Homestay Guidelines

Observe a lot the first days and try to adapt or fall into the host’s way of life; eating times and habits, sense of humor, and household behavior. Most students expect to “feel at home” from the very first moment they walk through the door. This is a legitimate expectation, but can be reached only if you give yourself time to overcome initial stress and a certain amount of “culture shock” before feeling comfortable. Remember that most of the effort must be made by you because your hosts are already “at home.” Their routine life goes on with jobs, school, worries and joys, and they expect you to just fit in. They will be flexible and understanding because they have seen these initial difficulties often before. (Don’t be annoyed if they refer to other students who lived with them. This is not meant as a comparison, but just to show that they know where you’re coming from). The best source of suggestions and advice is other students’ experiences:

• “It is definitely a two-way effort, and I felt that I had to make a lot of the effort. The customs were different, and there was no way to avoid stepping on a few toes by accident.”
• “Don’t wait for them to ask you everything. Ask them too.”
• “Don’t be bothered by first reactions or tone of voice. Italians have expressions (body and facial) that may seem rude or abrupt by American standards but are not in this culture.”

From a young age, Italians are used to seeing wine on the table at meal times. Italians enjoy their wine in moderation and therefore, binge drinking is not usually an issue here. If you have alcohol in your room or come home drunk, your host will be very concerned about your safety, your mental and physical health. You will hear about it and so will the housing office. In fact, it is prohibited to keep any alcoholic beverages in your homestay room. They may serve wine with dinner, but will have strict ideas about appropriate consumption. Your family may not be outspoken, but the expectation is that you will drink in moderation: one or two glasses are the norm. Public drunkenness, whether on the street or in a bar, is an arrestable offense. In addition to the legal consequences, there are cultural ones: too many drinks destroy your chances of a genuine relationship with Italians and makes you look bad. Do not embarrass hosts or create problems for them in this respect. Since you are their guests, they are responsible for what happens in their household. Any complaints regarding the aforementioned behavior can result in dismissal from the home and, depending on the gravity, dismissal from the program.

Your host will provide you with breakfast and dinner Monday through Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, only breakfast will be served. Since each student has different tastes, we suggest that you speak openly with your host right from the beginning about what foods you like. Take advantage of the bilingual food list that you will receive at the placement meeting during orientation and go through it with your host as soon as possible. Remember that during the Full Immersion weekend, the first weekend of the semester, you will receive breakfast and dinner on Saturday and breakfast, lunch and dinner on Sunday.

Breakfast (colazione) in Italy is light and simple, generally consisting of caffè latte (Espresso with milk) or tea, biscuits or brioche, and, on request, fruit. You may substitute biscuits for bread and marmalade, or yogurt, or corn flakes. Cereal for breakfast is not as common in Italy, and can be costly compared to in America. Your host may provide cereal for you; however, if you consume more than one box per week, you will have to provide for it personally out of your own funds.

Dinner (cena) can vary from pasta or soup, salad or a cooked vegetable, cheese and fruit. Meat may be a part of the above menu, or it may substitute the first course (i.e., pasta or soup). After dinner, stick around to chat (or watch TV) with your host family.

Dos and Don’ts:

You will be given a set of keys and will keep them for the entire semester. For security reasons, your host may ask for them when you leave for semester break. Don’t forget that in the event of damage or loss of keys you will be held personally responsible for not only the copies, but also for the lock. The price to change the armour-plated door lock will cost about 225.00 Euro (Some may cost less. It will depend on the type of lock). Copies of keys can cost from 3.00 to 15.00 Euro, also depending on the type of key.

Your hosts are aware of the fact that you are a young adult and want to go out at night with friends. But remember, again, that you are not living in a hotel.

Dos and Don’ts:

Your accommodation is covered during the week of break, therefore if you do not travel, you can expect your meal plan to remain the same. As a courtesy to your host family, you should take some time to discuss your travel plans with them, so they are aware if and when you intend to leave or return home.

Your hosts will wash your clothes for you however you may be asked to hang them out to dry (dryers are not used in Italy due to the cost). Use of the washing machine is granted once a week. Please discuss details with hosts. We suggest that you set a ‘laundry day’ (for example, every Monday) in order to avoid misunderstandings.

Washing machines are much smaller in Italy and therefore loads are much smaller. It won’t be realistic to hand over twelve pairs of dirty socks, ten blouses or shirts and six pairs of jeans every week. A reasonable amount of clothes once a week would be (i.e., one pair of jeans, five blouses or shirts, a daily change of underwear, one skirt and one dress, and two pairs of pants). Do not use the machine for heavy clothes! (Coats, jackets, heavy sweaters, etc. must be taken to the dry cleaners and paid for out of personal funds.) Jeans, however, can be washed. Delicate clothes should be taken to the cleaners, but be aware that cleaners are more expensive here than in the States.

You do not have to pay for detergent, however, you do have to purchase your own soap should you decide to hand wash certain articles. Whenever you hand wash something make sure that you do it in the proper place and that you know where clothes should be hung to dry (don’t hang clothes to drip-dry over wooden chairs, parquet or marble floors!).

Please keep in mind that there is less space in Italy. Homes and rooms are generally smaller than what you may be used to. Your host will supply you with clean towels and bed sheets once a week. You should air your room daily and keep it neat and orderly. (Italians have very high standards of neatness.) Hosts are not expected to pick up your clothes and books in order to clean it (usually once a week).

Dos and Don’ts:

The costs of utilities such as electricity, water, gas, and telephone are prohibitively expensive in Italy and will be watched very carefully in your family. So, you must learn to turn off the lights each time you leave a room and take brief showers (10-15 minute.) Please do not expect to take more than one shower per day as the bathroom must be shared with others.

Dos and Don’ts:
Do: Please use the toilet brush that is located in every Italian bathroom.
Don’t: Do not plug in American appliances without using an appropriate adaptor. The voltage in Italy is 220 and only 110 in the US.
Don’t: Do not step out of the shower and walk around the house with bare wet feet as most floors in Italy are delicate (polished marble or parquet). Most Italians wear a bathrobe and slippers when they get out of a shower.
Don’t: Do not put tampons, sanitary napkins, cotton balls, Q-tips or anything else down the toilet (you will be responsible for plumbing charges) and remove hair from drain after washing or showering to avoid clogging. Drain pipes are smaller in Italy and therefore water drains slower and pipes are apt to clog.