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Rome-ientation

My first week at Temple Rome felt like my first week at Holy Cross. Move-in day abroad was a lot like my first move-in day in the United States. After I had unpacked my suitcases, I attended new student orientation, organized by Temple Rome staff. I followed the Alumni Assistants, staff who studied abroad at Temple Rome and were now graduates of the program, to the Temple University Rome campus. We walked for 25 minutes from the Residence to the school building.

I took in all the sights on my walk to campus. Before I arrived in Italy, I had only seen Rome through photographs. Now, I was walking on the same streets as the locals and experiencing the city in person. My favorite part of my first walk was the view across the bridge. I got to see Temple Rome in the evening light. What a first sight of campus!

Greetings from Temple Rome! Excited to be taking classes here for the semester!
What a view of campus across the Tiber river! Taken on my first walk to campus during orientation.

We checked in with the staff and began orientation with a welcome meeting and a huge pizza party. I tried Italian pizza for the first time. It tastes different from the pizza I’ve tried in the United States. Food should be no problem – I like it! I’m looking forward to not only trying the Italian food at local restaurants, but also to trying new recipes from scratch in the apartment kitchen!

I got to meet other students in the program at orientation. A lot of them live in the Residence; some are only a few doors away from where I’m staying. Others are part of the homestay program and live with local families in the area. I also met some classmates who are staying in independent housing with other students. I explored the area with a few new friends and helped one of them get a monthly pass for the metro. We went shopping and got pizza together afterward.

The Flaminio Metro station; I’ll be seeing a lot of this on my commute to and from class! 15 minutes from the Cipro station (a 5 minute walk from the residence).
Got some pizza at a local restaurant! You bet I ate the whole thing! So stuffed…

The other students and I had fun at social events such as a “speed friending” exercise, where we chatted with each other for five minutes before moving onto the next person, and a team scavenger hunt around the area that helped us find convenient places around campus. We named our team “Primo Posto,” which is Italian for “first place.” We got to see sights such as the gorgeous Piazza del Popolo, right outside of the Flaminio metro station, the closest subway stop around campus. We found all the places on our list but did not return to campus in time to be first place. We came in third place.

My first time entering the Piazza del Populo (short walk away from campus). We were sorted into groups for a scavenger hunt. Our team was “Primo Posto,” which mean “first place” in Italian. How fitting: we came in third place!

Part of orientation week involved getting set up with useful tools such Italian SIM cards, textbooks, and even portable Wifi devices! I got all three. I feel much better after getting a good data plan – I can use Google Maps without worrying about my data roaming speeds! We have a lot of data and minutes every month. If we run out of euros for the plan or need to pay for the next month, we can go to Tabacchi or phone stores to refill our plans. We can use a lot of social media apps without tapping into our data, so I got to add a lot of my new friends on social media.

I learned a lot about living in the city during orientation. We listened to talks about the local culture and safety rules from Temple Rome staff and from a representative from the US embassy in Rome. We filled out a few forms for our stay. I’m glad we got help completing our applications for the Permesso di Soggiorno (“Permit of Stay,”) which is a legal document that allows us to stay in Rome. We got our forms done and made appointments to continue the process at the local post office. Glad that’s out of the way!

I am much more prepared for my life in Rome. The jetlag is gone, and I know the city a little better. Can’t wait to see what else I’ll learn during my time here!
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“Ciao, Roma!” Settling In for the Semester

Greetings from Rome!

I arrived in Italy before noon on Monday, September 3 (around 6 a.m. in my hometown of Boston – six hour jetlag!) and moved into the Residence Candia, where many Temple Rome students will call home for the semester. We will be living right outside the Vatican! I am staying in an apartment with five other girls. I share a bedroom with two of them. It feels like I’m living in a triple with a bathroom and a kitchen/dining area shared with our other three housemates.

Staying in an apartment at the Residence Candia, just outside of the Vatican. Convenient location in the city!

I made steady progress unpacking my suitcases and setting up my part of the room. I sorted my clothes into drawers and put my books, glasses, and alarm clock on top of the dresser next to my bed (bottom bunk). I used one of my adapters to install a set of US outlets for my electronics.  My housemates and I bought other things for our apartment at local supermarkets and outdoor shops. We helped each other set up our shared spaces and got to know each other. We also learned about the amenities both at and around the Residence, such as weekly linen-changing services (with all towels and sheets are provided by staff) and local shops and cafés a short walk away.

Via Candia, the street in downtown Rome where the residence is. Lots of local stores and cafés, alongside convenient Tabacchi (which are everywhere in the city; you can get monthly passes and add money to your phone account there, too!).

I’m glad I’ve been able to get a lot of help moving in from both the Residence Candia and from Temple Rome. They have been very kind to help us all get settled in the city for the semester.

The Residence staff have been wonderful at answering our questions about the place and listening to our requests for additional supplies for our apartment. I appreciate their patience with my limited Italian during my first week; I was looking for an extension cord and asked for “una prolunga” (Italian for “extension cord”) for our room. This was before classes started (I’m starting Italian this semester and had only a basic grasp of “survival Italian”), so I didn’t know how to pronounce the term I found in my English-Italian dictionary. I was happy to see the receptionist smile and praise my attempt at speaking Italain. I borrowed an extension cord from the Residence until I bought a US-friendly power strip for my roommates and me. The friendly interactions with the staff made moving in much easier.

Asked for “una prolunga” (extension cord in Italian) from the front desk at the residence. I’m glad the receptionist was amused by my attempt at asking for something in Italian! I was relieved to see that I had found some outlets for my adapters: we all have power now!

Temple Rome staff helped me get useful resources for the semester as well. I learned where to buy my monthly pass for the public transportation in Rome, which consists of buses, trams, and the Metro. This is crucial to my stay in Rome; as a Bostonian who takes the buses and trains on the MBTA very often, I see myself taking the Metro and (occasionally the bus) to campus. I also had some help getting an Italian SIM card and phone plan with a special discount for Temple Rome students. I also got to rent a portable Wifi device through a university deal online. I’m glad I have all of these things now – I feel prepared and supported for my semester in Rome.

My part of the room. I share a bedroom with two other girls in the apartment. All set up with my backpack, books, alarm clock, US outlets, and cards (Temple University Rome ID, eRoma monthly transportation pass, Residence Candia gate key, and phone SIM card)!

All of these thorough preparations, along with the reassurance from and positive interactions with the local staff, have made my adjustment to a new city in a new country much more comfortable. I feel confident and ready for my adventure!