Valentina is from Bosnia-Herzegovina and is in her final year of the MA in International Relations.
Dear all, my name is Valentina Grganović, and I am a Croatian from Bosnia and Herzegovina. I am in the final year of the MA in International Relations at the Department of Political and Social Sciences.
In the beginning, it was the enrollment...
I enrolled at the University of Bologna in October 2018, and this was when my story began. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree at the University of Zagreb, I decided to go abroad to get a master’s degree. I have always wanted to experience life in Italy because of Italian culture, history, language, and food! Moreover, two friends of mine that I met during my Erasmus in Poland were studying here. Therefore, I decided to try, and it was the best decision ever.
Depending on the country you are from, preparing and filling in all the documents and forms can be a long and exhausting process. My strategy? Plan it out! I checked the web pages of the programmes I wanted to apply for daily, and I started to get my documents ready before the calls for applications were published. Once I got accepted at the UNIBO, everything went smoothly, communicating with my program coordinator was very pleasant and easy.
Scholarships
Regarding my scholarship, I am very thankful to ER.GO (the regional authority for the right to study), which funded fees and living costs. This is an unmissable opportunity for all international students coming from low-income countries. Without this scholarship, I would not be able to stay in Italy and study at UNIBO. As with the application process, my strategy was to plan it out. Indeed, I would recommend every student to do so: check every call (appello) in advance, make a list of the documents you might need and start collecting them as soon as possible, closely and frequently monitor the web pages and finally, don’t be shy and ask for help by emailing/calling the offices in charge of funding and scholarships.
International outset, multilingual experience but...
Unibo offers great services like study rooms, libraries and book borrowing. There are a lot of students in Bologna, this is the beauty of it. On the other hand, this also means that finding a spot in a study room or library can be hard sometimes – but the experience surely pays off the effort.
The only problem I found in the MA I am attending is that Italian was not among the languages students can choose in their study plan. I can see the reason for this (many classmates are Italian), but studying two semesters of French, Spanish or German in Italy can be confusing. I attended an Italian A2 course at the CLA (University Language Center) for one semester but that was not enough because I was mainly focused on passing my French exam with a good mark.
Unibo is end-game
First and foremost, I must underline that my whole programme was well organised. I particularly liked the number of classes that students could choose as electives. The range of topics and issues covered was wide, so students can choose the courses better suiting their own interests. What is more, we were free also to select classes from other degree programs: an excellent opportunity for me to learn something about Sociology or Communication Studies.
If I compare my study experience at other universities with that at Unibo, it’s an easy win for the Alma Mater! My experience here has been excellent so far.
As I did not speak any Italian, it was hard at the beginning. The first days were further complicated by the fact that I could not find a room here in Bologna and I felt confused and scared. I arrived in Bologna after the first week of classes and that too made it harder for me to make friends – it happened all so fast but eventually, after a couple of months, all passed and I started enjoying the University.
Accommodation in Bologna? Hard work but the city pays back!
Finding an apartment in Bologna was the hardest thing that I had to do. I lived outside the city for three months before finding a great room just outside the city walls. Now I share a room with a girl from New Zealand in an apartment with other two flatmates, one from Italy and one from India. Being so close to the walls, I usually walk to classes. But in general, Bologna is a city easy to get around.
I feel there are so many aspects of Bologna that I love. Firstly, it has a strategic position that allows easy access to the rest of Italy – this is important if you are an international student and want to get the most out of your Italian experience. Secondly, I love Bologna’s squares and streets. And thirdly, the food here is the best.
One city, many added values
I come from a poorer country and having so many opportunities for funding was very important for me. Moreover, living in Bologna is a true Italian experience: the city is not super touristy and has unique vibes that make you feel at home. Food, drinks and gelato are just amazing! Finally, at the University of Bologna students can select classes and courses that not only allow to study what are passioned about but also broaden their knowledge.
Finally, here you will meet friends and colleagues and establish fulfilling and enriching relationships – this is the true core of this experience: creating memories and making connections that will stay with you forever.
Quick Tips
Considering my overall experience at the University of Bologna, I would recommend this University to everyone!
I’d like to offer some pieces of advice:
