Studying in Rome means living inside an open-air museum, with the Colosseum, the Vatican and 3,000 years of history as your backdrop. It hosts Sapienza, Europe's largest university, plus Roma Tre, LUISS and John Cabot, so the student population is vast and international. Life is busier and dearer than elsewhere in Italy, but the sheer richness of the city is unmatched.

• Naples is an hour and Florence about 90 minutes by high-speed train.
• Sapienza alone has over 100,000 students, so the international scene is huge.

Nightlife spreads across San Lorenzo (the gritty student quarter by Sapienza), buzzing Trastevere, hip Pigneto and the bars of Monti and Testaccio. Roman evenings start late with an aperitivo in a piazza and drift on for hours. It is a sprawling, varied scene with something for every budget and taste.

• Drink cheaply with students in San Lorenzo near Sapienza, then move on to Pigneto.
• Do aperitivo and bar-hop through Trastevere's lanes at night.
• Ask the Rome group on Studcasa which neighbourhoods suit your nights out.

Rome is one of Italy's pricier cities, though below Milan, budget towards the upper Italian band, driven mainly by rent. Eating and drinking can still be cheap if you follow students to the right areas. Living further out along a metro or tram line is the big saving.

• Eat pizza al taglio and suppli on the go for a couple of euros between lectures.
• Share a flat in San Lorenzo, Pigneto or the outer zones to keep rent manageable.
• Get a Metrebus student pass to travel unlimited across the city cheaply.

The rental market is competitive and pricey, so start early and view before paying. Students favour San Lorenzo (by Sapienza), Pigneto, Ostiense and San Giovanni, plus cheaper suburbs on the metro. Facebook groups, Idealista and agencies are the main routes, and scams are common.

• Search on Idealista and Facebook groups, and post in the Studcasa Rome group for rooms and warnings.
• San Lorenzo suits Sapienza students; Pigneto and Ostiense are hip and a bit cheaper.
• Never pay a deposit before viewing; student housing scams are widespread in Rome.

Rome's ATAC network has three metro lines, trams and a dense bus system, though the metro is limited by the ruins beneath the city. A Metrebus student pass covers it all, and much of the centre is best on foot. Traffic is heavy, so avoid crossing town by road at rush hour.

• Buy a Metrebus student season ticket for unlimited metro, tram and bus travel.
• Walk the historic centre, the metro barely reaches it, but the sights are close together.
• Use trams and buses for areas the metro misses, and allow extra time in traffic.

Rome's universities are enormous: Sapienza is the largest in Europe and strong across almost every field, Roma Tre and Tor Vergata are major public options, and LUISS is the top private business school. English-taught programmes and international students abound, along with American institutions like John Cabot.

• Sapienza's main campus (Citta Universitaria) sits by San Lorenzo; other faculties are scattered.
• ESN and Erasmus buddy schemes are large and active, join early to find your feet.

If you are an EU or EEA citizen you need nothing beyond registering your residence if you stay past 90 days. Non-EU students almost always need a national type D study visa arranged through the Italian consulate before arrival, plus proof of enrolment, funds and health insurance. Exactly what you need depends on your nationality, so check with your consulate early.

Once in Italy, non-EU students must apply for a permesso di soggiorno, the residence permit, within eight days of arrival, using a post office kit and a police questura appointment. It is slow and paperwork-heavy, so bring photocopies of everything and expect queues. Your university's international office will usually walk you through it.

• EU/EEA, no visa; register if staying 90+ days
• Non-EU, type D study visa from your consulate
• After arrival, permesso di soggiorno within 8 days

Roman food is bold and simple: cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana and gricia, plus suppli, pizza al taglio, artichokes (carciofi alla romana e alla giudia) and maritozzi cream buns. Trastevere and Testaccio are the classic eating quarters. Meals are social and unrushed, and coffee is a standing ritual.

• Order the Roman pasta quartet, cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana and gricia.
• Snack on suppli and pizza al taglio, and try carciofi alla giudia in the old Jewish Ghetto.
• Eat in Testaccio and Trastevere trattorie where Romans, not tourists, queue.

Trastevere is the picture-postcard nightlife quarter; San Lorenzo is the edgy student area by Sapienza; Monti is central and boutique; and Testaccio is the foodie, working-class heart. Pigneto is the hip, arty district, while Prati near the Vatican is smart and calmer. The centro storico is beautiful but expensive.

• San Lorenzo: cheap, gritty and student-central by Sapienza.
• Trastevere: pretty and lively, but pricier and touristy.
• Pigneto and Ostiense: hip, cheaper and well connected by tram.

Rome's rail hub makes escapes easy. Naples is an hour and Florence 90 minutes by high-speed train, while Tivoli's villas, Ostia Antica's ruins and the Castelli Romani wine towns are short local trips. Orvieto, Assisi and the coast at Sperlonga round out the weekend options.

• Take the high-speed train to Naples or Florence for a day or weekend away.
• Visit Tivoli's Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa, or the ruins of Ostia Antica, by local train.
• Escape to the Castelli Romani hill towns for wine and a slower pace.

Give yourself time, Rome is huge, hot in summer and slowed by bureaucracy, so patience pays. Sort housing early and watch for rental scams, keep an eye on your belongings on crowded buses like the 64, and carry water in summer using the free nasoni fountains. Wear comfortable shoes; you will walk a lot.

• Refill from the nasoni street fountains rather than buying water in the summer heat.
• Guard your phone and wallet on tourist buses and around Termini station.
• Start the flat hunt early and never transfer deposits before viewing in person.