2013-14 Florence Housing Survey |
1. Introduction
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Living with a family in a city like Florence is a very different experience from living in a student house on the Smith Campus. It can be, and generally is, a very rewarding experience, and many students have formed lasting friendships with their host families, but students must arrive psychologically prepared with a positive and open attitude. It is important to remember that even though host families receive an allowance for room and board, they are accommodating you in their homes and making room for you in their lives. They are not your roommates, your parents, or your servants. The students who remember this often have the easiest time adjusting and few complaints.
What one can learn linguistically and culturally during a one-year stay in a family could never be duplicated elsewhere. Such living arrangements are part of what distinguishes our program; moreover, our students have such a good reputation in Florence that families usually prefer to give them hospitality over other U.S. students. We are therefore able to select the best families, but students must be sensitive to cultural differences and ready to adapt to different living habits.
In some cases, two or three students will be accommodated by one family, though each Smith student will have her own room. This living arrangement, too, requires some flexibility and a good attitude. Students living in the same family should agree on rules at the beginning of the stay and they should make a constant effort to speak Italian even when the family is not present.
As in most European cities, the downtown center of Florence is mainly occupied by commercial buildings, while private residences are located outside the city center. Students should expect to travel half an hour to an hour by bus each day between home and the Sede. Only in a few cases is it possible to walk to school.
In answering the following questions, please be completely honest. All information remains confidential. Do not try to project an image (e.g. saying you don’t smoke when you do; saying you are neat when you are not; saying you love small children when you have never lived with a small child.) Without accurate information, we can’t place you in a suitable family. Bear in mind also that you may not get everything you want: that’s life.
If the student keeps in mind these few provisions, her experience in Florence will be very rewarding.
What one can learn linguistically and culturally during a one-year stay in a family could never be duplicated elsewhere. Such living arrangements are part of what distinguishes our program; moreover, our students have such a good reputation in Florence that families usually prefer to give them hospitality over other U.S. students. We are therefore able to select the best families, but students must be sensitive to cultural differences and ready to adapt to different living habits.
In some cases, two or three students will be accommodated by one family, though each Smith student will have her own room. This living arrangement, too, requires some flexibility and a good attitude. Students living in the same family should agree on rules at the beginning of the stay and they should make a constant effort to speak Italian even when the family is not present.
As in most European cities, the downtown center of Florence is mainly occupied by commercial buildings, while private residences are located outside the city center. Students should expect to travel half an hour to an hour by bus each day between home and the Sede. Only in a few cases is it possible to walk to school.
In answering the following questions, please be completely honest. All information remains confidential. Do not try to project an image (e.g. saying you don’t smoke when you do; saying you are neat when you are not; saying you love small children when you have never lived with a small child.) Without accurate information, we can’t place you in a suitable family. Bear in mind also that you may not get everything you want: that’s life.
If the student keeps in mind these few provisions, her experience in Florence will be very rewarding.