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NYU FlorenceFall 2011 Pre-Departure Orientation

AgendaLearnLiveExplore Campus Academic Staff Calendar Registration FAQs Billing Service Learning Academic Site Visits La Pietra Policy Dialogues Getting There Arrival Orientation Housing & Meals The City Culture & Customs Health & Safety Staff Student Life Community Service Things to Do Local / Regional Travel Budget Tips

Learn: Intro Learn CampusAcademic StaffCalendarRegistration FAQsBillingService LearningAcademic Site VisitsLa Pietra Policy Dialogues

Campus 57-acre estate with 5 Renaissancevillas, grounds and formalgardensClasses and some residence hallson campusLa Pietra tours and open gardenhoursCommunity events and academicconferences3 computer labs on campusWireless Internet in public spacesReference and reserve librarywith study area, periodicals, andmedia viewing stations

Academic Staff Office of Academic Support VillaUlivi Advising, registration, academicaccommodations, study resources,federal work study, etc. E-mail:florence.academicsupport@nyu.edu Tel. (011-39) 055-5007300

CalendarAll students must arrive on August 30th!!! If youarrive before you will be responsible for your ownaccommodations. 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 isrequired; select one that matches yourskill 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 localbookstores

Billing The NYU Ebill system is used fortuition, registration fees and anestimated housing charge The estimated housing charge isused as a “placeholder charge” untilhousing assignments are finalized;the initial charge is unrelated to thefinal housing charge Once the actual housing placementhas been made, the Ebill is adjusted,resulting in either a credit or anadditional charge, which appears onstudent accounts within 2-3 weeksafter the start of the program

Service Learning Class time plus 50 hours volunteering In English: Elective Usually placed in a schoolIn Italian: Completion of Intermediate IIItalian required Counts as the PROGRAM Italianrequirement; does not count as alanguage requirement Placed in associations or schoolsQuestions? Contact the Office ofAcademic Support(florence.academicsupport@nyu.edu)

Academic Site Visits Many courses include day and weekendtrips that are part of class time Costs are included in tuition Academic excursions are a uniqueopportunity for experiential learning Sample Site Visits: Villa Gamberaia Gardens Local Museums and Monuments Mukki Latte Italian Language DaySample Excursions: Overnight trips to Rome Tarquinia, Chiusi, OrvietoArcheological Sites Overnight Trip to Torino

La Pietra Policy Dialogues Academics, politicians, businessleaders, and public intellectualsmeet to discuss some of the mostvexing and urgent policyquestions in the U.S. and Europe Students are involved inconceptualization, developmentand organization of events andhave unique access to globalleaders and distinguished expertswho visit campus Get involved & volunteer inLPPD : lapietra.reply@nyu.edu

Live: Intro Live Getting ThereArrivalOrientationHousing & MealsThe CityCulture & CustomsHealth & SafetyStaff

Getting There: Pre-departure Get/Renew Passport ASAP: Can’t expire before May 2012 Cancel NYU Housing ASAP: Use acceptance letter frompacket 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 EmergencyContact NYU Traveler: Arrival Info Apply for Student Visa: Deadline to apply through NYU isJune 3rd Receive e-Bill for Fall 2011 and Follow Bursar PaymentDeadlines Ongoing: Read ALL “What’s Next” Posts on Blog

Arrival Arrival Cheat Sheet with shuttle times will beavailable on Blackboard Check-in is historically 9:00am to 6:00pm Transportation from the Florence Airport isbased on group flights and the majority ofstudent arrival info. Transportation from the check-in location tohousing is carried out only within officialcheck-in hours Staff will meet students outside of customs todirect them to shuttles or taxis Students arriving at other airports, by train, oroutside of set times are on their own, includingtransportation to campus (taxi 20-25) and thento their living situation ( 15-20) – cash inEuros only It may be several hours before students will beable to contact family; let family know!

Orientation Orientation sessions last 3 days, andactivities continue through theweekend Mandatory sessions are Health &Safety, NYU Florence 101,Academics, and Housing Optional sessions includeNeighborhood Tours, Campus Tour,Getting Around Florence,Information Fair, CommunityService, Work Study, Advising,Survival Italian, etc. Activities include City SightseeingTours, Peer-Accompanied Quests, aWelcome 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 assmoking Meal plans available in On-Campus housing andin Homestays only Actual housing prices are available online andvia online forms Housing assignments are sent to students’ NYUe-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, pillowsprovided 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 withsingle, double, triple, & quad bedrooms Shared, fully-equipped kitchens (nomeal plan) Shared bathrooms Internet is Ethernet or Wireless Cleaning & linens service (sheets,towels, blankets, pillows provided butbring 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 citycenter House 1 to 3 students in single & doublebedrooms within families’ homes Family types vary, most have kids Most have Internet (no guarantees) Sheets, blankets, pillows provided, but bringtowels! With Meals: breakfast & dinner daily, nokitchen access Without Meals: kitchen access (kitchenwareprovided) 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 TuscanRegion (Toscana) – 380,000 11 million tourists per year; 6,000study abroad students Compact city centered around theDuomo and other monuments Buses, taxis and walking are mainway to get around (no subways!) Home of the Uffizi, Brunelleschi'sDuomo, Ponte Vecchio and tonsmore!

Culture & Customs Space (personal and architectural) is ascarce commodity Most young people live at home;family and childhood friends areimportant Living in older buildings can bechallenging (yet beautiful) Heat, hot water, and electricity may belimited and should be conserved Internet access may be erratic ascompared to US standards Meals: breakfast is sparse, dinner islate (8pm), and eating is an art Air-conditioning may be regarded asbad for your health

Culture & Customs When entering a business, it’s bad mannersnot 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 afashion show Nothing is open 24/7, stores may be closedon 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 theUS, so be flexible, patient and enjoy thedifferences!

Health & Safety Italy’s healthcare system is ranked #2 in theworld (W.H.O.) Most medications are available exceptADHD medication (bring a full supply) Medication, toiletries, and food should notbe shipped from outside the EU Bring copies of prescriptions (generic nameand dosage) with you Students with special needs must contactthe Moses Center in advance Learn the Italian word/phrases for any foodor medication allergies If you need ongoing care, set it up inadvance 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 domestichealth insurance!Italian Health InsuranceRegister with HTH when you receivetheir e-mail, print a copy of the card andbring it with you

Student Life Staff Office of Student Life Villa Natalia Housing placements, residence life,activities, clubs, health & safety,crisis response, non-creditcommunity service, generalassistance & support, etc. E-mail:florence.studentlife@nyu.edu Tel. (011-39) 055-5007450

Explore: Intro Explore Student LifeCommunity ServiceThings to DoLocal / Regional TravelBudget Tips

Student Life Most activities are subsidized, some are free Trips Events Florence Sightseeing, Dinners, Study Breaks,Hiking, Sports Tournaments, Gelato Crawl,Cooking Lessons, Cultural Exchange ProjectClubs Scambio Dinners, Tastings, Soccer Games,Concerts, Opera, Open Mic Nights, FilmScreenings, Olive HarvestProgramming Modena, Cinque Terre, Verona, Bologna,Perugia, Viareggio, Lucca, Val D’OrciaCulinary, Music, Gardening, Creative Writing,Vegetarian, Sports, Politics, Running,PhotographyTell 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 UANCommunity-Wide Events FundraisingAngeli del BelloCorri La VitaParking DayAlternative Fall Break

Things To Do Academic Events Museums & Monuments Galleria degli Uffizi San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel Boboli GardensMusic & Theater Concerts, Theater, Opera Live JazzSports Calcio! Fiorentina (i Viola)Markets Talks, Concerts, ConferencesSan Lorenzo, Sant’ Ambrogio, Le CascineFestivals/local events Rifricolona Vendemmia Palazzo Giovane and UAN

Local / Regional Travel Florence is centrally located in Italy, sothere 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, SanGimignano) 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