I would like to start with a short introduction about myself. I am Giovanni Giraudi, an exchange student from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. I am currently in my third and final year of the bachelor Economics and Business Economics. From September 2025 until January 2026 I have studied at LUISS Guido Carli in Rome and lived at the university residence Collegio Don Nicola Mazza.
The decision to choose Rome as my exchange destination was based on the fact that I have an Italian background. My grandfather is fully Italian and I grew up eating Italian food all the time. I wanted to dive deeper in the Italian culture and believed Rome is the perfect location to do so.
In this report I will describe my time in Italy and share my experiences.
The University: LUISS Guido Carli
LUISS is a private university with several locations throughout the city, but given the fact that all my courses were given at Viale Romania I spend most of my time there. The campus is a peaceful and relaxing environment with gardens, a big canteen, outdoor seating areas and plenty of places to study. One of the most stunning features is the lecture hall within an old church, which is truly unique. Safety is an important aspect as well, since you need to scan a personal QR-code at the entrance of the university. This way no unwanted visitors can access the university grounds. In addition, LUISS offers a free shuttle service for students which runs every fifteen minutes between the different campuses. I used it a couple of times and it is a convenient way to travel from one location to another.
During my exchange I participated in four courses at LUISS: Financial Markets and Institutions, Industrial Organisation and Competition Theory, Marketing and Mathematical Finance. The way in which the curriculum is designed differed slightly from what I was used to. Utrecht University uses a system of short periods with two courses per period, while LUISS offers all four courses at once during a fourteen week period, resulting in a lot more contact hours. I liked this approach since you spend more time at the university and get rapidly familiar with it as an exchange student. Also, students are allowed to schedule their own exams during the exam period. I decided to take all my exams in December, however it is great to have this flexibility which could relieve some of the exam stress.
In my experience the university makes an effort to welcome exchange students. One week before the start of the academic year, an orientation meeting and an aperitivo were organized specifically for exchange students. This was a great opportunity to gather information and meet new people. Moreover, plenty of staff members are present to help you find your way and answer questions during the starting period.
The Residence: Collegio Don Nicola Mazza
Living at the Collegio Don Nicola Mazza has enriched my exchange experience significantly. Going abroad for half a year is exciting but at the same time a little bit scary since you dive in a completely new environment where you don’t know anybody yet. Being part of the Collegio community immediately provided me with a social context of fellow LUISS students. You get to know each other really quickly, also due to the organized activities and communal moments such as the daily dinners in the canteen on which I will elaborate later.
Another element which I personally liked was the fact that almost all of my fellow residents were Italian. In my experience, international students tend to cluster together and hang out most of the time with people from their home country. This is obviously nice because you share the same culture and language, but in this case you do not interact with Italians. The community life of the Collegio allowed me to have interesting conversations with people from all over Italy and get to know the real Italian culture. One thing I noticed is the warm approach of Italians. In the Netherlands people can have a bit of a reserved attitude, especially against persons they don’t know. However, in my experience, everyone in the Collegio was immediately very friendly and easy to talk to.
The residence is located in Trieste in the north of Rome. I believe this is a perfect location since you live in an authentic Roman neighbourhood nearby the university, however, the city centre is only twenty minutes away with the bus or metro.
In the Collegio all kind of communal facilities are present such as a kitchen, gym, laundry room, study and relax rooms and a chapel. Also there is a lot of outdoor space and a 24/7 doorman. Because all these spaces are shared with the other residents, there are a lot of moments where you have a quick chat with other people.
Everyday a dinner is served in the canteen and during the weekend also a lunch. I particularly liked these moments since everyone sits together on the tables in the canteen and interacts with each other while eating the meal.
Within the Collegio there are various clubs and societies that students can join. They organize activities in their respective fields in order to let students contribute to the communal life and encourage them to develop in an academic and personal way.
The societies focus on academic backgrounds of the residents. There is for example a political society, economic society and law society. They organize periodic meetings, invite guest speakers and plan excursions.
The clubs are a bit more informal and focus on the personal interests of students. Examples are the liberal arts club, music club, chess club and volunteering club. I decided to participate in the sports club where we did weekly football trainings under the guidance of a trainer. We played inside a hall nearby the Collegio and practiced technical exercises and small matches. In addition, we sometimes organized five aside matches at a nearby pitch ourselves. In the Netherlands I used to play every week and it was great to be able to continue in Italy.
Besides the activities offered by the clubs and societies, the Collegio itself organizes various activities such as guided tours, guest lectures and educational workshops. I will describe some of the activities that I took part in.
During the first week we did a guided tour of the city centre at night. It was really special to see all the famous Roman landmarks like the Colosseum and Forum Romanum in the dark while our guide gave us information. In October I joined a tour of the Castel Sant Angelo. During high school I spend one week in Rome but this is one of the places in the city I never visited before so I was excited to see it. We walked through the entire castle and ended on the panoramic terrace on top of the building where you have an amazing view of the Saint Peter Basilica and the rest of Rome. Not only were these guided tours informative, at the same time it was a nice opportunity to hang out and bond with fellow residents.
I also participated in a time management workshop, where we were taught how to effectively structure our time and give priority to certain tasks.
I experienced that the Collegio offers a great balance between being a relaxed environment where students can enjoy their student life together, but at the same time a place where residents are stimulated to explore themselves and broaden their perspective.
Life In Rome
Rome is arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world. Each year millions of tourists travel all the way to the eternal city to admire its wonders. The city centre contains so many iconic buildings that it feels like you are walking through an open air museum.
After my exchange I could say that being an inhabitant of Rome is truly different than visiting the city as a tourist. I was able to discover the real Roman culture as a result of being a resident at the Collegio and living in Trieste with its local coffee bars and restaurants. After a few weeks I knew every road in the neighbourhood and felt like a Roman citizen. During a touristic visit this is not achievable.
Also, the fact that you can stroll around the Colosseum or Trevi Fountain at any given time is fantastic. I recall one time when I walked past the Pantheon very early in the morning after a night out. Usually, the square is packed with people who all want to take a picture of the famous building. This time I only had to share the square with a few pigeons.
The nightlife in Rome is very vibrant. I like to go out in the evening with my friends and in Rome there were plenty of bars and clubs to do so.
Conclusion
I would recommend every student to participate in an exchange, since it is an unique opportunity to dive into a new culture and meet lots of new people while matching it with your academic programme.
When I reflect on my time in Rome, I could confidently say that living at the Collegio has added a lot of value to my exchange experience.
I think every destination has its own charms but I can definitely say that Rome is a one of a kind city and perfectly suitable for an exciting student life.
Giovanni Giraudi
