CLC Year Abroad Podcast - Milan

Welcome to the CLC Year Abroad Podcast - a podcast series that aims to provide a deeper insight into what it’s really like to live abroad, whether that be for students currently planning their Year Abroad or for those fascinated by the cultures and customs of other countries. There’s lots to consider when planning a Year Abroad, which is why this series has been made to help break down living abroad into a less abstract concept. Featuring interviews with students who have already completed their Year Abroad, this podcast asks questions that help to paint a picture of life in a specific part of the world and yield valuable pieces of advice learnt through the experiences of those who have already lived in these places.

In this episode, Alex Fice interviews Anna Ward, the new Disabled Students’ Officer (DSO) for the Cambridge Student Union (2021-2022). Anna spent their Year Abroad studying at the University of Milan (Statale) and was the first wheelchair-user to go on a Year Abroad from the University of Cambridge. Throughout the interview Anna shares invaluable advice on planning a Year Abroad for students with disabilities and mental health issues, emphasising the importance of doing research well in advance and highlighting the advantages of going to a more modernised city like Milan, which has won awards for accessibility.

See below for episode highlights.

View of Milan from the roof of the Duomo (with Torre Velasca in the distance). Credit: Alex Fice

By the pool in the gardens of Villa Necchi Campiglio. Credit: Anna Ward

The Bosco Verticale (‘vertical forest’). Credit: Anna Ward

Pastries from GluFree Bakery. Credit: Anna Ward

Anna outside the Palazzo Reale in Genova. Credit: Anna Ward

Episode Highlights:

1:30 - Why choose to do a Year Abroad in Milan? (Accessibility in Milan, selecting a university, support from the Year Abroad Office)

3:45 - Expectations versus reality: student accommodation and public transport

6:17 - How does Milan compare to other cities in Italy?

10:28 - What was the university course like?

11:32 - How difficult/easy was it to make friends?

13:16 - Hidden gems in Milan (Villa Necchi Campiglio, GluFree Bakery)

15:41 - How were the people? (Attitudes towards disability, sense of community)

19:04 - Local customs (Traditional foods, protests, the Ferragosto, Milan Fashion Week, Design Week)

21:20 - Opportunities to travel (Bergamo, Lake Como, Lugano, Genova, Torino, Venezia)

25:28 - Top tips from the DSO for disabled students planning a Year Abroad

29:45 - Support for students with mental health issues: online counselling

32:17 - Quickfire round (Piazza Gae Aulenti, Villa Necchi Campiglio, Fondazione Prada, Museo Novecento, Parco Sempione, Brera)

Additional Links and Resources:

University Counselling Service (UCS): https://www.counselling.cam.ac.uk

Student Advice Service: https://www.cambridgesu.co.uk/support/advice/contact/

Disability Resource Centre: https://www.disability.admin.cam.ac.uk/

If you would like to get in contact with Anna (DSO 2021-2022), please contact anna.ward@cambridgesu.co.uk or get in touch with them at Twitter @SU_Disabled.

Credits:

Created and edited by Alex Fice

Music by Shaolin Dub (Ketsa), ‘Some Thoughts’, licensed by Creative Commons