Residence Life

After acceptance to the JFRC, you'll confirm your enrollment by selecting the "intent to enroll" option in their study abroad center found in the online application system.  You'll also need to make a $500 deposit online by credit card. Once confirmed, students will complete their pre-departure documents including a mandatory online housing contract. 

If you and another student wish to share a room, you'll both need to make that request when completing your individual housing contracts. We can't fulfill any roommate plans unless both of you submit a request.

Clothing

Bring the basics

Most students do a fair amount of shopping while in Italy.

Semester Students: Plan on clothes for all seasons. Bring warm clothing to layer up during the fall because heat in the building is limited to certain hours by law. One light and one heavy jacket will suffice. November through March is usually cool and damp due to rainy weather, whereas May through August is usually hot and sunny.

Summer Students: May, June, and July are hot and humid months. Evenings can sometimes be cool.

Bring comfortable shoes

You will walk a great deal more than you do in the U.S. Also remember that cobblestone streets in Rome are uneven and very slippery when wet.

Be mindful of dress codes

Remember that more modest dress is required to enter churches. Shoulders and knees must be covered.

Formal clothes

There will be a few occasions during the semester when you will want to sport your fancy threads, so bring formal options.

Cell Phones

All JFRC students are required to have a mobile phone with data access (even when not on WiFi) during their time as a student. JFRC students are required to use an app that helps them stay informed of local and international security concerns, and contact help or be contacted in emergency situations. To benefit fully from the features of the app, students need access to a data plan. There are two options to fulfill this obligation:

• Bring a mobile phone from home with an international data plan that allows consistent data access, regardless of location.
• Bring an unlocked mobile phone and buy an Italian SIM card in a local shop. 

Class Supplies

All your class supplies can be acquired at local neighborhood stores in Rome. Pens, notebooks, and folders can be purchased at the neighborhood cartoleria.

All textbooks and course materials can be purchased at the Anglo American Bookstore in Rome. Directions and details will be given to students during on-site orientation in Rome.

Computers

There are many computers available for students to use on campus in common spaces and in the Information Commons. Most students bring their own laptop or tablet; however, this is not strictly necessary and is up to students' personal preference. If you bring a laptop/tablet, remember to bring a plug/power adapter for the charger. Voltage in Europe is 220 volts. It is also recommended that students bring their own USB drives for storing files.

The JFRC Information Commons, computer lab, Rinaldo’s Café Bar, and all common areas outside of residence halls have wireless access. Please note that there is no wireless internet in the residence hall.

Toiletries and Specialized Products

Toiletries & Cosmetics:

Bring travel-sized items. Larger sizes can easily be purchased upon arrival. Almost every toiletry can be purchased in Rome, but students may want to bring some over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and cold medications. Cosmetics and toiletries CANNOT be shipped to Italy; they will be stopped at customs.

Contact Lenses:

Bring an extra set of contacts or glasses, and your prescription. Contact lens solution can be easily found, usually in an ottica (eyeglasses store) and in some pharmacies or supermarkets.

Linens & Towels

The JFRC will provide sheets, pillowcases, and pillows for your bed. There is a sheet and towel exchange on campus once a week. The JFRC will provide one regular size towel. If students would like additional towels, they can be purchased in Rome.

Money

The easiest way to get cash is at an ATM (bancomat in Italian). Notify your bank that you are going abroad so they don’t think your credit or debit card was stolen. You can ask them about local ATMs in Rome to see if there are any that will not charge you service fees.

Also, set up online banking so you can check your balance often and transfer money from accounts online. Plan ahead and get some local currency (at least 200 euros) to use the first few days you arrive.

Students may exchange USD currency at currency exchanges around the city. There is a fee for doing so.

We realize you might want to arrive in Rome before the JFRC official move-in date.  If so, please know you'll need to make your own accommodations until we're ready for you on the move-in date.

We know it will be hard for you to leave. And it's not easy to say goodbye. Whether you're leaving after one summer session or a full year, we'll need to accommodate incoming students. To ensure a smooth process, we'll need you to vacate the residence hall within 24 hours of your final examination period.

If you are travelling for a brief period of time before returning home, you may store luggage at the JFRC as permitted by the Student Life Team. There are also lockers for storage at the train station and the airport.

Full-year students cannot stay at the JFRC between semesters, but must find an independent accommodation.

The JFRC cafeteria, Mensa, provides students lunch and dinner during the academic year and lunch during the summer. The cafeteria is not open on designated breaks. Students should view the calendar for these dates.

The cafeteria service is provided by an Italian catering company, and the menu items are predominantly Italian. Students will find a variety of choices at the JFRC, including salad, fruits, pastas, fish or meat, vegetables, and breads.

Rinaldo's is a coffee and snack bar on campus: students can eat, study, read, and access wireless in this quaint little cafe.

By living on a campus in the center of a great neighborhood, you will have everything you need, including: residence hall, 24-hour doorperson, cafeteria with daily lunch and dinner service, all-day coffee and snack bar, an ATM, self-service laundry facilities, workout studio, outdoor basketball court, classrooms, a beautiful chapel, a 24-hour library with computers, a Wellness Center, an infirmary, a rooftop terrace, and a beautiful citrus and olive grove!

Students abroad during the Fall Semester wishing to return for the spring semester need to complete an exemption form. They will receive an e-mail in early November with instructions for the Spring semester application. After completing the application, they will be placed in an on-campus space and will move in January prior to the start of the Spring semester.

Students abroad during the Spring Semester need to complete an exemption form as soon as they are confirmed for the JFRC. Their Spring housing assignment and meal plan will be canceled without penalty, and the student will check out of their Fall space at the end of the Fall Semester. If the student wants to live on campus for the Fall Semester following their JFRC semester, they can participate in the lottery in early February.

Second-year students returning to LUC are still under the residency requirement.

Contact res-life@luc.edu with any other questions you have regarding your LUC housing assignments and their process.

• The easiest way to travel from FCO or CIA airports to the JFRC is by taxi. DO NOT take a taxi that is solicited to you after leaving baggage claim. Please note that a taxi from the FCO or CIA airport to the JFRC could cost between €60-90 depending on traffic and the number of suitcases. Read more about transportation from Rome's airports.
• Bring a backpack for day trips. A larger, but not too large, piece of luggage is also needed for longer weekend trips. A duffle bag rather than a bag with wheels is recommended (easier to use on cobblestones or in small towns with long flights of stairs).
• Do not have large boxes, technological or pharmaceutical products (e.g., computers, cameras, memory cards, toothpaste, deodorant, contact lens solution) shipped to you in Rome. You will be required to pay a hefty tax on them once they arrive in Italy and may even have to go claim them in person at the airport.
• Do not make personal travel plans or plan to host visitors from the U.S. during mandatory program trips. For security and liability reasons, guests cannot accompany students on JFRC-sponsored study trips.