If you're to be a resident student with us and are looking at a four-year 'visit', you're never going to be able to bring everything you want. Plan beforehand: bring the essentials for your first semester and then plan to have visitors bring you items you find that you need or keep a list of items that you want to bring back with you after your first trip home – you'll be surprised by how small the list is after you've been settled here for a while.
If you're joining AUR as a visiting student then the same rules apply. Be sensible. Consider that you will be living in Rome for two seasons (autumn-winter or winter-spring). Also, remember you can buy anything you desperately need and have forgotten once you get here.
Below is an indicative list (by no means exhaustive) of items you should consider bringing.
Clothing (for two seasons)
- Jeans, khakis, T-shirts, sweatshirts
- One or two formal outfits
- Warm pajamas, sweats or other comfortable clothes to wear at home (Italians wear wool, fleece, and flannel at home during the winter)
- A warm coat, hat, scarf, gloves, and sweaters
- Comfortable walking shoes or boots and sneakers
- Slippers (most Italians wear slippers at home for comfort and as courtesy to neighbors below)
- Raingear
Other Items
- Multiple copies of passport and visa (unless traveling, do not carry your original)
- Prescription medicine for entire term (or ensure you have arranged this in Rome)
- Over the counter cold medicines, aspirin etc. (they can be pretty pricey in Italy)
Please be aware that medications commonly used in the U.S. for ADHD/ADD treatment are not available in Italy.
Please discuss this with your doctor in advance in order to avoid having to discontinue the medication once you are in Italy.
Both mailing and receiving shipments of stimulants is illegal; shipping these medications from the US to Italy can be charged as a criminal offense.
Finally, here are some student suggested books, travel guides and films that you may find informative and/or useful:
Guides:
- The Lets' Go guide to Rome (http://letsgo.com/destinations/europe/rome)
- The Lonely Planet Rome guides (https://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/rome)
- The Rough Guide to Rome (https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/europe/italy/rome-lazio/)
- Italian Neighbors by Tim Parks (see it on Goodreads)
- The Italians by Barzini, Luigi (see it on Amazon)
- As the Romans Do by Alan Epstein (see it on Amazon)
- Italy in Mind, an anthology edited by Alice Powers (see it on Goodreads)
Movies
- Three Coins in a Fountain (IMDB entry)
- Roman Holiday (IMDB entry)
- Fellini's Roma (IMDB entry)
- The Bicycle Thieves (IMDB entry)
- The Belly of an Architect (IMDB entry)
- Pasolini's Accattone (IMDB entry)
- Romanzo Criminale (IMDB entry)
- Roma città aperta (IMDB entry)
- The Great Beauty (La grande bellezza) (IMDB entry)
- La Dolce Vita (IMDB entry)
Cookbooks
- The River Cafe Cook Book (see it on Amazon)
- The Classic Pasta Cookbook (see it on Amazon)
- The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (see it on Amazon)
- Italian Country Cooking (see it on Amazon)
