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Florence Housing Survey |
1. Introduction
In Florence, students can choose to live in a homestay with locals or share an apartment with other Smith students (when possible). Students will be accommodated in singles or doubles, depending on availability.
Homestays
Living with a family in a city like Florence 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 have few complaints.
Homestays
Living with a family in a city like Florence 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 have few complaints.
What one can learn linguistically and culturally by living with a family is very rewarding, but students must be sensitive to cultural differences and ready to adapt to different living habits.
Frequently two and sometimes three students are accommodated by one family, though each student will have their 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.
Student apartments
In student apartments, students will have their own room and will share the bathroom, the use of kitchen and common spaces (usually a living room) with other students (usually between 2 and 4 students are accommodated in an apartment).
Student apartments
In student apartments, students will have their own room and will share the bathroom, the use of kitchen and common spaces (usually a living room) with other students (usually between 2 and 4 students are accommodated in an apartment).
Living in an apartment offers a different level of independence; students are responsible for buying food and for cleaning and maintaining the space, and they have the opportunity to cook for themselves and organize their meal schedule.
Students can meet locals at the University, in libraries and cafés, and will be able to practice the language and be in contact with the culture.
In answering the following questions, please be completely honest and as frank as possible. All information will remain confidential. Do not try to project an image or manipulate the results by providing inaccurate information. For example, 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; saying you need absolute silence to sleep in hopes of being the only student in a family. Truthful information will help us accommodate you. Bear in mind also that you may not get everything you want: that’s life, and one of the many adjustments you'll make during your time in Florence.
If the student keeps in mind these few provisions, their experience in Florence will be very rewarding.
If the student keeps in mind these few provisions, their experience in Florence will be very rewarding.