In the following, a student on the Cultural Work degree programme (B. A.) reports on her semester abroad at the partner university Università degli Studi di Palermo in the winter semester 2022/23.
The decision
I had always wanted to spend a semester abroad during my Bachelor's degree programme. I am fascinated by getting to know new cultures and life in other countries. For this reason, a semester abroad combined with a degree programme seemed to me to be the ideal opportunity to get to know something new. I also find it very important to familiarise myself with different ways of life. Especially for the cultural sector, it is important to be able to understand different lifestyles/lifestyles and to incorporate these into your job. So it quickly became clear to me that I definitely wanted to fulfil my dream.
The preparations
My application process went very smoothly. I was supported every step of the way by the FH Potsdam and every single question was answered at all times. This made it easy for me to send off my application in good time. Originally, my first choice was Helsinki, Finland and my second choice was Palermo, Italy. I chose these schools as I already had proof of English (B2) and Italian (B1) for both from school.
After the announcement that I would be going to Italy, all further steps were initiated: I started to prepare myself linguistically again with the help of the "Duolingo" app and contacted the university in Palermo. The contact was a bit slow and confusing at first, but later I received all the information I was missing. As I was staying in Europe, I didn't have to apply for a visa. I also booked my flight quite spontaneously, which was good as the semester in Italy started a week earlier than originally announced.
The accommodation
During my stay in Palermo, I looked for a shared flat in advance. However, it's important to note that you don't know who you'll end up living with in a flat, as only the landlord occupies the rooms. This is how pure Erasmus shared flats are created in Palermo. I looked for accommodation with the help of various Facebook groups and the property website "Idealista". Unfortunately, it was very difficult to find a room in Palermo, especially this semester. This winter semester, there were more requests for accommodation than ever before and more than twice as many Erasmus students. For this reason, the housing market suddenly became very small and you had to budget a lot more money for the monthly rent. What's more, there are only a few neighbourhoods in Palermo that are suitable for foreigners to live in, as there is a high crime rate. Fortunately, I was able to find a room in a good location in the end.
Studying at the university
In Palermo, the Erasmus events are all organised by the ESN (= Erasmus Student Network) initiative. In Palermo, ESN organised an introductory week, including a small city rally, a beach day and a pool party, as well as small events for all Erasmus students. There were always theme parties, smaller excursions and trips or meetings where people simply came together to chat, celebrate and socialise.
When I arrived at UniPa, I quickly realised that I had to choose all of my previously chosen courses again, which was not an isolated case. The course system in Palermo was very confusing for all exchange students at the beginning, which is why I used my first two weeks to get a taste of different courses and put together my timetable step by step. Furthermore, it is usual to have two to three units per week per course - a system that you first have to get used to. In the end, I attended the courses "Business English", "Demography", "Tourism Economics and Policy" and "Laboratorio di Studi culturali". I was therefore able to take three courses in English and one course in Italian. Furthermore, there are two to three examinations to take during the semester (oral, written, presentation), which means that a course is worth between 6 and 12 credits at the end.
Everyday life and free time
The cost of living is lower than in Germany. You can find a room in a shared flat for €200-250, have an Aperol for €3-6, do your weekly shopping for €30-40 and eat out for €10.
I didn't make use of the leisure and sports facilities in Palermo, as these are very expensive in comparison. They are also usually only offered in Italian, which is why a good knowledge of the language is necessary.
For this reason, I spent a lot of my free time on the beach and walking through the city to get to know it better. Highly recommended beaches are "Santa Flavia", "Mondello" or "Isola delle Femine". I also went out for coffee a lot, tasted the many Sicilian specialities and enjoyed the sun and warm temperatures again and again!
Conclusion and tips
All in all, I really enjoyed my semester abroad. I was able to fulfil my main goal of getting to know a new culture and way of life. However, the city of Palermo was very often and quickly overwhelming: it's always loud and dirty. You also have to be open to a new rhythm of life: everything is a bit slower here and always very late. Furthermore, the organisation of the university is very confusing and nobody can really help you with your problems, as deadlines are always announced very late and at short notice.
Despite this, Palermo is a very lively and young city. People go out every evening - whether it's just for an aperitif after work or to party - and the warm weather always creates a good atmosphere. Furthermore, I have always found the Italians to be very open and interested (even if the language barrier sometimes became very big, somehow you always managed to make yourself understood)!
My tip: always have some earplugs with you for the night and don't pack your nicest shoes - everything will break sooner or later here. Also: get used to the culture and way of life, otherwise you'll make things much harder for yourself than they need to be!