# University Dilemma!



## fromnewyorkwithlove (Aug 15, 2011)

Hello! I hope this is in the right forum.

I recently found out that I am eligible for severely reduced tuition for my dream school in Italy (Bocconi University- one of the best universities for business in Europe). I used to live in Italy for two years and lived in a town called Reggio Emilia, where I had friends and really, really fell in love with the town. If I had to move back to Italy, I would go back there.

The school I want to go to is in Milan, which as you know is a VERY expensive city. Even with the difference in tuition that the scholarship affords me, I wouldn't be able to pay for an apartment in Milan (think 2,000 euros and up a month for a small apartment!). If I were to live in Milan I would probably have to take out a very large student loan just to finance my cost of living there. 

My dilemma is this: Reggio Emilia is about an hour and a half away by train. The monthly train pass + the cost of rent in Reggio would still be cheaper than living in Milan. There are, of course, other towns between Reggio and Milan but I have a really good friend base, know a landlord where I rented before who would love to rent to me again, have work contacts, etc. in Reggio. Basically I built my whole life in Italy around this town and I don't want to start over somewhere seeing as it's really quite possible I'll feel isolated and lonely someplace new. Also, I just happened to love where I lived. 

Is an hour and a half-2 hour (I have to take a bus for no more than 10 minutes after the train) commute to school too much? I currently live in Queens and work in Manhattan and my commute is just about an hour and a half right now, so what's an extra half hour to me? Now when I take the train I use the time to study or read and it pretty much flies by. I don't mind the commute myself at all. 

For work while in Reggio, I also work as a freelance translator so I am able to work from home as well, so my work schedule wouldn't be completely grueling. Also, I wouldn't have class Friday. So it would only be four days a week (two days of which I only have one class from around 12:00-2 pm), and I have no class earlier than 8:45 and no class later than 5 pm. Eurostar trains (the train I would use) also have outlets that would allow me to work so my time is not wasted. 

Any advice?


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## ale86tv (Aug 18, 2011)

Hi,

You're doing my opposite journey. I went to Bocconi (I a final year student there) and I moved to New York for one year.
I worked in New York and I had the same problem... expensive flats so I moved in Brooklyn (Prospect Park) in order to find an affordable accommodation.
I still had 30 min journey by subaway to go to work. But it subway so lots of trains 24/7.

I also lived near Reggio Emilia (Piacenza) and used to go to Bocconiby train every day.

I can tell you that from Piacenza this is still acceptable (50 min journey and trains every 30 min) but I would not suggest you to go to Reggio.. I think that services are not very frequent there (maybe only 1 every hour) for Milan and you have to care about time: if you finish a course at 6pm and you miss for 1-2 min the train (frequent because of the traffic or delays in public transportation) you could be waiting 1 hour for the next train... it is a huge waste of time and a very tiring way of attending university. 
Bocconi is really very demanding in terms of study hours (very different from UK/US system and closer to French and German quantitative universities) even 2 hours lost every day only for train transportation could be enough not to perform very good in exams.

Milan is quite expensive but I have lived as a student in Milan for 5 years spending an average of 400 to 500 euros per month (for me still a lot though). Of course you have to share the flat with other people.

If you want your own flat you must go far from the city to find affordable prices (Lodi and Piacenza are the closest and easiest solutions if you don't have a car).

I wouldn't be so scared about the friends base.. Bocconi is plenty of international students and is a very open environment with lots of university events, concerts, and parties... You will make friends very easily but it would be difficult if you have to go to Reggio every day.

However, I can be more specific if you need more info just ask.


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