Department
Where did you spend your first semester
Other
abroad?
Other - please specify:
Italy
School of Pharmacy
Type of Placement
Degree Programme (e.g. BA French and
University Placement
Russian)
Where did you spend your second
MPharm
semester abroad?
Year in which abroad
N/A - returned to UCL
2012/13
Before Departure
How would you rate your preparation by your department(s)?
Good
Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements:
How would you rate your preparation by the Study Abroad Team?
Very Good
Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements:
Did you attend the Pre-Departure briefing organised by the Study Abroad Team in March?
Yes
If yes, did you find it useful?
Yes
Please give feedback/suggest any improvements:
How would you rate your own preparation ahead of studying abroad?
Good
Could you have done more to prepare yourself before leaving UCL? If so, please give
details:
Could you have been better prepared by UCL? If so, please give details:
As part of your preparation, did you do any of the following (tick all that apply):
- Discuss your options with your Study Abroad Tutor
- Contact final year students who had returned from their year abroad
- Contact third year students who were studying abroad at the time
- Contact exchange students who were studying at UCL at the time
If you contacted the Study Abroad Team, what did you seek advice about? Did you find the
advice useful?
Prior to departure, were you given clear instructions by your department on what was
expected of you academically during your year abroad?
Yes
How did you prepare yourself for the academic aspect of your year abroad programme?
What advice would you offer to students prior to making a decision about where to study
abroad?
What advice would you give to students preparing to go abroad? What things should they
make sure to do ahead of beginning their year abroad?
Your Placement - University
Name of your host university:
University of Trieste
Location (city and country):
Trieste, Italy
Was your university placement part of an ERASMUS or other exchange programme?
Yes
When did you receive confirmation of acceptance from the host university?
January 2013
When did your placement start?
February 2013
How did you get to your placement? Please give rough details of the journey and costs:
From London Stansted airport to Trieste with Ryanair. Paid 80 pounds for the ticked
including two suitcases.
Enrolment and Course Registration
Please describe the enrolment process at your host university. What formalities did you have
to complete, and, in particular, what documents did you need to have in order to enrol? (e.g.
carte de séjour, passport, nomination letter). As an international student, were you given any
special help with enrolment?
Only my passport was needed and the learning agreement.
Were any special orientation events/meetings provided for study abroad students? If so,
please give details.
Is there any advice you would give to future students ahead of enrolling at this university?
Registering for Courses
How easy was it to finalise and register your course choices?
Very easy
Please give details of the procedures and how to choose or change courses:
Was obtaining information about courses and timetables difficult or simple?
Simple
If difficult, what advice would you offer on how to obtain the information?
Academic Life
At your host university, who helped you with the academic or administrative aspects of your
year abroad? Please tick all that apply:
- Departmental Coordinator
- Individual Tutors
Please give names of helpful individuals if possible:
Chiara Pelillo, Dr. Alberta Bergamo, Prof. Gianni Sava, Dr. Tatiana Da Ros
Please indicate what kind of help you received (e.g. with course registration; general
academic advice; specific assistance with coursework; specific assistance with dissertation
preparation; instructions concerning coursework; instructions concerning assessment):
All of the above.
Please comment on the number of classes you took and how many hours a week that
constituted in the classroom. Please also mention the amount of work you had to do outside
class on average:
I was working in a lab, roughly 20 hours a week but this varied according to the nature
of experiments performed
Please describe the nature of the classes (i.e. large lectures, smaller seminar groups etc.) What
was the average lecture/class size?
I was doing an Erasmus placement, not applicable.
Please describe the mode of assessment for the courses you took (e.g. written/oral exam,
essay/project etc.) and its timing (e.g. mid or end of year). Were there coursework
requirements (presentations, essays etc.)?
No exams
Please comment on the availability and approachability of teaching staff at your host
university:
How would you rate the teaching at your host university:
Very good
How would you rate the selection of courses offered:
Very good
How would you rate the intellectual level of the material covered:
Very good
How would you rate the difficulty of the courses at your host university compared to UCL:
The same as UCL
Please give details:
If you attended a university where the language of instruction was not English, did you
experience any language difficulties?
No
Did your tutors make allowances for your not being a native speaker?
Yes
If yes, please give details:
Facilities
Library provision:
Not applicable
Access to computers, internet etc.:
Internet access throughout the uni campus, computer rooms available
Clubs and societies (type, range, and cost):
Sports, music etc, free.
Sporting facilities (type, range, and cost):
Other:
Summary
Why did you choose to spend your year abroad at this university in particular?
I wanted to participate to the Erasmus scheme. I chose Italy because I speak the
language, I always wanted to visit and one personal reason is that Italy is the country
where my parents studied and met.
Are you glad that you did so?
Yes
Would you recommend this university to future UCL students?
Yes
Please explain why:
The university staff are very very helpful, the quality of life is very good, people in
general are nice and it is easy to meet new friends
How would you rate the placement overall?
Very good
How would you rate the placement within the context of your degree programme?
Very good
Is there any specific advice you would offer to students considering a placement at this
university?
Accommodation
What type of accommodation did you obtain?
Accommodation provided by your host institution
How did you obtain your accommodation? Please describe the application process, when you
applied, and when you received confirmation:
I emailed the lady responsible for student halls in Trieste and she replied within two
weeks. After I wrote to her that I will be doing an Erasmus placement at the University
of Trieste she guaranteed a room for me.
What was the average monthly rent? What was included in this cost (e.g. bills, internet, food
etc.)? Please give as much detail as possible about the costs associated with your
accommodation:
Monthly rent was 200 euros including all bills. Food was not included in the rent but the
student restaurant was right next to the Halls building. Local students paid 2 euros for
a full meal whereas Erasmus students paid 4.50 euros.
Did you have to vacate the premises during the holidays?
Yes
How early could you move in?
As soon as I arrived in Trieste
How would you rate the accommodation provided?
Very Good
Please describe the type of accommodation you stayed in, its location and level of comfort.
Did you have a single or double room? What were the kitchen and other facilities like? What
was or wasn't provided (e.g. bedding, kitchen utensils)? Did you feel that the accommodation
represented good value for money?
Student halls recently refurbished, comprised of mini-apartments: shared bathroom
and shower with one other person. No kitchen facilities, only some microwaves in the
corridors. Bedding and towels provided. Definitely represented good value for money.
Did you live with local students, or with other foreign students? Were the halls a good place
to practice your language skills and interact with local students?
In halls there were many local students and foreign students. My roommate who is
italian helped me a lot to adapt to my new environment and through her I met a lot of
people allowing me to practice my italian and learn about the habits and daily routines
of the students in Italy
Would you recommend this accommodation to future students?
Yes
Is there any other advice you would like to share with future students looking for
accommodation in your host town/city?
Finance
How much money did you need on arrival (e.g. for housing deposits, rent and other start-up
costs)?
No deposit was needed, no start-up costs apart from the groceries you need to do after
you have arrived in your room!
1. Cost of Living
Rent (per month):
200 euros
Bills (electricity, gas, water, internet, phone etc.):
included in the rent
Books (overall amount spent on books during your stay):
0
Food (weekly):
50 euros
A (simple) meal (in a cafe or restaurant):
5-10 euros
A coffee (in a cafe or bar):
0.75 - 1.50 euros
A beer (in a cafe or bar):
2 - 5 euros
A cinema ticket:
7 euros
Local travel (weekly):
11.25 euros
Entertainment (weekly):
50 euros
Any other regular costs:
groceries about 20 euros each week
In total, how much did you spend per month on average?
250 euros excluding the rent
How would you rate the cost of living in your host town/city when compared to London?
Much Cheaper
Please give details. Were there certain things which were more expensive than in the UK, and
others which were cheaper?
Everything is more expensive in the UK! Especially the rent!
2. Working
Is supplementing your income through part-time work a viable option?
No
If yes, do you have any advice about what type of work to look for, or where to look? Please
give the names of any employers or agencies you worked for, and any newspapers, websites
or notice boards you would recommend:
Does your host institution help with finding part-time work?
3. Banking
Did you open a bank account in your host country?
No
No: If no, why not? How did you access money while abroad?
I used the bank account I have in my home country, I thought that for 4 months it
didn't worth to open a bank account
Would you recommend opening a local bank account? If so, which bank(s) or account(s)
would you recommend?
General
1. Social Factors (Opportunities and Ease of Meeting People)
How much interaction did you have with local students?
A lot of interaction.
How much interaction did you have with other international students?
Not much, by choice as most Erasmus students speak in English and I wanted to
improve my italian skills.
In your experience, what were the best ways of meeting people?
Going out and talking to people. Italians are very easy to approach and have fun with!
If you were studying in a country where the local language is not English, how often did you
speak the local language?
Very often
2. Mobile Phones
Would you recommend getting a mobile phone with a local tariff as well as/instead of your
English mobile?
Yes
Please give details. Are there any mobile providers you would recommend?
I used WIND that provided 120 mins for all italian numbers, 120 sms and unlimited
internet access for 7 euros a month.
Transport
Was local transport good or bad? Please give details of local transport you used:
It was average, after 9 o clock the routes are more rare.
What was the cost of local transport? Are there any special deals or discounts for students?
1.25 euro for a single journey and you can re-use the ticket within an hour of validation
from mon-fri and within 4 hours during weekends
Did you travel more widely within your host country or within the region? How easy was it
to travel, and was it expensive to do so?
I only went to venice once, it was easy and relatively cheap as I paid 25 euros for a
return journey.
Life in your Host Country
Please comment on the social life and entertainment in your host city/country, or any other
aspects of life there which you would like to share:
Is there any advice you would give to someone preparing to live in your host city/country?
Did you experience any problems/difficulties while living in your host city which you would
like to share with the Study Abroad Team?
Study Abroad - Summary
Did you find your year abroad rewarding academically?
Yes
Please give reasons for your answer:
I understood how university works in another country, managed to see how students
prepare themselves for exams and got an insight of different ways of learning
Did you find your year abroad rewarding in non-academic respects?
Yes
Please give reasons for your answer:
I met new people, saw new places, tasted many new things, made some very good
friends that I will definitely return to visit in the future. Also, I improved my italian
skills.
How would you rate your year abroad experience overall?
Very good
Please give reasons for your answer:
Do you feel that you have developed skills which will be of use to you in future?
Yes
a) My cultural awareness:
Has increased greatly
b) My language proficiency:
Has improved greatly
c) My independence:
Has increased greatly
d) My self confidence:
Has increased slightly
e) My intellectual development:
Has increased slightly
f) My personal development:
Has increased slightly
g) My ability to make decisions:
Has increased greatly
h) My ability to explore and create opportunities:
Has increased greatly
i) My ability to cope with difficult situations:
Is the same
j) My ability to solve problems:
Has increased slightly
How would you rate the support you received from your department at UCL during your time
abroad?
Good
Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements:
How would you rate the support you received from the UCL Study Abroad Team during your
time abroad?
Good
Please give details/feedback and suggest any improvements:
Are there any other comments you would like to make?