NYU Florence

Fall 2011 Pre-Departure Orientation

Agenda

Live•Getting There•Arrival•Orientation•Housing & Meals•The City•Culture & Customs•Health & Safety•Staff

Learn•Campus•Academic Staff•Calendar•Registration FAQs•Billing•Service Learning•Academic Site Visits •La Pietra Policy Dialogues

Explore•Student Life•Community Service•Things to Do•Local / Regional Travel•Budget Tips

Learn: Intro

Learn• Campus• Academic Staff• Calendar• Registration FAQs• Billing• Service Learning• Academic Site Visits• La Pietra Policy Dialogues

Campus 57-acre estate with 5 Renaissance

villas, grounds and formal gardens

Classes and some residence halls on campus

La Pietra tours and open garden hours

Community events and academic conferences

3 computer labs on campus Wireless Internet in public spaces Reference and reserve library

with study area, periodicals, and media viewing stations

Academic Staff

Office of Academic Support Villa Ulivi

Advising, registration, academic accommodations, study resources, federal work study, etc.

E-mail: florence.academicsupport@nyu.edu

Tel. (011-39) 055-5007300

mailto:florence.academicsupport@nyu.edu�

CalendarAll students must arrive on August 30th!!! If you arrive before you will be responsible for your own accommodations.

August 30: Check-in

August 31 – September 2: All Student Orientation

September 5: First Day of Classes

September 9: Make-Up Day for Thursday Classes

October 31 – November 6: Fall Break

November 1: Italian Holiday (Campus Offices Closed)

December 8: Italian Holiday (Campus Offices Closed,

No classes)

December 12 - 15: Final Exam Week

December 16: All Students Check-Out (by 12 noon)

Registration FAQ’s

Students must register for 12-18 credits

Enrollment in an Italian language class is required; select one that matches your skill level

Language courses cannot be taken pass / fail

Waitlists are not a guarantee; just in case, create a list of alternate classes

Attendance is expected and required; absences will negatively affect grades

All course textbooks are available at local bookstores

Billing

The NYU Ebill system is used for tuition, registration fees and an estimated housing charge

The estimated housing charge is used as a “placeholder charge” until housing assignments are finalized; the initial charge is unrelated to the final housing charge

Once the actual housing placement has been made, the Ebill is adjusted, resulting in either a credit or an additional charge, which appears on student accounts within 2-3 weeks after the start of the program

Service Learning Class time plus 50 hours volunteering In English:

Elective Usually placed in a school

In Italian: Completion of Intermediate II

Italian required Counts as the PROGRAM Italian

requirement; does not count as a language requirement

Placed in associations or schools Questions? Contact the Office of

Academic Support (florence.academicsupport@nyu.edu)

Academic Site Visits Many courses include day and weekend

trips that are part of class time Costs are included in tuition Academic excursions are a unique

opportunity for experiential learning Sample Site Visits:

Villa Gamberaia Gardens Local Museums and Monuments Mukki Latte Italian Language Day

Sample Excursions: Overnight trips to Rome Tarquinia, Chiusi, Orvieto

Archeological Sites Overnight Trip to Torino

La Pietra Policy Dialogues

Academics, politicians, business leaders, and public intellectuals meet to discuss some of the most vexing and urgent policy questions in the U.S. and Europe

Students are involved in conceptualization, development and organization of events and have unique access to global leaders and distinguished experts who visit campus

Get involved & volunteer in LPPD : lapietra.reply@nyu.edu

mailto:lapietra.reply@nyu.edu�

Live: Intro

Live• Getting There• Arrival• Orientation• Housing & Meals• The City• Culture & Customs• Health & Safety• Staff

Getting There: Pre-departure Get/Renew Passport ASAP: Can’t expire before May 2012 Cancel NYU Housing ASAP: Use acceptance letter from

packet Register for Classes starting 4/26

Regularly scheduled time Book Flight to Florence: Must arrive on August 30th! Forms to Submit – due June 30th

Health History Form Travel Release

Online Forms: Housing Preferences and Emergency Contact

NYU Traveler: Arrival Info Apply for Student Visa: Deadline to apply through NYU is

June 3rd Receive e-Bill for Fall 2011 and Follow Bursar Payment

Deadlines Ongoing: Read ALL “What’s Next” Posts on Blog

Arrival Arrival Cheat Sheet with shuttle times will be

available on Blackboard Check-in is historically 9:00am to 6:00pm Transportation from the Florence Airport is

based on group flights and the majority of student arrival info.

Transportation from the check-in location to housing is carried out only within official check-in hours

Staff will meet students outside of customs to direct them to shuttles or taxis

Students arriving at other airports, by train, or outside of set times are on their own, including transportation to campus (taxi €20-25) and then to their living situation (€15-20) – cash in Euros only

It may be several hours before students will be able to contact family; let family know!

Orientation Orientation sessions last 3 days, and

activities continue through the weekend

Mandatory sessions are Health & Safety, NYU Florence 101, Academics, and Housing

Optional sessions include Neighborhood Tours, Campus Tour, Getting Around Florence, Information Fair, Community Service, Work Study, Advising, Survival Italian, etc.

Activities include City Sightseeing Tours, Peer-Accompanied Quests, a Welcome Reception, and more!

Housing & Meals All students must live in NYU Florence housing

Assignments are based on Webformssubmissions

Roommate requests are limited to bedrooms

Single rooms are limited

No smoking except in Homestays designated as smoking

Meal plans available in On-Campus housing and in Homestays only

Actual housing prices are available online and via online forms

Housing assignments are sent to students’ NYU e-mail accounts 2 weeks before check in

No overnight guests (by law)

On-Campus HousingFreshmen are required to live on campus.Villa Natalia & Villa Colletta

24/7 Gate Security and Reception

Bedrooms with en suite (Natalia) or communal (Colletta) bathrooms

Meal Plan: breakfast and dinner daily

Lunch a la carte on weekdays (not included in the meal plan)

Communal refrigerators, sink, microwave

Cleaning & linens service (sheets, towels, blankets, pillows provided but bring a towel – not white - for travel)

Coin-operated laundry machines

Exercise room

Air-conditioning

Computer labs

Ethernet in the rooms, Wireless in common areas

Off-Campus Residences

Located throughout the city center

High-occupancy units

House 4-23 students in suites with single, double, triple, & quad bedrooms

Shared, fully-equipped kitchens (no meal plan)

Shared bathrooms

Internet is Ethernet or Wireless

Cleaning & linens service (sheets, towels, blankets, pillows provided but bring a towel – not white - for travel)

NYU cell phone in each Residence

Homestays No language requirement to apply

Locations vary within and just outside the city center

House 1 to 3 students in single & double bedrooms within families’ homes

Family types vary, most have kids

Most have Internet (no guarantees)

Sheets, blankets, pillows provided, but bring towels!

With Meals: breakfast & dinner daily, no kitchen access

Without Meals: kitchen access (kitchenware provided)

NYU cell phone in each living situation

Participation in Casa Fiorentina events

Special Interest Housing Mostly located in Off-Campus Residences Casa Fiorentina

Special events focused on Italian culture & language

Speak Italian at home Must be conversational

Vivere il Volontariato Non-credit community service Complete 20 hours of service Live with like-minded students

SAFE Housing Substance & alcohol-free environment Live with like-minded students Available on campus

The City Pronounced fi-ren'-zay.

Most populated city in the Tuscan Region (Toscana) – 380,000

11+ million tourists per year; 6,000 study abroad students

Compact city centered around the Duomo and other monuments

Buses, taxis and walking are main way to get around (no subways!)

Home of the Uffizi, Brunelleschi's Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and tons more!

Culture & Customs Space (personal and architectural) is a

scarce commodity

Most young people live at home; family and childhood friends are important

Living in older buildings can be challenging (yet beautiful)

Heat, hot water, and electricity may be limited and should be conserved

Internet access may be erratic as compared to US standards

Meals: breakfast is sparse, dinner is late (8pm), and eating is an art

Air-conditioning may be regarded as bad for your health

Culture & Customs When entering a business, it’s bad manners

not to greet The customer isn’t always right Tips are just a few Euros Staring at strangers is not rude Eye contact means you’re interested Every venue, even the supermarket, is a

fashion show Nothing is open 24/7, stores may be closed

on Sundays Schedules are suggestions, not rules,

especially for the bus Firenze isn’t NYC…that’s a good thing!

Living conditions are not the same as the US, so be flexible, patient and enjoy the differences!

Health & Safety Italy’s healthcare system is ranked #2 in the

world (W.H.O.) Most medications are available except

ADHD medication (bring a full supply) Medication, toiletries, and food should not

be shipped from outside the EU Bring copies of prescriptions (generic name

and dosage) with you Students with special needs must contact

the Moses Center in advance Learn the Italian word/phrases for any food

or medication allergies If you need ongoing care, set it up in

advance…before you need it! Pre-departure referrals:

mary.barbera@nyu.edu

Health & Safety Doctors are available on campus Health Insurance

HTH Worldwide-Included in tuition fees-No out-of pocket payment-24/7 hotline-Staff can help with appointments-Coverage throughout the world (except the US)

Do NOT cancel your domestic health insurance!

Italian Health Insurance Register with HTH when you receive their e-mail, print a copy of the card and bring it with you

Student Life Staff

Office of Student Life Villa Natalia

Housing placements, residence life, activities, clubs, health & safety, crisis response, non-credit community service, general assistance & support, etc.

E-mail: florence.studentlife@nyu.edu

Tel. (011-39) 055-5007450

mailto:florence.studentlife@nyu.edu�

Explore: Intro

Explore• Student Life• Community Service• Things to Do• Local / Regional Travel• Budget Tips

Student Life Most activities are subsidized, some are free

Trips

Modena, Cinque Terre, Verona, Bologna, Perugia, Viareggio, Lucca, Val D’Orcia

Events

Scambio Dinners, Tastings, Soccer Games, Concerts, Opera, Open Mic Nights, Film Screenings, Olive Harvest

Programming

Florence Sightseeing, Dinners, Study Breaks, Hiking, Sports Tournaments, Gelato Crawl, Cooking Lessons, Cultural Exchange Project

Clubs

Culinary, Music, Gardening, Creative Writing, Vegetarian, Sports, Politics, Running, Photography

Tell us what YOU want to do!

Community Service Individual Placements

Teaching English Assisting the Elderly

Volunteering with Animals

Guiding Tours Working with Disabled Children

Assisting at UAN

Community-Wide Events Fundraising Angeli del Bello Corri La Vita Parking Day Alternative Fall Break

Things To Do Academic Events

Talks, Concerts, Conferences

Museums & Monuments Galleria degli Uffizi San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel Boboli Gardens

Music & Theater Concerts, Theater, Opera Live Jazz

Sports Calcio! Fiorentina (i Viola)

Markets San Lorenzo, Sant’ Ambrogio, Le Cascine

Festivals/local events Rifricolona Vendemmia Palazzo Giovane and UAN

Local / Regional Travel Florence is centrally located in Italy, so

there are great opportunities to travel

Within Italy:

Lombardia (Milano, Como, Bergamo)

Veneto (Cortina, Padova, Venezia)

Liguria (Cinque Terre, Lerici, Genova)

Toscana (Greve in Chianti, Pienza, San Gimignano)

Lazio (Roma, Ostia, Isola di Ponza)

Campania (Capri, Amalfi, Ischia)

Puglia (Lecce, Gallipoli, Alberobello)

Sicilia (Palermo, Taormina, Siracusa)

Sardegna (Villasimius, Cagliari, Olbia)

Most students travel by plane or train

Budget Tips Figure out how much money you will have

Working abroad may not be an option because of time or visa restrictions; how much can you save before going?

Think carefully about what you plan to do while living abroad Travel, eat out, shop, buy souvenirs?

Consider everyday expenses Food, toiletries, medicine, household

items, school supplies, etc. Be aware of the exchange rate and fees for

currency conversion http://www.xe.com Contact your bank about fees Traveler’s checks are difficult and

expensive to cash

Budget Tips Ask for student discounts

Available for train and bus tickets, hostels, and restaurants with friendly owners

Buy groceries Groceries are far cheaper than

eating out; buy local products! Take local transportation

Price-wise, public transportation is less expensive than taxis (at night taxis are much safer)

Don’t ship from the US to Italy Items will be stopped in customs

and taxed

Contacts Florence Site Rep

Kate Brucekate.bruce@nyu.edu212.998.2191

NYC Student Services Office110 East 14th Street, Lower Level 7New York, NY 10003212.998.4433212.995.4103 (Fax)

NYU Florence OfficesVilla Natalia, Via Bolognese 10650139 Florence ITALYPhone:011-39-055-5007-450Student Life: florence.studentlife@nyu.eduAcademics: florence.academicsupport@nyu.edu

NYU Public Safety (24 Hour Emergency Contact)212 998-2222

mailto:florence.studentlife@nyu.edu�mailto:global.academics@nyu.edu�

Questions?

Thank you!

NYU FlorenceAgendaLearn: IntroCampusAcademic StaffCalendarRegistration FAQ’sBillingService LearningAcademic Site VisitsLa Pietra Policy DialoguesLive: IntroGetting There: Pre-departureArrivalOrientationHousing & MealsOn-Campus HousingOff-Campus ResidencesHomestaysSpecial Interest HousingThe City Culture & CustomsCulture & CustomsHealth & SafetyHealth & SafetyStudent Life StaffExplore: IntroStudent LifeCommunity ServiceThings To DoLocal / Regional TravelBudget TipsBudget TipsContactsQuestions?Thank you!