UNIVERSITÀ DELLA CALABRIA - VIA P. BUCCI - I - 87036 ARCAVACATA DI RENDE (CS)

The University Campus
When choosing a study destination abroad, there are many important things to think about before reaching your final decision, and the more information you have, the better. Therefore, we hope that the following practical information will be of some use for your decision. Here is a list of key items in alphabetical order, followed by specific paragraphs on university services centres and on students’ organisations.

Accommodation for enrolled students
All students coming from outside the university area (which includes the town of Rende and the city of Cosenza in a radius of 30 km) may be accommodated on the university campus ("Maisonettes" and "Martensson Residences") or in apartments owned by the university in the town of Rende.
Living away from home in a residence hall for the first time is a big adjustment. Residence hall living presents unique opportunities and challenges for personal achievement and development.
Lodging, meals, grants, transport facilities, first aid medical treatments and sport facilities are also provided by the "Centro Residenziale" (C.R.).

Accommodation for foreign exchange students
A number of university-owned accommodations are reserved to foreign exchange students, which will be assigned on a first-come first-served basis. Such number is expected to satisfy all incoming students’ demands, if they apply in time.
Applications for accommodation should be sent to the Socrates Office no later than the end of July for the 1st semester, and no later than the end of December for the 2nd semester.
Incoming students will be accommodated in double rooms to share. All rooms are furnished and have shared bathroom facilities. All students have access to shared kitchen facilities for self-catering.
Living on campus has many advantages. There is a large and friendly community of students and staff, all the facilities on campus are readily available and there are no daily travelling expenses. The monthly rate for accommodation on campus will be € 150 per month, and the rent for two months ( the first and the last of permanence) will have to be paid in advance to the "Centro Residenziale"of the University for a total of € 300. This payment can be done by the exchange students upon their arrival at the University. The rent for the following months will have to be paid within the fifth day of each month. The rent for periods shorter than a month, will be charged at € 75 per 2 weeks.
Furthermore, students must give in a money deposit of € 50 for bed linen and issue of a magnetic card for meals. Such money deposit will be returned to the students, at the time of their departure, upon restitution of the bed linen and of the magnetic card.
The cost for a meal on campus will be € 2,90. (Any changes in these regulations will be notified). Such money deposit will be returned to students, at the time of their departure, upon restitution of the bed linen and of the magnetic card. For registration in the University residences, incoming students are requested to bring with them a valid identification document (passport or other), a Passport Photograph and a recently issued general Health Certificate, that testifies they are in good health conditions and have no contagious diseases.
Accommodation for married students and students with families can be found in the local area. Students wishing to live off-campus normally share houses with other students. Accommodations in private houses or flats are often available in the surrounding areas, but it is almost essential to have transport means.

Pick up Service
The Socrates Office also provides you with a Pick up Service to reach the University Campus.
If you inform us in advance about the exact date and time of arrival (by train, coach or bus), there will be someone responsible for waiting and picking you up upon your arrival. The persons in charge of the service will take you to the University, accompany and support you in the first logistical needs (room assignment, linen delivery, canteen card).
Moreover, you shall be supported in your ‘approaching’ the campus during the first days.
So, if you wish to be picked up on your arrival please let us know in due time. Students are requested to arrive during the week, possibly in the morning. Those arriving during the week-end will have to wait until Monday morning to have the room and the needed free assistance.

Bank
On the university campus there is a branch of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena bank that is opened on all working days in the morning and in the afternoon. All bank services are available.
Bookshop
There is a well stocked bookshop on the campus which has full facilities for university students. It is possible to order books and other publications, even abroad, through the bookshop.

Catering
There is a wide choice of catering facilities at the University of Calabria. You can choose between university managed or private ones.
The refectory service (Mensa) is carried out in two special infrastructures at the “Centro Residenziale”, located near the students’ residences on the campus. The cost for a meal in the University refectories is about € 2,82.
Refectories are closed during the summer period which goes from August the 1st to September the 30th . Other short closures are carried out during the Christmas and Easter periods. Opening hours are the following:

Lunch: from 12.00 a.m. to .3.00 p.m.; Supper: from 7.00 p.m. to 9.15 p.m.

Three university managed cafeterias are located on campus in different areas, where snacks, beverages, coffees and teas are available at reduced prices.
Many other private catering facilities such as "tavola calda", "pasticceria" and other coffee shops are present in the area.

Cost of living
The cost of living in Southern Italy is somewhat less expensive than in the rest of the country and Cosenza is surely less expensive than more famous tourist areas and cities of art. A good example can be the price for a coffee: the cost for an espresso is always less than a Euro. The price for a meal in a restaurant ranges from a minimum of ten Euros to a maximum of fifty Euros, depending obviously on what is
ordered but also on how fashionable the place is.
Pizzerias are less expensive than restaurants; a pizza and a drink usually cost less than ten Euros. In reading a menu remember to take into account the “coperto” or the “servizio” that will be charged as an extra.
In Italy prices of hotels are usually above the European average, in Cosenza and in Rende the minimum price for a single room is about 35 Euros. If you stay in a hotel, always check if breakfast is included in the price and remember that telephone calls from your room can be very expensive.
You can call abroad from any telephone box, which usually works with cards and, more and more rarely, with coins.
Public transport means are not very expensive.

Health and Insurance
European students are exempted from the obligation of possessing a specific insurance cover in case of illness, according to the agreement existing among the countries of the European Union. However, it is necessary for European students to be provided with the official documents (form E 128) released by the competent authorities of their country of origin. Students are therefore advised to consult their local Social Security Office which will be able to provide advice on request.EU students willing to be registered in the Italian Health Service (IHS) have to present to the local IHS board the E 128 form released by their own national authority.
This form entitles the student to have free medical treatment both in hospitals and by the IHS doctors. The "Centro Sanitario" on the university campus provides a first aid service and some basic medical treatments free.
Students coming from countries outside the E.U. are strongly requested to be provided with a private health insurance.
Students under medical treatment or suffering from any disability are asked to report to the Socrates Office as soon as possible, bringing with them all relevant information from their own doctor, translated into the Italian or English languages.
The "Centro di Counselling Psicologico Universitario" operates to offer psychological assistance service with absolute privacy. Furthermore, this centre helps students in facing problems of study demoralisation, disorientation, anxiety, distress and difficulties tied to university experience.

Job Opportunities
Part-time job opportunities can be found by students in the shops and the catering facilities operating in the area. More specific work opportunities can be found by foreign students by offering language lessons to private schools, and translations to local agencies.
Baby-sitting can also be an opportunity, but references are to be provided.
Part-time work in the University departments and offices is also possible by participating to the annual notice of competition for Part-time Job issued by the Residential Centre of the University of Calabria.
Applications must be sent to the above centre from November the 1st to November the 30th. Further information may be requested to the following address: Università degli Studi della Calabria - Centro Residenziale - Via P. Bucci - 87030 Arcavacata di Rende (CS) - Italia.

Music and Social Programmes
A full and varied programme of music and other performances at the University campusis organised every year by a number of Centres and Departments belonging to the Faculty of Arts, and by the different Students' Associations.

Religious Worship
There is a university Chapel "Cristo Gesù Maestro" on the University campus which is the focus for the Christian community. The Chapel, near the Tarantelli Library, offers a daily morning Mass at 8:30, from Monday to Friday. On Sundays Mass is held in Saint Paolo's Parish Church, close to the university, both at 11:30 a.m. and at 6:00 p.m. during the winter, and at 7:00 p.m. during the summer.
The "Dehonian" fathers are very actively involved in giving people spiritual assistance through meetings upon request.
Furthermore, the Parish Church aims to link the university community to the whole territory through spiritual, charity and social activities. For further information, please contact:
PARROCCHIA S. PAOLO APOSTOLO
VIA P. BUCCI
I-87030 ARCAVACATA DI RENDE (COSENZA)
TEL. +39 0984 401373 OR 401464.
However, in the city of Cosenza a variety of other religious creeds, apart from the Roman Catholic, can be found.

Sport Facilities
Sport activities are organised by the “Centro Universitario Sportivo” (C.U.S.). Tennis court, football and rugby pitch, volleyball, basketball and fitness gyms are available on the university campus. Football and rugby tournaments are regularly organised.
Additionally, in the city centre and surroundings, a number of swimming pools, gym centres, and riding grounds are available for sport training activities and practice. During the summer time swimming can be practised on the sea coasts, and in winter skiing is very popular on the mountain areas.
Sport activities are organised by the “Centro Universitario Sportivo” (C.U.S.). Tennis court, football and rugby pitch, volleyball, basketball and fitness gyms are available on the university campus. Football and rugby tournaments are regularly organised. Additionally, in the city centre and surroundings, a number of swimming pools, gym centres, and riding grounds are available for sport training activities and practice. During the summer time swimming can be practised on the sea coasts, and in winter skiing is very popular on the mountain areas.
Students’ Organisations
Different students' groups, mostly no-profit organisations, are present on the campus. They usually offer interesting services, cultural and entertainment programmes. These organisations are also good places for socialising and making new friends.

Transport Facilities
A special bus service connects Cosenza, Rende and the students’ residences to the university campus.
As we have already written, public transport means are not especially expensive and in Cosenza there is a good net of buses, coaches and trains that can easily take you to the chosen destinations.
If you are travelling by train, do always check if a “supplemento rapido” is needed for the train you are taking. Remember to insert your ticket in the yellow machines on the platform before getting on the train. These machines stamp on your ticket the departure date. If the machines are out of order, ask for assistance to the ticket collector on the train.
In Cosenza the tickets for urban buses cost less than a Euro per ride. Some tickets are valid for an hour and a half and can be used for several rides. Tickets are sold at the newsagents’ and tobacconists’, not on the bus.
Taxis are quite expensive and it is always better to fix the fare in advance, as to avoid unpleasant surprises.