Living in an “Exchange Student” Accommodation

By Georgia Reid, Università Bocconi, Italy

Bocconi only provides one student accommodation for its exchange students, a large apartment complex called Aparto Giovenale. I was extremely lucky to secure a place there, however, once I arrived it was obvious why so many people struggled to get a place there.

Aparto houses hundreds of students, with rooms ranging from shared bedrooms to en-suite bedrooms to studios. When I applied, I originally wanted the cheaper twin bedroom, however, an en-suite room was all that was available, which I am very thankful for now as someone who prefers to have the own space. There is tonnes of storage space, with a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe, drawers within the desk, and two under-bed drawers (one of which I didn’t spot until the start of second semester). There is a cleaner that also comes fortnightly and cleans your bedroom for you, which is included in the price.

However, in my flat, exchange students were outnumbered by full-time Italian Bocconi students. I even noticed when I arrived back for my second semester that there were more Italians than in the first semester. Unfortunately, a lot of these Italians were not very friendly and didn’t want to talk to exchange students (this doesn’t go for all Italians – I have met some lovely, friendly people!), which made my living situation awkward and uncomfortable, but it’s all about finding the rest of the exchange students who are also there to meet new people. This can explain why it is extremely difficult to get a room in Aparto – limited spots are available.

The kitchen is huge (and messy, of course), which is perfect for my flat of six. It doesn’t have an oven, so you have to become creative with what you make for dinner, and the fridge space is quite limited, however, there is decent storage for dry foods. It also comes with a balcony, which is a nice bonus.

It is located basically right beside the university, requiring only a five-minute walk to get to class. It has a few supermarkets conveniently located close by, and a few bars and restaurants in the surrounding area. The Duomo di Milano is also a 20-minute walk away.

One of the best amenities that Aparto offers is a free gym, located on the -1 floor. It may not have the equipment that a PureGym would have, but when you aren’t paying extra to use it you can’t complain. It also comes with a yoga studio, and twice a week they put on classes, such as yoga and total body. Outside, there are two table tennis tables, and a basketball court, along with some other pieces of gym equipment.

The laundry room is one of the worst things about Aparto. They provide 7 washers (with detergent already added so you don’t need to buy any) and 7 dryers, which is too few for the amount of people living there. There are constant queues for the machines, and people take your clothes out if you aren’t there as soon as the machine is done. Also, for €3,50 a wash, the machines are very small.

It also offers numerous study spaces, with lots of room to do individual or group work, in quiet or louder settings. This includes a social area with TVs on the -1 floor, where lots of people gather to watch sports. Beside this, there is a games room, with a table tennis table, a pool table, and a foosball table. There is also a cinema room, but very few people actually use it.

The Aparto staff are generally quite good, organising events each month for people to attend, such as welcome parties, cooking classes, sports tournaments, and more, which is a great way to meet new people. If you have an issue, they are happy to assist and find a solution.

Overall, I do recommend staying at Aparto if you can, despite my not-so-perfect experience with them, because this has only been an issue for me, not others. Its convenience to the university and city centre, alongside the free gym and opportunities to meet other exchange students are the best things about it.