Ciao! My name is Ledina and I am an exchange student from the University of Florence. I moved to Chur in February to attend the Master’s degree in Tourism and Change. Before departure I was really excited, and I was looking forward to starting this new experience.
Even if it is told that Swiss people are really reserved, I felt really welcomed not only by the International Office but also by the Erasmus Student Network especially in my first week when I didn’t know anyone. They organised lots of events such as the fondue night to get to know me and the other exchange students.
I find Chur a safe and clean city to live. One of the things I like the most is waking up and looking out the window to see the mountains. I didn’t expect to find such breathtaking landscapes. I want to use my time here to learn and discover as many things as possible about this country, because even if it is on the border with Italy, there are many differences in the lifestyle (activities to do, habits and spending). In my free time I like to discover new places, there are so many beautiful places to discover.
As far as I am concerned it is a little bit difficult to get used to their times, because they eat much earlier and most of the time restaurants and bars close early compared to Italy. Chur is a quiet city, so in the evening there is not so much nightlife. Moreover, life in Switzerland is really expensive, but if you are careful, you can still live well.
The university is well kept and organised, I am satisfied with my class schedule. We are a small class and the teaching methods and the type of the exams are similar to my home university, but here the workload seems to me to be higher.
I am really happy to be here because I am learning many new things and looking at life from different point of views!