From MBA Studies to Building Own Business:
My Journey to the University of Bologna (Part 1)
This chapter explains how my MBA studies in Italy became the first step toward building my future business. I describe the real process of applying to the University of Bologna, finding housing, and navigating the bureaucracy as a non-EU student. It marks the beginning of my long journey of studying, living, and eventually creating a professional project in Italy.
Introduction: Becoming an International Student in Italy
Becoming an international student in Italy was never just a goal for me—it was a lifelong dream shaped by history, passion, and pure determination. Italy captured my imagination in a way no other country did. Its architecture, food, culture, and ancient academic centers felt magical. But what truly ignited my journey was the thought of studying at one of the oldest universities in the world: the University of Bologna.
My dream, however, did not come with a smooth road. It was filled with challenges, setbacks, unexpected surprises, and moments where I questioned whether I would ever make it to Italy. But looking back today, I can confidently say that the journey was worth every struggle, every phone call, every canceled appointment, and every document I had to collect.
This is the first part of my full story—a deep, honest look at what it truly means to move abroad, chase a dream, and step into a new world as an international student in Italy.
Why Studying in Italy Became My Lifelong Dream
In September 2017 I arrived in Bologna as a tourist. While walking through the city and passing the university buildings, an old memory surfaced — my childhood dream of studying in Italy. I still remember telling myself, years earlier: “One day I will study here. One day I will walk through the halls of Bologna University.” At the time it felt unrealistic, almost like a fantasy. But some dreams don’t disappear. They stay quietly inside you, waiting for the right moment to become real.
When I shared my thought with my husband, he didn’t hesitate for a second. He said: “Do it. Research the programs and let’s try.” I think he believed in me more than I believed in myself.
The University of Bologna’s Reputation and History
The University of Bologna, founded in 1088, is considered the oldest university in the Western world — a place where European higher education, as we know it today, essentially began. Its history is not just impressive; it is overwhelming. Walking near its buildings for the first time felt like stepping into a living archive of human progress. Generations of scholars, inventors, philosophers, scientists, and political thinkers have studied, argued, researched, and shaped ideas here for almost a thousand years. You don’t simply “visit” the University of Bologna; you feel its weight, its legacy, and its quiet authority.
Beyond the online resources, there are physical libraries scattered across the city — quiet, atmospheric spaces with high ceilings, wooden desks, and centuries-old manuscripts stored just a few rooms away from modern study areas. The blend of tradition and innovation is everywhere. You can attend a lecture in a historic hall that looks like it belongs in a museum, and then immediately access cutting-edge research through the university’s digital platforms. UNIBO manages to be both ancient and incredibly modern at the same time — a combination that inspires you to aim higher, study deeper, and push yourself intellectually simply because you’re surrounded by a place where so many great minds have walked before you.
One of the things that makes UNIBO unique is its scale and structure. It is spread across five major campuses — Bologna, Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna, and Rimini — forming a large academic network that serves tens of thousands of students from Italy and around the world. Each campus maintains its own specializations and research centres, but all of them share the same academic culture of rigorous study and intellectual freedom. What surprised me most is how modern and accessible the university is despite its medieval roots. Every student receives full access to a huge digital library system that includes thousands of scientific journals, academic articles, e-books, conference papers, statistical databases, and historical archives. Many universities claim to have “good resources,” but UNIBO truly gives students a complete toolkit for advanced research.
I wanted to become part of that history—even in the smallest way.
Why I Chose Emilia-Romagna for My Studies
Emilia-Romagna drew me in for several reasons. The region has a reputation for being welcoming, practical, and genuinely pleasant to live in — a place where daily life feels balanced rather than chaotic. It stands out for its network of excellent universities and research centres, which attract students from all over Europe. And beyond academics, Emilia-Romagna offers a rare combination of everything in one place: vibrant cities like Bologna, quiet medieval towns, green countryside, and a long Adriatic coastline. It’s a region that feels both dynamic and deeply rooted in tradition.
My campus was in Rimini, a coastal town at the heart of the Adriatic Riviera. It’s small, friendly, and full of student energy during the academic year — the kind of place where you can walk almost everywhere. What I didn’t expect, however, was that finding accommodation there would become one of my biggest challenges.
Preparing My Application to Study in Italy
Once I decided to turn my dream into reality, I discovered something unexpected and honestly a bit frightening: I had only a few months to prepare everything — documents, translations, legalizations, exams, and university applications. And each step came with its own rules, deadlines, and bureaucracy.
A Race Against Time: From September 2017 to Spring 2018
The clock started ticking in September 2017, the moment I returned home from my trip to Bologna. I knew that if I didn’t act immediately, I would lose a whole academic year. From that moment, preparing my application became almost a full-time job. I had to gather, translate, and authenticate every document from my home country. My diploma and transcripts had to be legalized through the Italian Consulate, which meant strict procedures and long waiting times. On top of that, the program required an international language certificate, so I booked and prepared for the IELTS Academic exam, aiming for at least a B2 level.
Day after day, I collected and organized everything the application demanded:
- university transcripts
- legalized and translated diploma
- updated CV
- letters of motivation
- recommendation letters
- passport copies
- certified language test results
Not a single day passed without paperwork. It felt like a very tight countdown, but every completed document brought me one step closer to the life I wanted in Italy.
Applying to Two Study Programs
When the application window opened, I applied to two MBA programs:
I immediately knew the first option wasn’t the best match for me. I had no real experience in international trade or global business development, and forcing myself into that direction didn’t feel authentic. But the second program — Service Management — felt completely natural. It connected with everything I had already done in my life: customer relations, online marketing campaigns, basic coding, content creation, sales, accountancy, and my original degree in finance.
It was the first time I felt that my professional path actually aligned with an academic program. So I poured all my energy into that application. I wrote honestly, clearly, and without trying to impress anyone. I explained who I was, what I had learned through real work.
While preparing my application, I focused on showcasing the experience I had already built over the years. My CV highlighted:
- customer relationship roles
- service management tasks
- years of sales experience
- strong communication abilities
To my surprise, this genuine, hands-on experience mattered more than I expected. It wasn’t about having a “perfect” profile — it was about having practical skills that connected directly to the field. That realization gave me confidence, and I poured even more energy into the Service Management application. I wrote honestly and clearly about what I could bring to the program, explained why I wanted to study at UNIBO without pretending to be someone else.
Getting Accepted as an International Student in Italy
About two months after submitting my applications, I opened my email — and everything changed.
Receiving the Email of Admission
My heart was racing as I read the message, then read it again just to be sure. I had been accepted. After months of paperwork, translations, exams, and endless stress, the confirmation was finally in front of me. I was so overwhelmed that I didn’t even check the applicant rankings that evening. I simply closed my laptop, sat in silence, and tried to process what had just happened.
Ranking #1 Among Non-EU Applicants
The next morning, with a clearer mind, I finally opened the official admission list.
There were 28 total places in the program:
- 14 for EU/Italian students
- 14 for non-EU students
Among around 400 applicants, my name was at the very top — Rank #1 among all non-EU students.
Seeing that number felt unreal. It validated every late-night study session, every job I had taken, every fear and every effort. It was the moment when the impossible dream I carried since childhood finally became reachable. Italy was no longer just a dream — it became my next chapter.
The Accommodation Crisis: My First Big Challenge in Italy
Once my acceptance was confirmed, I genuinely believed the hardest part was behind me. I had the admission letter, the rankings, the motivation — what else could possibly go wrong? I was completely mistaken. The real struggle was only beginning: finding housing in Italy as a foreign student. And without proof of accommodation, the Italian Consulate would not even consider issuing my study visa.
The moment I began searching for a place in Rimini, I realised how unprepared I was for the Italian rental market. Everything looked simple online—hundreds of listings, clean photos, clear rental conditions – but the reality was completely different. On top of that, my situation was more complex than a typical student’s: I had eight rescued cats that I refused to abandon, because each of them had already been abandoned once in their life. This meant I couldn’t just rent a random student room. I needed a house or an apartment in the suburbs, somewhere animals were allowed, and somewhere I could realistically live with them. While dealing with the housing search, I also had to prepare all the veterinary international travel documents for each cat – another layer of bureaucracy on top of everything else.
Why Finding Housing in Italy Is So Difficult for Foreigners
Within days I understood the unwritten rules of renting in Italy:
- Landlords often prefer Italian tenants. They believe locals are “easier” to manage and less risky.
- Agencies want Italian employment contracts. Without a local job or income, they don’t feel comfortable approving foreign students.
- Foreign renters face automatic mistrust. Many assume you will destroy property, leave, disappear, or fail to pay.
- Long-distance renting is almost impossible. Most rental property agents / landlords refuse to commit without meeting you in person.
- You’re expected to already be in Italy to sign anything. This becomes a paradox: you need housing to move to Italy, but you need to be employed in Italy to get housing.
And I wasn’t in Italy yet.
This situation created a kind of bureaucratic trap: I couldn’t apply for study visa without a place to live, and I couldn’t get a place to live without being physically there. Almost every email I sent was ignored, rejected, or met with the same phrase: “Come in person, then we talk.”
It was the first moment when I felt the weight of being a non-EU student – and the first time I understood that studying in Italy would not be a simple linear journey.
Calling Agencies With Almost No Italian
I started calling real estate agencies across Emilia-Romagna — from Bologna to Rimini and the small towns along the railway line — using my very basic Italian: “Buongiorno… cerco una casa… sono una studentessa internazionale…” Some agents were polite, others seemed confused, but most of them repeated the same line: “Yes, yes, come to see the property. We can make an appointment.” I thought I was finally making progress. I believed these were real opportunities, so I booked 7–10 appointments, purchased a flight to Bologna, reserved a hotel in Rimini for a full week, and prepared to solve everything in person.
Canceled Appointments and Total Confusion
But the moment I landed in Rimini and started calling again, everything collapsed.
Every single agency gave me one of three answers:
- “The property is no longer available.”
- “The landlord changed his mind.”
- “We cannot show it anymore.”
Some stopped answering the phone at all.
For seven days, I tried everything. I walked from agency to agency, called every number I could find, checked every listing, and visited every neighbourhood. Nothing worked. Not a single appointment survived.
It was the first time I felt genuinely lost — as if there was some unwritten rule of the Italian rental system that everyone understood except me.
Traveling Back Home and Reorganizing My Strategy
Returning to my country felt like a defeat, but I wasn’t ready to give up. I understood that my first strategy had failed, so I needed a new one — broader, more flexible, and more realistic.
Searching Across the Entire Emilia-Romagna Region
This time, I expanded my search radius far beyond Rimini. Instead of focusing on one city, I began contacting agencies across dozens of towns within 60–70 kilometers, including:
- Cesena
- Forlì
- Faenza
- Riccione
I wrote emails, made calls, and reintroduced myself again and again, hoping that somewhere in this wider area, a single opportunity would finally open.
The Breakthrough: Finding a Home in Cesena
Eventually, a real estate agent in Cesena replied with the first genuinely positive message I had received:
- the landlord was willing to rent to foreigners
- the appointment was confirmed
- the property was still available
For the first time in weeks, I felt a real sense of hope.
My husband and I traveled back to Italy. We visited three or four properties, comparing each one carefully. The last apartment at private villa (villetta a schiera) in Cesena felt right — not perfect, but stable, realistic, and available.
The True Cost of Renting as a Foreigner in Italy
However, the landlord had very specific conditions, and none of them were easy:
- 9 months of rent as a deposit upfront
- €3,000 a safety deposit was required, refundable at the end of the rental period to cover potential damages.
- €300 contract registration fee
- €1000 agency fee
- Contract starting only in late October
It was overwhelming, but there were no alternatives. We accepted the terms, signed the four-year contract (4+4) at the Agenzia delle Entrate (Italiian tax agency), and finally secured the accommodation I needed for my Italian student visa.
A Cultural Detail I Only Understood Later
Only much later did I realise why the process had been so difficult. In many parts of Italy — especially when it comes to property rentals – landlords tend to feel more comfortable dealing with men, simply because they are used to a more traditional, male-oriented approach to contracts and negotiations. For them, a foreign woman renting alone to study was unusual and unfamiliar, in some way suspicious.
Because of this, when the appointment in Cesena was finally confirmed, my Australian husband and I decided to travel together. His presence helped make the meeting with the agency and agent smoother, simply because it aligned with what they were accustomed to seeing. It was not about capability — it was about navigating a cultural expectation that I didn’t fully understand at the beginning.
Temporary Housing in Rimini: My Casa Vacanza Story
Since my rental began two months later than I needed, I searched for temporary housing.
Why Vacation Rentals Became My Only Solution
I found a Residence Villa Margherita in Rimini – a small holiday apartment near the sea. This type of rental is usually more expensive than normal housing, but it was our only option.
The apartment had:
- two rooms
- a kitchen
- a bathroom
- a tiny yard
It was simple, but it was home for those two months.
Preparing Visa Papers With Temporary Housing
Including proof of payment for this temporary stay, I applied for my Visa Type D.
Applying for the D-Type Study Visa
For any international student in Italy, the D-Visa is the first major bureaucratic step.
Essential Documents Needed
My application included:
- acceptance letter
- rental contract or temporary housing
- bank statements
- insurance
- university pre-enrollment
- passport
- photos
- declaration of funds
Waiting for Approval and Emotional Stress
Waiting was the hardest part.
I had done everything – but still had no idea whether it would be approved or delayed.
So 14 days later I was granted study visa and was preparing to go.
The First Day of Classes: 6th September
I remember the day clearly. September 6.
Classes began, and my dream officially came alive.
At the beginning of the academic year, the university organised a Welcome Day for international students. It was a practical and very thorough introduction to life in Italy: student tutors explained everything from how to apply for the permesso di soggiorno to how public transport works, campus rules, exam systems, and even small details like Italian traffic etiquette. Many students experienced their first cultural shock during these explanations, but I didn’t — I had already visited Italy several times, so nothing felt unfamiliar. Instead, I followed everything with curiosity. The session was clear, well-structured, and genuinely useful, especially for anyone arriving in Italy for the first time.
Crash Courses: My First six Weeks
The first six weeks were intensive “catch-up” courses, designed to:
- refresh knowledge
- introduce terminology
- prepare students for real lectures
They were challenging but incredibly helpful.
The Teaching Style That Surprised Me
Italian professors impressed me deeply:
- clear explanations
- structured lessons
- rich real-life examples
- respect for students
- passion for their subjects
For me, the University of Bologna became more than an institution – it became a chapter of my life that I will never forget.
Why Studying in Italy Became the Best Time of My Life
Looking back, studying in Italy was:
- transformative
- challenging
- beautiful
- empowering
- unforgettable
I grew not only academically, but personally and culturally. It shaped who I am today.
🌿 Some questions About Being an International Student in Italy
In major cities and coastal towns, rent can range from €350 to €900 depending on location and housing type.
University acceptance, financial proof, accommodation proof, insurance, passport, and pre-enrollment documents.
Absolutely. It offers excellent professors, historic campuses, and world-class education.
Not necessarily, but basic knowledge helps a lot – especially when dealing with landlords or agencies.
Yes. Many international students start careers or businesses—like B&Bs, consulting, or hospitality ventures.
Conclusion: A Journey That Reshaped My Life
Becoming an international student in Italy was the hardest and most rewarding journey of my life. From endless documents to rental struggles, from canceled appointments to emotional ups and downs—it shaped me in ways I never imagined.
What Comes Next
This is only Part 1 of my story.
In the next chapters, I will share:
- my exam experiences
- how the academic structure at UNIBO really works
- the cultural differences I faced
- and how studying in Italy eventually opened the door to my future business plans
Today, years later, I’m working on a professional B&B project in Umbria, combining everything I learned in Italy — service management, customer experience, cultural adaptation, and real-life problem solving. What started as a simple dream to study in Bologna eventually became the foundation for building my own hospitality business.
My journey is still unfolding, and I hope that by sharing it, I can help someone else take their first step toward studying, living, or starting a future in Italy
To be continued …
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What a great story. Congratulations!