If you are coming to John Cabot University from another country to study abroad or earn a degree, you will experience a period of adjustment.
Be sure to attend Orientation, where you meet fellow classmates and receive all kinds of advice for making a smooth transition to Rome and JCU.
Also, be sure to check out the JCU Explorer’s Club for admitted students. Part social-networking site, community blog, event calendar and information resource, the JCU Explorer’s Club offers you an easy way to get questions answered about visas, financial aid and all the other details associated with living and studying in Rome. Plus it’s a great way to “meet” people before you even arrive.
Here are some other ideas for making the most of your Roman sojourn:
Rome: What to pack
We generally tell students to pack as lightly as possible. Why? Italy is a very creative, fashionable country, and you will probably acquire gifts for yourself, family and friends along the way. Bringing less now will allow you to bring more home later.
- If you have a laptop and it has a voltage converter, bring it. You won’t have Internet access in your apartment, but the library has Internet ports at every table and many cafes have Internet connectivity. John Cabot University’s two campuses are also wired
- You may need to get a new cell phone/plan if you want it to work across Europe. Check out your options here. There are plans that allow you to rent or buy
- Invest in comfortable walking shoes. Rome’s winding cobblestone streets are picture-postcard beautiful but hard on feet
- Bring enough medication—if you take any—to last your stay. Italian doctors will not honor foreign prescriptions. For information on what amenities are provided in JCU Housing in Rome, please refer to p. 18 of the Roman Housing Booklet.
Rick Steves, the author of the popular Rick Steves’ Europe PBS-TV series, has a great packing check list here.
Important Italian phrases
Buon giorno—Good morning
Buona sera—Good afternoon (used after lunch)
Ciao—Informal hello and good-bye
Arrivederci—Goodbye, see you soon (can be formal or informal)
ArrivederLa—Formal goodbye
Piacere--It’s a pleasure (to meet you)
Molto lieto--Pleased to meet you
Permesso?—Used when entering a private home or office or to get by someone
Posso?—May I? Used to ask whether it is permissible to touch items in a shop or market
Grazie—Thank you
Prego—You are welcome/pardon me?
Pazienza—Have patience!
Calma—Relax!
The food
In a word, “fantastico”!
Gnocchi like down pillows. Creamy pasta alla carbonara. And arguably the best pizza in the world.
Italy is one of the world’s great culinary centers and as a result you can eat very cheaply or for many, many Euros! John Cabot University even offers wine-tasting seminars and gourmet cooking classes so you can take advantage of the city’s colorful fruit and vegetable markets. (The San Cosimato and Campo de’ Fiori markets are the closest ones to campus.)
Here’s a mini-food guide to help get you started:
Alimentari—A grocery store and deli
Bar—Called cafes elsewhere in Europe; your first stop for espresso or cappuccino
Gelateria—Sells gelato (ice cream Italian-style).
Pizzeria—Your source for exquisite Roman pizza
Trattoria/Ristorante - A full-service restaurant