A friend from my hometown told me about this university. When I first enrolled, she was already studying to do a master's degree in Psychology, she couldn't name a single university disadvantage, so I thought, "why not?”. Also, of course, I was very attracted to finding the university so high in various rankings in Italy and around the world, and the description of the programme - it was important for me to continue studying in the field of energy, but to shift my focus to renewable sources, but more on that later...

What I like most about my programme is its subjects and the ability to choose them. You decide for yourself whether to focus more on certain renewable sources or delve into improving the efficiency of power plants, without forgetting about the basic knowledge. Fortunately, the teachers understand that everyone comes from different fields of study and has different backgrounds, so they try to balance the knowledge of the entire group. So if your initial degree is slightly different from Energy Engineering, don't worry about it. Moreover, I like the opportunity to gain knowledge not only from lectures, but also from various practical work in computer programmes and laboratory projects during the semester.

To be honest, I adore the teachers of our department, everyone is always ready to answer your questions, prompt and help. They also always try to explain the subject not only from a theoretical point of view, but also to share practical knowledge with us, providing up-to-date data, as well as organizing visits to enterprises or inviting speakers. In addition, teachers try to provide knowledge about working in modern software that is used directly in real life in their work. I just hope that there are such excellent teachers and opportunities in all departments.

Italy is a great place, and the University of Padua is a wonderful choice for studying. Of course, there are pros and cons everywhere, there are definitely more advantages here, but my only advice is to look for accommodation in advance! Try to find a place to live already in the summer, because by the fall there may be no good options or any at all. Take care of yourself and your peace of mind in advance!

I am incredibly glad that I am in Padua, although at first I had concerns, because I was moving from a huge city in Russia. But everything turned out to be much better than my expectations - Padua is never boring, there are always university events and various sports activities, as well as many cafes and bars, as well as shops, without getting tired of constant traffic jams or huge crowds of people. Personally, I really like the Botanical Garden for weekend walks, and by the way it is free for students. But if you've already walked the whole city 100 times, then it's never a problem to go to neighbouring Venice or Verona, or the nearest countries. I think Padua has very good transport links not only to Italy, but also to other European countries, which is incredibly convenient for exploring the world on holidays.