An Interview with Architecture and Planning Students on Erasmus
The Erasmus programme is an educational exchange programme which gives undergraduates the chance to study on cross-cultural exchanges in Europe. This opportunity is given for third year Architecture and Planning, Interior Architecture, Architecture and Environmental Engineering students on the Faculty of Environment and Technology.
It is a great opportunity to discover new ways of thinking, different approaches and methods of studying architecture. You can gain valuable real-world experience, develop relationships with students from different backgrounds and improve your language skills. Working and living abroad demonstrates your independence, the willingness to try something new – and these are all good qualities that look great on your CV and increase your employability.
On third year Architecture and Planning, we have students in Alicante, Paris, Hannover and Milan. Recently I was lucky to visit two of my friends, Sophia Kwong and Jack Davies who are currently living in Milan, doing their third years abroad. I caught on the opportunity and thought I ask them about their experiences and how they are feeling after just getting in the ‘deep water’ of second semester.
What was the motivation behind the idea of going abroad for a year?
Sophia: We both did two years at UWE and I really wanted a change of scenery – the thought of going abroad somewhere and trying out the course in a completely different system.
Jack: Exactly the same for me, and to do courses we cannot do in the UK. For example, I have a module called ‘Architecture and Town in China’. In the UK the West and European Architecture is what we learn and hear about the most. I felt like the East is somehow lacking.
Why Milan? Was it your first choice?
Jack: Yes. It was the first choice for the both of us. Loads of people said Milan has a great university and the city itself was attractive enough.
Sophia: When we had the presentations from previous Erasmus students – Milan seemed like the most exciting one of all.
Jack: Milan is a major city. And out of all the choices it did not require any language skills unlike Hannover or Paris. Frankly, it would have been far more challenging – thinking about how stressful and complicated the course can be anyway.
What did you expect from the experience? Is the educational system very different? What is challenging?
Jack and Sophia: YES! (laughing)
Sophia: I went into this, knowing it is going to be very different. I wanted to challenge myself.
Jack: You get to choose all of your subjects – which is great but also a nightmare – you can choose what you would like to study but the process itself is far more stressful than it is in the UK. It is important for us – especially taking into consideration that we are in third year – that we are finding the right balance between these modules, that we are gaining enough knowledge on different types of things and themes, develop different kind of skills – so you are not falling behind once you get back home. We have to create our own timetables, our own schedules that way.
Sophia: I find it very frustrating that I have to organise my own schedule. Especially, when you would like to take a class, but they clash with other modules. Finding a way to fit it into your timetable is not an easy job. Although, you are also in charge of your exams, it is more flexible – which has its advantages.
Jack: I feel like the style and the way they do things is old–fashioned compared to the UK. In Milan they don’t have IT labs. You have to make sure you have all of the softwares on your computer. Printing is very complicated as you don’t get credit and print whatever you need, whenever you need it – printing is only possible outside of university in privately owned shops.
Sophia: And the materials! They are much more expensive, I cannot just pop into Q block to pick up some cardboard. All this is really different for us, it is definitely less comfortable.
Jack: The content of the classes I would say is equally difficult, to get your head around and do the work. However, the way it is done – we do a lot of group work – somehow it doesn’t feel as stressful because the work is distributed between multiple people. Whereas, back home the majority of projects is asking for an individual approach and you have to face with a mountain of work per person.
Sophia: Yes, the workload is more manageable.
How did you find facing with the language barrier?
Jack: Oh my, I let you go first…we’ve got quite different experiences.
Sophia: Do we?
Jack: We will find out! (both laughing)
Sophia: Well, just to clarify this – after spending more than a semester in Milan, I still don’t know any Italian. I have picked up a few words of course, but even when I am just walking around the streets I still feel very foreign here. Sometimes it makes you feel like you’re a bit isolated when you cannot understand anything what is going on around you. I think there are quite a few people who try to make the effort to speak English when they notice you cannot speak their language. Although, I had bad experiences – the complete opposite of this – when Italians felt offended by us not speaking their language.
Jack: I have to agree – except, I would like to highlight an experience from first semester. My studio was all Italian. The professor did her best to try and help us out. But when you walk into a lecture room and got a class which is in a foreign language – it is really tiring to try and keep up with it. Luckily my two group partners spoke very good English, it made life a lot easier. But then again, I think we can both agree that Google Translator became our new best friend.
Sophia: YES! I cannot even emphasise how many times we used it throughout these few months.
Jack: Having a whole semester in an Italian class I think it helped to pick up quite a few common words. When I was having reviews with the professor, I couldn’t translate fluently what she was saying but then when you have the work in front of you and she is talking about it – with the odd word, you can kind of get the whole concept of the conversation. She would ask me or the group some questions – and I would know what the answer would be. Being forced for 5 months to deal with the fact that you won’t have any teaching in English in this class is pushing you to adapt to the situation a bit quicker. I cannot speak fluent at all, I still feel like I know nothing. I can ask for a coffee (that was a must learn), say thank you and all these basics.
How do you find living in Milan?
Jack: The way of life…you got to love it! (laughing) It is a lot calmer and more relaxed.
Sophia: Let me just praise their amazing metro system! It is very easy to get around, they are always on time and it is very close to our accommodation. The price of travel is also very cheap – as it is all owned by one company. You don’t have to pay ridiculous amount of money on travelling.
Jack: Oh yes! Whenever we want to leave Milan, it costs us hardly anything compared to what it would cost at home. I feel like due to this, we have the opportunity to travel and see more places. Other than that, there is always something to do – in a way it is a bit like Bristol in this sense.
In terms of living we are pretty lucky as we found a place which is for international students. It is great to live with people from all around the world – we have flatmates from Germany, Spain and Brazil.
Sophia: Although, the overall living cost is higher due to the accommodation costs.
Any culture shock moments?
Sophia: The Italian drivers here are on a completely different level. They can parallel park like I’ve never seen it before. They are phenomenal.
Jack: Also, we don’t call teachers by their first names, we call them professors. It is a bit more formal – it goes back to the relationship with them as well – you don’t have the same close, friendly relationship as you would have in the UK. Also, not having the timings of everything. If we have a lesson that starts at 9 then the professor probably turns up half an hour or 45 minutes later and then finish the time they are meant to.
Sophia: Italians in general are slightly more laid back for sure.
Jack: Another shocking experience was that the lectures are a minimum of 3 hours long. A friend of ours had Architecture History last semester which was 5 hours long. That could be quite difficult to manage. With 10 minutes break in the middle – sitting there for that long you can easily switch off. This semester I’ve got three 3 hours long classes back to back. You have to make time to take a break to eat and breath for a second.
Sophia: Shopping is also a bit different. They don’t have 24 hours shops, just a few, and probably at the most inconvenient places. All the shops do a lunchbreak, they close for a few hours during the day and I wasn’t really used to that.
What you wish you would know before going to Milan?
Sophia: I didn’t expect it to be this different. I feel like we heard about all the positive sides of it. Obviously, we were warned that it will be different – but when you’re experiencing it and at the moment of it – it makes it 10x more stressful.
Jack: More Italian for sure!
What are you going to miss the most?
Sophia: I think I will miss the city the most. Every time I get off the metro at Duomo and I just walk up the stairs and see that breath-taking architecture. I feel like we still didn’t realise what is going on. We probably take it for granted now, but once we leave and get back to ‘reality’ we will realise what an amazing city we lived in.
Jack: And the little things! I am definitely going to miss the coffee! And the speed they are making that coffee!
Sophia: And the food!!! Once you are going to Milan and try the pizza, you will never want another pizza again!
Author and interviewer: Klaudia Kery