Some things to know

Before going to Italy for your Erasmus, there are some things you need to know about Urbino and Italy in general. The list below contains, as you can see, some points that are more important than others. However, I thought that it was interesting to have several dimensions.

-Codice fiscale

In my opinion, the most important thing to know is that when you live in Italy, even when you are an Erasmus student, you need a fiscal code ('Codice Fiscale'). Your real estate agency will ask for it, and you will need it in other situations like renting a car or getting a tattoo for example. However, do not worry. The Erasmus office will help you with the processus. You just need to go to them, and they will schedule an appointment for you. Then, you go to the address of the appointment with a paper filled with your information that the Erasmus office helps you to fill. And there you go, you are ready to live your Italian life.

-How do the exams work?

You have to know that here in Italy, the exams do not work the same as in France. To begin with, while we are used to writing essays and dissertations, most of the time their exams consist of questions that you have to answer. But you can also have exams that are oral presentations with questions. Moreover, you can retake your exam one or two times if you did not manage to get 18 out of 30, which is the grade you need to pass. Therefore, you actually have a second chance, and sometimes a third chance to succeed. You also have to keep in mind that you have to register for the exams. If you do not, you will not be allowed to sit the exam.

-Playing cards

This one may seem odd, but in some bars you are not allowed to play cards. I have to admit that this point is much less important than the others, but I was truly surprised to learn about that. Now you may wonder why it is not allowed. Playing cards is considered as an activity for mafia members, so the waiters will not let you.

-The academic quarter of an hour

The academic quarter of an hour corresponds to the fifteen minutes at the beginning of the class during which the teacher has to wait in order to let time for students to come. If you start your class at 9am, it will probably start at 9:15am. That said, not all teachers apply this rule. On the other hand, almost every teacher will let you go at least 15 minutes before the actual end of the class. What you have to remember is that classes never actually last for 2 hours.

-The university buildings are spread throughout the city

In Urbino, and I do not know if it is the same in each town of Italy, there is no actual campus. The university buildings are spread throughout the city. It can sometimes be annoying because all your classes will not necessarily be in the same building. Once I got the wrong building and arrived late to my class because the one where it actually took place was 10 minutes away.