UniverCity Life: Academic and Social Customs

At the University of Padova it is not necessary to formally enroll in the courses you attend. Enrolment as an exchange student at the University of Padova is sufficient to attend classes. This does not mean that there are no other procedures to follow: you will need to enrol in each course on the Moodle e-learning platform, use the OrariUnipd app to track attendance, fill in the Study Plan on Uniweb (see the "During your stay" section). Detailed instructions will be given during the Welcome Days and by e-mail.   

Consulting the timetable of a course unit, you will notice that there are 2-3 lessons per week: these are not shifts to choose from and attend only one lesson per week, but you have to attend all the lessons, which are held on several days during the week.

The standard duration of the lessons is 45 minutes. When you have a "2 hours" lesson on the same day, the lecturer will communicate how he wants to manage the total time: he could do 1h30 without interruption, he could start later or finish earlier, or he could take a break between the 2 "hours".   

How do I know the dates of my final exams?

- The lecturer will say this during the first lesson, or post a notice on the course page on Moodle

- The dates of the exam sessions are published on the Bulletin Board of the exam sessions on Uniweb usually about a month before the exam session

- You can do a search on the Department's website

- You can ask for support from your classmates  

You must formally register for the final exams (and partial modules/exams): you are not automatically allowed to take them! The reason for this is that you can choose one of the different dates available to take the exam, so you will have to register during the registration period leading up to the exam date. Enrolment takes place online on Uniweb, about 2-3 weeks before the exam date.   

To contact the lecturer in charge of a course, just search for his/her surname in the search field of the online course catalog, where you can find the list of his/her courses and, by clicking on the name, you arrive on his/her personal page with all the information: e-mail address, office address, office hours, etc.

When addressing teachers, remember that in Italy you are rather formal in this type of relationship (unless it is the professor who asks you to do otherwise): you should not call a lecturer by name and you should always use the title (for example: "Dear Professor Rossi", not "Dear Mario"). And if you write or speak in Italian, you should use the form of courtesy ("Lei").

When sending an e-mail to the lecturer or to the offices of the University you must always introduce yourself, signing with your name and surname and possibly with your matriculation number.   

• In Italy it is necessary to always have your identity card or other recognition document with you. It is also mandatory to provide your name, surname and personal data to any public official/employee of the public administration who requests to see them in order to identify you. If you are a non-EU student and your only identity document is your passport, you can carry a photocopy of the main pages with you in case you need identification.
• In Italy there is a system of separate waste collection. It is mandatory to use separate containers in the house and then dispose of the waste in the appropriate public bins located in the streets or dispose of it according to the door-to-door collection system. It is advisable to look for specific information based on the area where you live (if you live in Padova, you can consult here the map and the different systems based on the area of residence. Information on the Acegas Padova website.
• In Padova the bicycle or electric scooter is used a lot. It is mandatory to respect the highway code like other vehicles: it is forbidden to go in the opposite direction to the direction of travel, on the sidewalks or under the arcades.
• If you live in a condominium, it is a good idea to respect the privacy and spaces of your neighbors: you must respect the "hours of silence" provided for by the condominium regulations (you can ask the owner for a copy), do not leave household waste on the landing, keep the common areas tidy.