Landing in Italy for your studies is thrilling, and a little overwhelming. The flights, the housing search, the documents are only half the story: the real beginning of your student life is orientation week Italy style, those first days when a university rolls out the red carpet for new arrivals. From campus tours to bureaucratic marathons, here is what to expect and how to make the most of your first week as an international student in Italy.
Orientation Week Italy: What It Actually Is
Most Italian universities organize welcome activities for new students at the start of the academic year, usually in late September or early October. These events go by different names: welcome week, orientation days, "settimana di accoglienza". The format varies, but the goal is the same: help you find your way around campus, meet fellow students and complete the first administrative steps before lectures begin.
Unlike some countries where orientation is a single scripted day, in Italy the week is usually a mix of official events and informal opportunities. Expect faculty presentations, guided tours, library and lab introductions, language placement tests and social events. Attendance is rarely mandatory, but skipping the whole week is a mistake: this is when friendships form and when you learn the practical things no brochure explains.
Before You Arrive: What to Prepare
Orientation works best when you arrive prepared. Keep your enrollment documents, passport, visa, tax code and housing contract in one folder, with digital copies on your phone. Check the university welcome page for the schedule, because some sessions require registration. If you have not yet opened an Italian bank account or sorted your health insurance, note the info desks that handle these topics: many universities invite banks and insurers to set up stands during the welcome week.
Day by Day: A Typical Orientation Week
Day 1: Welcome and Campus Tour
The first day usually opens with an official welcome from the rector or the dean, followed by presentations of the faculties, student services and international office. You will receive your student ID and learn how to access the online portal, the library system and the course timetable. The campus tour that follows is more useful than it sounds: Italian campuses are often spread across a historic city, and knowing which building hosts your first lecture saves real stress.
Day 2: The International Office
This is the day to visit the international office with your documents. Staff verify your enrollment, explain the residence permit process if you are a non-EU student and answer questions about the DSU Toscana scholarship and other financial aid. Bring every document you have, including ones you think are unnecessary: Italian bureaucracy loves paper, and having an extra copy beats a return trip. This is also when you confirm your tax code (codice fiscale), the magic number that unlocks bank accounts, phone contracts and medical care.
Day 3: Language Placement and Practical Life
Many universities offer free or low-cost Italian courses for international students, and orientation week is when placement tests happen. Even if your degree is fully in English, basic Italian transforms your daily life, from renting an apartment to chatting with classmates. Other sessions on this day typically cover housing rights, public transport passes, student discounts and health services. Take notes: the student transport pass alone can save you hundreds of euros over the year.
Day 4: Faculty Meetings and Course Planning
Midweek, the focus shifts to academics. Each faculty presents its programs, professors explain how courses and exams work and tutors help you plan your first semester. Pay close attention to the exam system: Italian universities use the 30-point grading scale and oral exams, and the way you register for exam sessions (appelli) is different from most other countries. If your program includes a tutorato service, meet your tutor now: these senior students are your shortcut to surviving the first months.
Day 5 and Beyond: Social Events
The week usually closes with the fun part: city tours, aperitivo evenings, sports open days and the famous Erasmus and student association fairs. Sign up for at least one student association: it is the fastest way to build a social circle beyond your faculty. In cities like Arezzo, orientation also includes excursions into Tuscany, because the universities know that falling in love with the city is part of settling in. Say yes to these trips: the friends you make here often become your closest companions for years.
Practical Checklist for Your First Week
To turn a busy week into a smooth start, work through this checklist:
- Collect your student ID and activate the university online portal and email.
- Confirm your codice fiscale and start your residence permit application (non-EU students).
- Register for the Italian placement test and your first language course.
- Buy or order the student transport pass for your city.
- Open an Italian bank account and get a local SIM card.
- Register with a general practitioner (medico di base) through the local health authority.
- Visit the library, learn the borrowing system and locate your lecture buildings.
- Join one student association and exchange numbers with classmates.
Common First-Week Mistakes to Avoid
The biggest mistake is treating orientation as optional tourism: the students who attend everything finish the week with documents sorted, friends made and a clear plan. The second mistake is delaying bureaucracy: residence permits and health registration have real deadlines, and queues only get longer in October. A third classic is spending the whole week with people from your own country: branching out early pays off all year. Finally, do not panic if lectures feel confusing at first: the Italian system takes a few weeks to click, and every international student goes through the same adjustment.
After the Week Ends: Settling In
Orientation week is the launchpad, not the destination. In the weeks that follow, keep going to the language course, follow up on any paperwork still pending and start exploring study routines that fit the Italian exam system. The international office stays open all year, so there is no shame in going back with questions. And if you want to turn a good start into a great year, start your application to study with us at the Università Verde di Toscana, where small classes in the heart of Tuscany make the first days feel like home from the start.
