Part 7: Campus and

Culture

Part 7: Discover Rome

In this lesson, you will learn about:

• Basic Information about Italy

• Safety Information

• SJU’s Campus in Rome

• Local Transportation

• Language & Culture

Benvenuti a Roma!

Italy: Some Basic Facts

• Capital: Rome

• Government Type: Republic

• President: Giorgio Napolitano

• Prime Minister: Matteo Renzi

• Major Political Parties: Popolo della Libertà, Partito Democratico, Lega

Nord, Italia dei Valori, and Unione dei Democratici Cristiani e di Centro

• Population: 61.5M (23rd largest in the world)

• Most populous cities: Rome (4.32 million), Milan (2.96 million), Naples

(3.12 million)

• Area: 301,340 km² (slightly bigger than Arizona)

• Climate: Alpine in the north, hot and dry in the south

• Time difference to the east coast: 6 hours

• Major religions: Catholicism (90%),

5% Protestantism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Baha’i, Buddhist

and others

Safety Abroad: Rome

• Some emergency phone

numbers:

– Police: 112

– Fire Brigade: 115

– Ambulance: 118

– General Emergency: 112

Living Abroad: Italy - Classrooms and Housing

• Campus Facility: St. John’s University Rome Campus

• Location: Central, about one block from the Lepanto metro stop and many major bus

lines. In the beautiful Prati district, a 15 minute walk from the Vatican, with easy access to

the historical center. Restaurants, shopping, cinemas and gyms are plentiful.

• Room Description: Students are housed in double and triple rooms, each with its own

air conditioning and heating unit. Some rooms utilize bunk beds.

• Bathrooms: Single-sex shared bathrooms are available on each floor.

• Common Space: Each floor has a lounge space with a refrigerator and microwave; in

addition, the campus has a large student lounge and a library.

Living Abroad: Italy - Classrooms and Housing

• Computers/Internet: There is a computer lab as well as wireless internet access

throughout the building.

• Laundry: Coin-operated machines are available on campus. Expect to pay €4-6 per load.

• Linens: Bed linens, a blanket, and one towel are provided; students are responsible for

cleaning and maintaining these during their stay.

• Meals: SJU provides 15 meal vouchers each week valued at €3 each. These can be used

to eat at many area restaurants or at supermarkets. There is also a kitchen available for

student use as long as the kitchen rules are followed.

• Classrooms: Located within the campus building.

Living Abroad: Local Transportation: Rome

• Metropolitana (metro), bus. Important Note: Hours may vary but the metro

and buses do NOT run all night, but rather may stop as early as 11:30 pm.

• Taxi

• Mobilità – Rome Bike Sharing

• Walking – The best way to explore the city!

Language Briefing

Knowing the basics of the local language is crucial for getting around,

meeting new people and making a great first impression. Practice the

words and phrases below to get a head start:

• Ciao (chow) – Hello/Goodbye informal

• Buon giorno (bwohn djohr-noh) – Good Morning

• Buona sera (bwoh-na se-ra) – Good Evening

• Arrivederci (arr-ee-ve-der-chi) – Goodbye formal

• Per favore (pear fa-vo-reh) – Please

• Grazie (grats-yeh) – Thank you

• Prego (preh-goh) – You’re welcome

A few notes on culture

In case we haven’t stressed it enough, you’ll be dealing with a LOT of

cultural differences. We’ve also tried to stress that differences don’t have

to be a bad thing – in fact, they should be the reason you’re going abroad!

It helps to prepare yourself, though, so we’ve pulled together a few basic

notes on Italian culture:

1. Calcio – Forget about the Giants and Jets, the sport that the rest of the

world calls football (and Italians call calcio) is a way of life in Italy. Pick

a team to support and you’ll instantly gain about a million new friends.

2. La Bella Figura – Don’t leave the house unless you’re dressed to go

out (that means no sweatpants), don’t eat or drink while walking down

the street, and always dress for the season. They aren’t rules per se,

just standard expectations for every native Italian.

3. Sundays – Most Italian cities will pretty much shut down on Sundays

as people gather together at home for rest, relaxation and big family

dinners.

Culture, Cont’d.

4. Coffee – This is a big one, and there are rules: feel free to drink it

standing up at the bar, but never take it to go. Cappuccinos and lattes

are usually reserved for the morning hours, while in the afternoon it’s

standard to go with a simple caffé (what we call espresso) or macchiato

(“stained” caffé, with a drop of cream).

5. Time – Italians have an easy going culture, and that extends to their

interpretation of time. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be punctual

(especially when it comes to your classes!), but don’t be surprised if

things occasionally happen a few minutes later than planned.

Further Research

We could go on forever telling you about the language & culture

of these places, but the best way to prepare is to do some

research on your own and focus on the things that interest you.

Here are some resources to get you started:

• The Student Guide – made for SJU students by SJU

students, it has tons of info on each of our locations.

• LonelyPlanet.com – a website devoted to travel, with

general info on all of our locations and many more

• Wikipedia – for all its faults, Wikipedia can be great for

getting quick facts on things like geography, politics, people and

climate.