Istituto Avventista Villa Aurora

SURVIVALGUIDE

Packing up your life and moving to another country for a year can be a daunting and even scary experience. However, it can also be a very exciting and fun adventure.

You are about to embark on an adventure at Villa Aurora. Most of this adventure involves figuring out some things on your own and experiencing mishaps, but we decided to give you some packing guidelines and some helpful hints that we hope will make the start of your adventure more enjoyable and a little less stressful.

Think of it as a set of guidelines or suggestions, not rules. Enjoy and don’t be afraid to try new things, have memorable adventures, and learn Italian!

From,Returned ACA students who know what you will be going through

DEAR FUTURE ACA ITALY STUDENT,

SPRING/SUMMER CLOTHINGWhen you arrive, it will be hot and humid. Be prepared for a rainy season. Bring a rain jacket, umbrella, and rain boots or waterproof shoes. These will be useful when you have to go up the hill to get from the school back to the dorm.

FALL/WINTER CLOTHING: There is the possibility of snow, and if you’re planning to travel to a country that has snow during winter break, then you’ll be ready! In the winter, the dorms are cold at night. Be sure to bring warm clothes to sleep in, as the heaters in the rooms are not always on. Warm socks/slippers are good to bring, since the dorms are made of concrete and tile.

THE ESSENTIALS: CLOTHES

January February March April May June36-50 37-54 43-61 46-64 52-73 59-81July August September October November December

64-90 64-88 59-81 52-70 41-59 37-52

Average Low and High Temperatures in Florence, Italy (˚F)

FLIP-FLOPS/SHOWER SHOESYou will want them for the community showers (girls only, guys have their own shower) and on trips. Italians despiseflip flop wearing in public so don’t use them for everyday apparel.

GOOD WALKING SHOES There will be a lot of walking done on every class trip as well as in the city. If you’re not typically a walker, you will learn to love walking. The streets there are made of cobblestone, or just plain rock and dirt, so be prepared with comfortable, durable shoes.

THE ESSENTIALS: CLOTHES

Students have fun despite the rain.

CHURCH CLOTHESThere is a church near campus as well as other activities that will require church attire. You can dress how you want, but you should be respectful.

EXERCISE CLOTHINGThe school has a small gym where you can exercise and a brand new soccer field. The school also organizes different athletic activities. There are also lots of trails to go running—but never go alone. Bring a friend along and enjoy the views that the Tuscany region has to offer.

THE ESSENTIALS: CLOTHES

SWIMSUITBring a comfortable swimsuit that is not flashy. During the warm weather, you will be going on school trips to places with beaches, rivers, and pools.

DRESS CODEThe dress code there is more relaxed in comparison to Southern, but you should remain respectful and wear decent clothing to class.

A group of students visiting Manarola, one of the cities of the Cinque Terre.

ENGLISH-ITALIAN DICTIONARY: This will be very helpful during the first weeks. You can also download WordRef (a dictionary app that gives you context) and Italian English Dictionary (an app that gives you the conjugations of verbs in all tenses).

BIBLE: You may want to bring a Bible in your own language. It is also nice to have a dual-language Bible, but you should buy that before going abroad, since Bibles are very expensive in Italy.

THE ESSENTIALS: SCHOOL

JOURNAL: It’s good to keep track of your thoughts and memories in a book or on a computer.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES: The school will provide you with a notebook, a pencil, and a folder at the beginning of the school year. You should bring any other school supplies that you may need.

COMPUTER, IPOD, WEBCAM DEVICESkype is one of the most convenient ways to keep in touch with loved ones while you’re abroad. There is Wi-Fi all around campus. You may need to bring a computer for school assignments. There are only two computers in the campus library.

EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE, FLASH DRIVEYou will need to make space for the potential pictures and videos from your year. You can always back them up online, but it’s good to have them on a hard drive.

VOLTAGE CONVERTER AND ADAPTERVoltage and outlets are different from the U.S. You can ruin your electronics if you don’t have a 220 volt converter/adapter. You can bring your own. However, the deans have converters from previous ACA students available for you.

CAMERAPictures capture memories, along with your personal experiences. There are so many beautiful scenes you’ll want to capture and share with loved ones. Bring lots of memory cards.

CELL PHONESYou have 2 options when it comes to phones. If you don’t already have an unlocked smart phone, it is cheaper to buy a prepaid one while abroad that includes a SIM card that you can load with euros each time you need it. The other option is to buy or unlock your smart phone before you go abroad. You can use it with any Italian carrier. Previous students have used Windor TIM, which gives you service for around 13 euros a month.

THE ESSENTIALS: ELECTRONICS

MEDICATIONS, CONTACTS AND SOLUTION, ETC.Bring enough of your prescription and non-prescription medications, contact lenses, and solution for the year. It is hard to get any kind of medication without a prescription there.

MOSQUITO REPELLENTBring mosquito repellent! When it rains and it’s hot, mosquitoes can be a problem. Bug spray is expensive and is only found in pharmacies.

SKIN/HAIR CARE PRODUCTSBasic brands (i.e. Pantene, Suave, etc.) can be found at stores such as CAD and la COOP. Other brands may not be available. If you use a special brand, bring some of these products with you.

RECOMMENDED: TOILETRIES

PICTURES FROM HOMEPut them in your dorm room wall! Your friends will love to see what your family looks like and the pictures will help with homesickness.DEVOTIONAL BOOK IN ENGLISHThis keeps your spirituality accessible and separate from the frustrations of another language.DEVOTIONAL BOOK IN ITALIANThis will help you connect your spirituality with Italian and helpyou learn religious words.

RECOMMENDED : ENTERTAINMENT

Students at the top of the Florentine Belltower

TALK WITH PEOPLELet Italy be your entertainment! Be outside. Walk the city. Meet people at the park or in a café.Do not be afraid of talking to people! The best way to learn the language is to talk constantly with the natives. SEE FLORENCEJust because you have the opportunity to travel through Europe doesn’t mean you should forget you live in Florence. See the local sights as much as you can. You can follow The Florentine on Facebook to see the different events going on in the city.

COSMETICSUnless you prefer a specific brand or have a skin issue, makeup is easy to find. There’s a store that specializes in it and constantly has sales (KIKO).

FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTSTampons are made out of harder material and come in small packets. Pads are more expensive and come in small amounts.

FOR THE LADIES

In front of the Duomo in Florence, Italy

FIND COMFORT IN DISCOMFORTImmersing yourself in a different culture will not always come easily. But that is why you are going there. Otherwise, you could have studied Italian in America. If you feel weird, you’re probably on the right path.

BE ITALIANSit with the Italians at worships and meals. You learn best by using the language, and the Italians want to help you. They want you to learn. So don’t surround yourself by Americans only.

WATER BOTTLEThere are no water fountains on campus, except in the cafeteria. There are no drinking fountains in the city, so bringing your own water bottle can save money. However, be careful about drinking the water, especially if you have a sensitive stomach.

GOOD TO KNOW: EVERYDAY

Students in downtown Florence

PACKAGES AND MAIL The school has a mailing address for mail and packages. The mailing system in Italy is slower than the American system. Homemade food items are not permitted. All packages have to go through customs. If they see suspicious items they will open your package and inspect it. Make sure to tell your loved ones to write a low price value of the package when sending a package. If the value is high, you will have to pay an expensive fee to get the package.

COOKINGThere are no kitchenettes of any sort in either of the dorms. There is one centralized kitchen used for the school chefs. They are very friendly and teach the cooking classes. If you are nice, respectful, and show a willingness to learn, they might let you cook with them for a meal.

GOOD TO KNOW: EVERYDAY

DON’T BRING A LOT OF EXPENSIVE, DELICATE ITEMSRemember that delicate items can be worn out when traveling. You don’t want to draw too much attention to yourself by having expensive items on you. Plus, you won’t have to worry about them while you’re traveling

MOSQUITOES They are a big problem at the Villa. Be aware that there may be holes in your window screen, so make sure to bring bug spray and anti-itch cream. If you ask, they will give you a wall plugin that will help.

INTERNETThere is Wi-Fi at the Villa. It is fast when it is working. Sometimes a storm can knock it out for a few hours.

CHECK YOUR COURSESMake sure you compare your courses with those of SAU and make sure that they will count for something when you get back. Take advantage of the history and religion courses offered at Villa. You can get all of these General Education courses abroad! Also, check with SAU about how many credits you will need to take in Italy so that you do not fall behind in credits. The credits do not transfer 1-to-1, so always check.

GOOD TO KNOW: EVERYDAY

DEBIT CARD/CREDIT CARD They are necessary for buying plane and train tickets. They are great for emergencies. Make sure you’ve notified your bank because some banks will freeze the card as soon as they see international transactions. Be aware of fees for withdrawals and card usage in stores. Withdrawing a larger amount of cash is more economical than withdrawing a little bit at a time.

MONEYIt’s easier to carry cash (euros) with you and have a debit or credit card for emergencies. Don’t change your dollars to euros at the airport if you don’t have to. They have high exchange rates! Talk to the employees and students at Villa. They have helped students get the best exchange rate in the previous years.

GET A BANK OF AMERICA ACCOUNTIt only takes 10% of the amount withdrawn.

EXCHANGE RATEhttp://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=EUR&To=USD

GOOD TO KNOW: MONEY

PASSPORTSKeep your passport with you at all times while traveling. Do not leave it unattended. It should be kept in a safe place while traveling and during your stay at the dorms.

OTHER TRAVELING DOCUMENTS Keep a copy of all travel documents in a safe place. Having a backup copy helps in case of emergencies. Take your original documents only when you go outside of the country. Other than that, having copies is fine. This is your form of identification for any situation. Villa Aurora will also help you get a temporary ID card, so take extra passport photos.

GOOD TO KNOW: DOCUMENTS

PACK JUST THE NECESSARYYou may want to buy more clothes while you are in Italy. It’s better to save luggage space for new clothes and souvenirs.

EMERGENCY CLOTHESPack a couple sets of clothes in your carry-on bag in case your luggage gets lost.

BUS TICKETSThe university provides you with a monthly bus pass so you can get around the city easily.

TRAVEL

Waiting for a train in Lake ComoSEARCH FOR DEALSTake time to search for cheap flights when traveling during break. Always plan ahead, especially if you are traveling on New Year’s. Some good sites to check include: Skyscanner, Jetcost, EasyJet and Ryanair.

HAND SANITIZER/TOILET PAPERTake some with you when you go out. Public restrooms can be dirty or lacking in toilet paper and hand soap.

SAFE STORAGEEach room at the university comes with a locked closet to store all your items and keepsakes.

FAN/HEATERDuring the warmer weather, there are fans in some rooms. There’s AC. During the colder weather, each room has an installed heater.

PILLOW/COMFORTER/SHEETS/TOWELS/WASHCLOTHSEach week, the school provides free laundry services for your bedding and towels.

LAUNDRYThere is a laundry room that students can use for free. You get two coins every week, one for the washer and one for the drier.

WHAT ’S PROVIDED

BE NICEWhen needing to talk to advisors, teachers or even peers at the school, it is more likely that they will help if you are nice first. Outside of school, try not to argue with vendors; just smile, disconnect eye contact, and keep walking if you are not interested in their merchandise.

ENJOY YOURSELF

Watching the sunset in Ponte Vecchio

BE FRUGALEveryone's financial situation is different, but the more money you can hang on to, the more confident you will be when traveling. Always try to find good deals and live cheaply. Occasionally, it is fun to splurge on a nice dinner, show, or clothing item.

TALK TO PEOPLEOne of the best ways to learn about the local culture is by chatting with people on transportation, or in markets. They will have plenty of questions to ask you as well.