I interviewed Sara Mashhadi Hosseini and asked about her studies in Milan and Pavia. So if you have ever considered going to a university in the city of fashion or simply getting to know the Italian culture, keep on reading because I have earned a lot of information for you!
What university did you go to? And why did you choose it?
I did my bachelor’s at the University of Milano-Bicocca and my master’s at the University of Pavia. Both of these universities are located very close to my hometown, which was a huge advantage because I could stay with my parents. I love examining diseases and their treatment, they have great programs in this area there. At Milan university I studied Biology, then in Pavia Neurobiology and now I am attending a postgraduate program in Immuno-oncology in the USA. Both of those universities also have a great reputation so I had always wanted to apply for them.
What other courses can you study at Milano-Bicocca?
I personally studied the biomedicine pathway, however, they offer every course possible. For example Law, Sociology, Psychology, Education, Science, Business and others. It is a huge university composed of many buildings.
What kind of requirements are there to get in?
I had to pass a hard entrance exam.
What about the school’s atmosphere, how long did it take to adapt?
I loved the overall atmospheres of both of the universities, the teachers were very competent and I met so many new friends, I got to know people from different parts of Italy. I adapted quite quickly, however, getting truly organized was a bit challenging for me. But I knew that it was an ability I needed to survive the university. :)
The greatest thing about my college is probably the opportunity to go and study abroad which is a great life experience. Unfortunately, I did not travel abroad but I believe it is fabulous. Also, the university of Milano-Bicocca itself is a very international environment because many courses can be studied in English.
On the other hand, what was the most difficult for you?
The hardest thing was the responsibility. University is not like high school, it is usually very individual and everything is based on your own work, the teachers help you a lot, of course, but you have to put in 100 %. That applies to universities overall, however, I can’t think of anything particular about my college. For me, it was the change shock, but I got used to it quickly.
How is it with tuition there?
You always pay according to your parents‘ salary. So if you think that you don’t have enough money, don’t worry about it. There are also scholarships available. However, for foreign students, it is slightly different, there is an extra fee but the Czech Republic, I think, is in the first group which means that this fee should be the lowest.
Good that you mention it, what about the foreign students?
Yeah, as I mentioned before, there are many of them. There are mostly master’s courses available in English and these are very popular. You can also apply for Erasmus+ Programme or Exchange programs to get here.
Alright, thank you so much for your time and good luck in the USA! https://en.unimib.it/
Viktorie Berger