ESN Roma LUISS: Welcome and Peer Support for Erasmus and International Students

WAI meets ESN Roma LUISS, a chapter of the Erasmus Student Network active at LUISS Guido Carli, a student organization that supports Erasmus and international students upon their arrival, with their integration, and in their daily life in Rome

In the listening journey promoted by Welcome Association Italy through the WAI Atlas of University Hospitality project, discussion with student associations is a key step.

Understanding the experience of international students also means listening to those who are closely involved in university life on a daily basis: associations, support networks, student groups, and organizations capable of turning needs, questions, and expectations into concrete initiatives.

It is in this context that the meeting between WAI and ESN Roma LUISS took place. ESN Roma LUISS is the local chapter of the Erasmus Student Network active at LUISS Guido Carli and dedicated to welcoming, integrating, and supporting Erasmus and international students.

ESN Roma LUISS plays a significant role because it works directly with exchange students, supporting them through various stages of their experience: from preparing for their arrival in Italy, through their first weeks in Rome, to their participation in university and city life.

A student reality close to international students

ESN Roma LUISS operates on the principle of peer support and is aimed specifically at Erasmus and international students who come to LUISS for a period of study, mobility, or exchange.

The association offers opportunities for welcoming new students, socializing, guidance, and informal support. Its activities take place within a highly international university setting and help facilitate students’ integration into academic, civic, and social life.

For those coming from abroad—especially for a limited period like the Erasmus program—the college experience isn’t just about classes, exams, and administrative procedures. It also involves finding a place to live, getting to know the city, building relationships, understanding practical information, and learning to navigate a new environment.

ESN Roma LUISS fits right into this space: one of tangible support, close to the students, consisting of practical information, informal listening, day-to-day guidance, and opportunities to connect.

The Value of Collaborating with the University

One of the issues that emerged during the discussion concerns the relationship between ESN Roma LUISS and the university environment in which the association operates.

LUISS is perceived as a university committed to internationalization and welcoming students from abroad. In this context, the relationship between the university offices and ESN Roma LUISS is a positive development, as it bridges the institutional level with that of peer support.

The association participates in events, themed days, and activities dedicated to welcoming international students. This allows students to see ESN Roma LUISS as an integral part of the university community—yet at the same time, as a close, accessible, and informal resource.

Collaboration between universities and student associations can make the orientation process more comprehensive. On the one hand, there is information, procedures, and official channels; on the other, there is the opportunity to interact with other students, receive practical advice, and feel supported by people who are intimately familiar with university life.

Welcome and orientation in the first weeks

Arriving in a new city is one of the most challenging moments of the international experience.

For an Erasmus or international student, the first few weeks can be intense: you have to find your bearings in a new environment, understand how the university works, meet new people, overcome any language barriers, and start establishing a daily routine.

At this stage, peer support can make all the difference. For many students, ESN Roma LUISS serves as a first informal point of contact, helping them find their way in university life and the city.

Through events, get-togethers, and social activities, the association helps create opportunities for international students to connect with one another and with Italian students. This is particularly important for Erasmus students, who spend only a limited amount of time in Italy and therefore have less time to settle in.

Orientation doesn’t end on the first day or in the first week. In fact, for many students, challenges arise even after the initial experience has become part of their daily routine. Continuing to provide opportunities for interaction and support throughout the semester can help reduce the risk of isolation and strengthen students’ sense of belonging to the university community.

Support During the Pre-Arrival Phase

One particularly important aspect concerns the period prior to their arrival in Italy.

Many students contact ESN Roma LUISS before arriving in Rome, mainly to get advice on finding housing. At this stage, students are not yet familiar with the city, cannot visit the identified housing options in person, and may have difficulty assessing the reliability of the information available online.

Inquiries often concern which platforms to use, different areas of the city, transportation to the university, and the safety of the housing options identified. To the best of its ability, ESN Roma LUISS offers practical advice and guidance, helping to reduce the uncertainty and anxiety associated with moving.

The value of this resource lies in its practicality. It is not just about providing general information, but about helping students better understand the context they are about to enter.

For those arriving from another country, having a local point of contact can make it easier to navigate a phase that often precedes the actual college experience but has a significant impact on a student’s peace of mind.

The theme of housing

Finding housing is one of the most challenging aspects for many international students.

In Rome, as in many large university cities, finding a room or an apartment can take time, effort, and knowledge of the area. For those arriving from abroad, the challenge can be even greater due to distance, language barriers, unfamiliarity with online platforms, and the need to make decisions before physically arriving in the city.

A discussion with ESN Roma LUISS revealed that housing is one of the most common topics in students’ inquiries. These inquiries often come in even before students depart and primarily concern the reliability of housing options, where to live, and which channels to use.

The association plays a useful role in providing informal guidance, helping students navigate the system with greater awareness and identify more reliable information. This type of support does not replace official or professional channels, but it can serve as a practical first step, especially for students who do not yet have a local network.

The issue of housing isn’t just about having a room. It’s also about the quality of daily life: living in an area with good transportation links, getting to know the neighborhood, understanding the distances to campus, and feeling confident in your choice of housing can have a significant impact on a student’s well-being.

Language, Daily Life, and Integration

The language barrier is a factor that can affect many aspects of the international experience.

Language is not just about coursework or communicating with the university. It also affects finding housing, dealing with landlords and real estate agencies, understanding practical information, accessing services, socializing, and, in some cases, finding job opportunities that are compatible with the mobility period.

For this reason, English-language activities, student exchanges, and opportunities for interaction are important tools for fostering the independence and participation of international students.

At LUISS, initiatives such as the Language Café are positive examples of spaces dedicated to integration. The opportunity to meet in an accessible setting, using English as a common language, can bridge divides and foster relationships between Italian and international students.

The activities organized by ESN Roma LUISS also contribute to this aspect. The informal support provided by volunteers helps students overcome orientation challenges, language barriers, and practical needs in daily life.

The Search for Job Opportunities

Among the areas of focus that emerged from the discussion was the search for job opportunities that are compatible with the mobility period.

Some Erasmus students may need to supplement their financial resources, since the grant provided by the mobility program does not always fully cover the cost of living in a city like Rome.

However, finding temporary work can be challenging. The limited duration of one’s stay, a lack of sufficient knowledge of the Italian language, and limited familiarity with the local job market can make it more difficult to identify opportunities that are accessible and compatible with one’s course of study.

This topic illustrates how international experiences also involve very practical considerations. For some students, the cost of living, housing, and the ability to financially support their time abroad can directly affect the quality of their college experience.

In this case, the role of student associations could be to identify this need, guide students toward accurate information, and help bring attention to an issue concerning the overall sustainability of mobility.

Social Interaction and a Sense of Belonging

University life does not end with classes, exams and administrative procedures.

For an international student, feeling part of a community is a central element of the experience. Meeting new people, participating in activities, sharing informal moments and building friendships are key aspects of fully experiencing the study abroad period.

ESN Roma LUISS focuses precisely on this aspect, organizing activities and social events that encourage students to meet one another. These initiatives help break down initial barriers, build connections, and make the university a more open and inclusive place.

The risk of isolation can also exist in highly international settings. Some students may have difficulty fitting into established groups or building stable relationships with Italian students. For this reason, mixed-group activities, events, and social spaces are important tools for encouraging broader participation.

Certain teaching strategies, such as group work, can also contribute to integration when they encourage genuine interaction among students from different backgrounds. In these cases, teaching also becomes an opportunity for students to build relationships and get to know one another.

A network connecting students, an association, and a university

ESN Roma LUISS’s experience confirms the value of a network capable of connecting students, organizations, and universities.

Hosting works best when multiple parties work together: those who provide official information, those who accompany from a practical standpoint, those who organize social activities, and those who help students feel part of a community.

In this context, ESN Roma LUISS serves as a point of contact. The association does not replace university offices, but rather complements their work through direct interaction with students, a practical understanding of daily life, and a more informal approach to communication.

The fact that the volunteers are students is a major strength. Members of the association have firsthand knowledge of the needs of their peers and can offer immediate, relatable, and experience-based support.

For an international student, being able to talk to another student can make it easier to voice concerns, ask for advice, and navigate practical matters that may seem more complicated in a new country.

A reality to be enhanced

In the WAI Atlas of University Hospitality, organizations such as ESN Roma LUISS serve as key partners because they provide insight into the experiences of international students from a perspective that is very close to their daily lives.

The association intercepts practical needs, accompanies students through the early stages and helps build a more open and inclusive community.

Her work shows that a university’s ability to welcome new students depends not only on administrative procedures, but also on the quality of relationships, the availability of practical information, the ability to find safe housing, social interaction, and a sense of belonging.

ESN Roma LUISS thus serves as a positive example of a student organization focused on welcoming, engaging, and supporting exchange students.

Toward a More Welcoming and Inclusive University

The university of the future will have to be increasingly capable of accompanying students with different paths, languages and backgrounds.

This means strengthening services, making information more accessible, and improving orientation, but also enhancing spaces for sociability, participation, and peer support.

The role of student organizations will become increasingly important in this process. Groups such as ESN Roma LUISS demonstrate that students can play an active role in welcoming new students, building networks, launching initiatives, and creating opportunities for integration.

Through events, welcome activities, informal support, attention to the pre-arrival phase, and guidance in daily life, ESN Roma LUISS helps make the experience of Erasmus and international students easier, more engaging, and more closely connected to the university community.

For Welcome Association Italy, listening to and highlighting these experiences means strengthening the initiative launched withthe WAI Atlas of University Hospitality: a project created to better understand how international students experience university life in Italy and to bring to light not only areas requiring attention but also the best practices already in place in academic settings.

The meeting with ESN Roma LUISS is therefore an important step in this process: an opportunity to learn about and share the story of a student organization that, through hospitality, social activities, and peer support, contributes to university life and the integration of Erasmus and international students in Rome.