Exploring Politecnico di Milano

Yesterday was quite an eventful day for me. I haven't had a Thursday off in awhile and I forgot how much I love them! It really breaks up the week and gives me the chance to spend the whole day out! I took advantage of sleeping in and didn't wake up until 10 am! I quickly got ready and then headed out the door. My first stop was Pane e Vita across the street for a brioche and cappuccino. I continued on to the Cadorna metro station and took the green line over to Piola stop where Politecnico University is located. It was easy to find my way from the metro stop to the university because I just followed the flock of students and young people. I was pleasantly surprised by the appearance of the school. It looked like a real University with an actual campus feel and quite impressive buildings.

I had no idea where I was going so when I heard two boys speaking english I immediately asked them for help. They were both architecture students and one was from Tanzania and the other from Italy. They tried to point me in the right direction, but I ended up just going to the Info desk and getting a map and some brochures. After some aimless wandering I finally found the admissions office and got the information about applying. It seems very odd because the applications for next year are not due until August or early September and classes begin in September. It seems very last minute, but as an EU student with a Bachelor's degree I was told that I shouldn't have a problem getting admitted into the program. I then made the attempt to get more information about scholarships but was told to check the website in June for the scholarships available for next year. After wandering around the architecture and urbanistica (urban planning) building and peering into classrooms I decided to head back for a quick workout.

My overall impression of Politecnico was mixed. I liked the campus and the information that I have read about the school. It has a very good reputation (ranked as one of the best universities in Italy) and is the oldest university in Milano (founded in 1863). However, some of the students I talked to seemed to be fairly apathetic about the school. I also found it very difficult to get information about the school and the specific program that I am interested in. The good news is that I have plenty of time to decide!

Ciao!

xoxo