Family and friends keep asking how they can help and how they can stay in touch and know you are safe. What do I tell them?
This is ultimately up to you. But if they want to send you off with a useful present you might find ideas on the packing list.
As to keeping in touch you can give them a link to this website and they can follow along on your blog posts here. I use WhatsApp and iMessage to text internationally you can use these or something else. The apartments have WiFi but you will probably want some celluar data for the 21 days and may choose to purchase an eSIM which will come with an Italian number. I’ll be doing this myself.
The college and I cannot release information to you without your consent to any third party, even spouses and parents. If you wish us to share information about your well-being we’ll need to have appropriately signed forms on file before you leave.
Have you acquired all the textbooks and downloaded everything you might want or need?
Check the syllabus for textbooks and apps. Check the packing list for more on downloading. Be sure to make CityMapper available OFFLINE for Rome. You can also download other offline travel aids.
Have you done anything to learn a little Italian?
Duolingo is a great place to start, but I listening and repeating is more important: Rapid Italian Ear Worms, Coffee Break Italian, and Pimsleur. I like all of these. I expect that we start and end each interaction in Italian, even if that is just a Buon Giorno and a Grazi. Learning how to purchase a coffee and a ticket and to ask if some one speaks English is a means of showing respect to those we encounter. English may be widely spoken, but basic language learning is about cultural awareness and integration.
Have you selected possible presentation topics?
Look over all the options. You need one from each category. Paired and unpaired. BUT your choice might be someone else’s choice so best to pick your top three from each. Send these to Prof. Yarrow by email and she’ll try to make sure you get at least one of your top choices. She’ll also send you reading suggestions. Consider drafting your presentation before you leave campus! You have her help and all the library resources here. Getting these out of the way in May will give you so much more time to explore and have fun in Rome!
More Please! I really want to be super prepared!
Look for fiction set in Modern Rome. I did this before I did my own study abroad to Oxford: it really helped me imagine the experience that was making me nervous.
Tour each of the places we’ll visit via Google Earth.
Chose restaurants in the neighborhood using TripAdvisor.
Plan your weekends. Will you stay in the city? Will you travel within Italy? Where? Why? How?
Make a list of 10 things you want to do in the city of Rome when you have down time.
Practice more Italian!
Read the CultureSmart! Book. Look for similar books.
More to come as I think of it!
Rome via Brooklyn 