Off-campus Living & homestays

Internet access is available in all Off-campus Residences and may be wireless or require an Ethernet cord. Homestays may offer Internet access, but this is at the discretion of the family and not guaranteed. Each living situation has a different Internet system. The items that all students need in order to access internet include:

1. An adapter (not a converter) that allows the plug for your laptop to fit into an Italian outlet. Check what voltage on the AC adapter your laptop accepts. It should read as follows: “INPUT 110-240”.

2. A Web browser.

Instructions for how to access Internet will be provided upon arrival in Florence. If you cannot log on, please notify the Facilities Office. Note that the procedures for gaining access on campus are different. Please see the “Guide to On-Campus Housing” for instructions.

Please keep in mind that in Italy access may not be quite as efficient or consistent as Internet service to which students are accustomed. Students should expect that at times, the service may be sporadic. Facilities staff, landlords, and the telephone companies work to reinstate service when it falters, but issues are not always quickly or easily resolved. Students can help with the process by maintaining communication with the Facilities Office. Sometimes repairs require time and therefore patience on the part of the residents affected.

Many of the off-campus housing facilities have gas stoves and ovens and gas-powered heat. It is very important that students exercise caution when operating these devices. After using the stove or oven and allowing the flame to extinguish, be sure that the dial for the burner or oven is completely off. Then turn the gas lever on the wall next to the cooking unit from the “Aperto” position to the “Chiuso” position. Some gas levers are yellow dials. When the dial is parallel to the pipe, the gas is on, and when the dial is perpendicular to the pipe, the gas is off. If the pilot light for your hot water/heating unit goes out and you have not been instructed as to how to re-light it safely, do not touch the heater. Report the problem to the Facilities Office, and wait for a staff member or your landlord to resolve the problem for you. Please don’t hesitate to ask Facilities or OSL staff if you have questions about how to use your gas appliances properly.

If you suspect that there might be a gas leak somewhere in your living situation, OPEN THE WINDOWS AND FRONT DOOR, grab your keys, and VACATE IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT TOUCH THE LIGHT SWITCHES OR LIGHT AN OPEN FLAME. Call the Office of Student Life (+39-055-5007450) FROM OUTSIDE THE APARTMENT. The Fire Department (tel. 115) and neighbors in your building can be of help in such situations. Please do not hesitate to call upon them in the event of a gas leak.

We usually recommend our students to purchase an Italian phone number to utilize for their stay in Italy. If you opt for a prepaid credit system for your personal cellphone line, you add money to the phone’s account and then can make outgoing calls until that money runs out. When that runs out, it is up to you to put more money on your phone. To do so, go to a Tabaccheria or supermarket and ask for a TIM, Vodafone, or Wind ricarica, based on which service provider you have (the provider is indicated on the SIM card inside your phone). The credit will be provided either via an automated system or via a card. Written on each card are straightforward instructions about how to put money on your phone and a secret number, which you reveal by scratching off the appropriate area of the card. Input the number into your phone at the appointed time in the process. Please note that for Vodafone phones, you must have some money on your phone in order to effectuate a ricarica using a card.

Receiving calls on your phone in Italy (but not in other European countries) is always free, as is calling the police, fire department, or ambulance. You can receive calls and dial the aforementioned emergency numbers even when you do not have any money on your phone, so keep your phone charged and on even when the money has run out.

If you have any problems with or questions about your cell phone, please bring the phone into the Facilities Office. This is the only occasion upon which students are authorized to take the phone out of the living space. The sooner the problem is addressed, the better.

Off-Campus Residences have laundry machines in the facilities. In some cases, washing machines and drying racks are provided, as is customary in Italy, and in others, industrial coin-operated washing machines and dryers are provided. Residents of Homestays have access to laundry facilities once a week. Host families may teach students how to use the washing machine or wash the students’ laundry for them. Students are responsible for the cost of washing their clothing, including any fees for using the machines and the purchase of detergents.