Students of Groningen: ‘Groningen healthier than Milan’

Ilaria Zanetti (23), International Business School

‘I’ve only been here for two days, but I already can tell that Groningen is much healthier than Milan. Fresh air, we do not have that in big Italian cities, or at least, much less. In Milan it’s always crowded, traffic everywhere. We do have some green spots, public parks and so on, but most of them are situated far from the city centre. My university, LIUC, is in Castellanza, half an hour north-west of Milan, it’s another province, actually, Varese.
‘In Groningen I am sharing an apartment with three other students. So far, I like it, although I do not really know my housemates well. But I’m sure we will get along well. From one of the girls that just left the house, she used to be an exchange student, I already bought a bike. Eighty euros, that’s a bargain, I think. That’s one of the nicest things over here, the bike is the best means of transport and it is the fastest, I suppose. In the city, for sure. I have to get used to riding it, as I do not know the rules. I mean, I do know the rules, but I do not understand why and when one doesn’t obey them. I shall keep on practicing and hope and pray that I survive.
‘I have joined the Erasmus Student Network. For fun, for company and for improving my English. As a matter of fact, that’s my main goal. If you want to work at a company that trades internationally, you cannot do without mastering the English language. Perhaps in the next months I will find out in which business I want to work. I have nothing to add to the restaurant sector, though. The Netherlands already has embraced Italian cuisine.’