hey:)i'm italian,AND an avid reader of universiy chic: i'm a grad student in economics in milan;i can totally relate to how you 'feel out of place', as I have been abroad with university programmes quite a few times and i have relatives in the US, so i have an idea of how different our two worlds can seem!if you ever need any help/indication, or just shopping tips in case you are visiting milan, just email me:)
azzucem @ yahoo.com
PS: don't worry for your italian, just 'speak with your hands' and no one will notice you're not fluent:)