because in terms of numbers they were perhaps the largest group after the Spaniards.

Poles always come with jokes, great (home made) food, a lot of positive energy and (if you are a fan of this drink) vodka in more flavours that you have ever imagined.

7. The local atmosphere and attitude to life

We all know the stereotypical Italian things: like the wild gestures during talking, the interest in beautiful women, the taste in everything beautiful, the emotionality, the fantastic food…But once you get to know the culture there is so much more. I was surprised to see how many unexpectedly common things we have with Italians and also how different are other aspects of life.

It’s a place of paradoxes: Very chill and nonchalant and in the same time very passionate and determined. Very hip and modern, but also in a sense very conservative and traditional. Very focused on superficial looks but also with deep interest in culture and intellectual endeavours. Very open to party lifestyle and also very homely, very devoted to family life and values. Very noisy and wild and then: very  proper and well mannered…

Perhaps the perfect example to describe it were our downstairs neighbours who would be having loud screaming fights in the morning and then send each other with a kiss to work Ciao, Amore! 🙂

8. Enjoy la Dolce vita – the way you understand it

 Italians know how to live a good life, enjoy their free time and have fun, but if you want to study or work hard: you have all the perfect conditions for it as well.

A typical day of mine in Macerata would start early at the lecture hall or at the library (my second semester was focused on individual research), then a light lunch/picknick outside with a friend, some more work and chores in the afternoon, aperitivo with a glass of wine and nice snacks, going to the theater/concert/movie club night/theme party until late in the evening (early in the morning) and then a few hours later: again at the library.

If you want it to be all party and fun- it can be. If you want it to be fun and work- it can be that as well. The place offers the perfect conditions to go either way: depending on your own preferences and needs.

9. Save money for travelling thanks to the affordable rent

Since it is a smaller city, rents can be quite affordable: especially if you team up with other Erasmus students or find locals to share an apartment with. I lived in a huge 5 bedroom apartment with 4 other people, 2 bathrooms, kitchen and several balconies in a nice new building and the rent for my room was equivalent to what I was paying for my old room in Sofia!

You also save money on visits to the gym! Macerata has one of those medieval layouts: with the center situated high up on a hill with hundreds of steps and many steep streets which can boost your cardio (and your desperation) to new cosmic levels.

There are good online listings for Macerata rentals, so book a room in advance or shortlist several places and take a look at them in person when you arrive | Tip: not all rooms are listed online so you can browse the city and look around for Affitasi signs (“for rent”).

My honest advice: sometimes landlords would change their mind in the last minute, so always have a plan B! Even if you have agreed upon renting a place, keep an eye on hostels and hotels (avoid Hotel Ricci, I heard people had issues with bed bugs there) and try to find a reliable person for contact there in case you need to find an alternative place to stay. 

Even though my prospective landlord decided not to lend his apartment in the last minute and I had a rough start on arrival with the really unhelpful person who welcomed me as a replacement of another Erasmus buddy  (I guess some people just volunteer because they want the credits, not because they are really organized and good at helping others), I found the best apartment just a day after that so I guess the best Erasmus advice is: Stay calm. Rely on yourself. Plan ahead and let nothing and no one discourage you 🙂

10. Learn Italian!

You know that expression about turning setbacks into comebacks? Well this is the best way to describe the language situation in Italy. I come from a place where more or less every second young person speaks decent to good English and it was a shock for me to realize that learning Italian isn’t just a cool option: it is an absolute must. 

Without exaggeration: the only people I talked to in English were the other Erasmus students and the professors at the university. I even had to take an entire class of Ethics and economics only in Italian: it was offered as a course in English, but the other students said they prefer to have it in their native language. More than half of my roommates were Italian as well, so even at home I had to walk around with a dictionary and handle awkward conversations until I get my vocabulary straight.

Nevertheless, from a linguistic point of view it is perfect to be in such an environment and have a 24/7 exposure! One of the reasons why my German never got truly fluent is that German people are so good in English that whenever you forget a word you just switch to the language you know and it’s done.

In Italy you have to fight: you have to work your way through mastering some level of the language in order to have a meaningful conversation. It is hard and a bit frustrating in the beginning but the reward is worth it: speaking and understanding one of the most beautiful languages on Earth.

Macerata on the map

Practical Tips:

✓ Master programs usually offer the last semester free of lectures and focused on research, so doing your Erasmus in the third semester is a great option because if you enjoy it: you might as well stay for an additional term (on your own expenses) 

✓ If you haven’t studied Italian before: don’t worry. There is a special language crash course for Erasmus students which is quite nice. However, be careful when choosing lectures: not everything listed as a course in English on the University of Macerata website ends up taught in English. On the other hand: professors are really nice and helpful and even if your classmates want to have the auditory course only in Italian: you can negotiate for homework assignments, exams and other things to be in English. If you have doubts: just sent an email to the professors of the courses you are interested in.

✓Prepare your own backup budget: your Erasmus scholarship will come almost as an reimbursement, not a real-time monthly payment. Sometimes it takes just a month, other times: you get it towards the very end of the semester. Depends on your home country and school but plan for that in advance.

✓Budgets are allocated annually and there might be great differences from year to year depending on how many people are going on exchange and your monthly money may vary greatly (there are lucky ones who get over 600EUR per month: a nice sum for a small town like Macerata)

✓Apartment rents in Italy usually start with 1 to 2 advance payments (most people on Erasmus had to leave them with the landlord, who claimed to be “covering extra costs”, so don’t get your hopes up for getting all the advance payment at the end of your stay). Also: most rents don’t include bollette (consumption of electricity, water, etc.), building cleaning fees, etc. Some rents include hot water and central heating but check with the landlord for details.

✓ Travel as much as you can to as many places as you can. Don’t make the mistake of forsaking travel plans because of getting homesick: your friends and family love you and will be there for you. Invite them to come visit you: they will be happy to see where you live, how you are coping, etc. Don’t underestimate the time you spend on Erasmus: everything is so intense that you feel like you have been there for much longer than a few months. So it is a great reality check to have a close friend or family member come and help you bridge your old life and your new current state.

✓Think hard and be very very honest with yourself if you are planning on doing long-distance. I saw countless relationships fall apart during Erasmus (and very few which remained strong) on both sides: those who were on exchange and those who were “waiting” for them. I am not going to sugarcoat it: only exceptionally devoted, stable, mature couples who truly know what they want survive this test. If you have any doubts about yours: be brutally honest and move on.  You only have a few months with these wonderful new people that you are going to meet: it is better to dedicate all your (positive) energy to them instead of beating yourself up for not being somewhere else. Trust me on that.

If you have any questions about being on Erasmus, what it feels like to live in Macerata and study at its university: feel free to leave me a comment here or ask on Facebook.

Auguri!