Sandee is a second-year Bachelor's student in Statistical Sciences at the University of Bologna and comes from Assam, India.
Published on 30 June 2026 | Asia
Hi! My name is Sandee, I'm a second-year student in the Bachelor's degree in Statistical Sciences (curriculum "STATS & MATHS") , and I come from Assam, India.
I had always dreamt of experiencing the Italian dolce vita, so when it was time to go to university, I already knew where I wanted to be. Choosing Bologna was almost as instinctive. The University of Bologna carries a history unlike anywhere else. It is the oldest university in the Western world. The weight of tradition, combined with its global academic reputation, made the decision easy.
I won't pretend I had everything figured out. I wasn't even sure my degree choice was right; I simply liked maths and trusted that I would figure out the rest as I move forward. Preparing to move across the world for the first time was daunting, but the pull of studying somewhere with that much character was always stronger than the fear. Call it a bluff, call it faith — I was all in on Bologna.
I arrived in Bologna in November, 2024, and it was my first time ever in a foreign land. I was nervous about everything that lay ahead. I was quite shy at talking to strangers and making new friends, so I worried I would struggle to find my place. The funny thing is that, two years in, I can bond with people without us even speaking the same language.
What surprised me most is how much I've grown to love what I study. The course is structured in a way that gives you real freedom to explore topics on your own, rather than simply handing you everything to memorise. University here trusts you to go deeper into the things that genuinely interest you, and that freedom is exactly what made me fall for the subject.
And exams, oh boy, do they feel out of this world. One thing truly unique about the universities here is the way exams are conducted – 4 attempts per year, oral exams, and focus on practical implications rather than pure memorisation. But you also receive great support from the professors and academic tutors, so if you're willing to put in the work, you can become genuinely good at what you do.
I've spent countless hours simply walking around Bologna with my friends, wandering into cafés, restaurants, and bars with no particular plan, and ending up the night at the stairs of Piazza Maggiore. It's a city that rewards aimlessness. And whenever I need to reset, I head straight for the mountains; a bit of fresh air and altitude is my favourite kind of refreshment.
The most beautiful thing about studying at Unibo is the sheer mix of people around you. You are surrounded by so many different cultures and interests that you start experiencing the world in a completely different way. Ordinary conversations become little windows to places you've never been.
That is also where most of my own growth has happened. Living far from home, in an unfamiliar country, forces you to become more adaptable and resilient than you thought you could be.
I know that choosing a university is a genuinely tough decision, so let me share the philosophy I use whenever I have to make a serious decision. I ask myself a single question: will this give me disgustingly diverse, unique experiences — and many cool stories to tell? If the answer is yes, I go for it.
For Bologna, my answer was an easy YES. I found a city that lives and breathes its university, friends from every corner of the world, and a version of myself I never knew.