GENERAL
PREPARATIONS
LIFE IN GENOA
PACKING
updated: 5 August 2022
computer
All students are expected to have a laptop for academic work. Bring necessary operating system and software discs in case you have a problem. If in doubt about the necessity of having a personal computer, speak to your professor.
clothes
Bring whatever you want with regard to clothes as you will be “moving in” to an apartment for the duration of the program. But you will have to negotiate airports and trains, and carry your stuff up stairs when you get to Genoa. Pack lightly is the standard rule for travel.
Clothing can be expensive in Italy. Buy any United States brand clothes you want while you are in the US. For example, virtually any kind of name brand athletic shoe will be less expensive in the US. Save your shopping budget for distinctly Italian goods.
Dress in Italy has become more casual, and young people dress casually, obviously. But some citizens of the United States tend to dress very casually, sometimes without responding to the social coding of the situation. So bring clothes to fit several levels of social requirements.
For some of the “professional” visits we will do (depending on your major or program focus) or going to a performance at the Carlo Felice Opera House, you will be expected to have “casual business” or appropriate attire. At a minimum, males: long pants, collared shirt, leather shoes, jacket a good idea, tie optional but easy to pack...; females: dress or skirt with jacket a good idea.
When we travel, we may go into some churches that require females to have their shoulders covered and shorts that are not too short. We have had students become upset that they were not allowed into a church, so be informed.
Bring rain gear, such as a rain jacket and a small umbrella.
Good walking shoes are important. We walk everywhere and all the time, on trips and in Genoa. Bring good shoes, but also make sure your feet and legs have had a little exercise before you get here. With regard to shoes, athletic shoes in good shape on a young person are fine most of the time.
prescription drugs
Bring whatever you need regarding prescription drugs for a health condition to avoid having problems procuring it in Italy. Bring a copy of the prescription as well. If it is an over the counter product (for instance, allergy medicine), it is good to know more than the US product name to purchase an equivalent in Italy: Benadryl = Diphenhydramine.
Do not plan on having your parents express or mail prescription drugs to you: it can be a challenge to get it through Italian customs (if it is declared as such) and takes time and money.