10 Arrival and Orientation

Academic year and Fall semester participants must arrive in Bologna by Wednesday, August 27, 2025. Spring semester participants must arrive by Monday, January 12, 2026.

You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements to Bologna. Academic year students should look for a ticket with an open return date or a very low fee for changing the return date because you will not know until next spring the dates of your University of Bologna final exams in June. Indiana University will send you detailed instructions regarding where to go when you arrive in Bologna. Please note that program staff recommends that your flight destination be Bologna (BLQ – Marconi Airport). As you will be traveling with heavy luggage, you may not want to have to carry your baggage and take the train to Bologna after a long flight. Furthermore, other destination choices may cause you to arrive in Bologna later in the night, and you will be expected to be well rested for a full day of orientation the following morning.

Your first week in Bologna will be filled with activities designed to help you get acquainted with each other and feel comfortable in your new surroundings. These will include: a tour of Bologna, group meetings and activities, applying for your permesso di soggiorno, getting acquainted with University of Bologna academic procedures, written and oral language placement examinations, and other practical information.