Study in USA

The American calendar is filled with numerous holidays. The following table shows some of the more popular holidays. Important national holidays have been indicated in bold face. Most non-essential government offices will be closed on these days.

Public Transport

Major US cities have public transportation systems including subways, buses and light rail. However, outside major urban areas, public transport is limited and most students rely on private vehicles.

By Air

The US has an extensive domestic air network with major carriers like American, Delta, United, and Southwest. Student discounts may be available on economy fares.

Travel Opportunities

The US offers diverse landscapes to explore during breaks, from national parks to beaches to major cities. Many universities have travel desks to help plan trips.

When you arrive in the US, you will have to go through Customs and Immigration. They will ask you questions about your reason for visiting the US. Your answer should be "Student". Keep your answers simple and direct.

You may be asked whether you are bringing any food. Do not bring any perishable foodstuffs like fruit, vegetables or meat. If you bring more than $10,000 in any currency, you must declare it.

The United States consists of 50 states and several territories. Below is a list of all states with their abbreviations:

Social Customs

Americans tend to be more informal than people from other countries. It's common to wear casual clothing to school and use first names with professors. However, politeness is always appropriate.

Tipping

Restaurants do not include service charges, so tip waiters 15-20% of the total bill. Taxi drivers expect 15% of the fare.

Dining

Most Americans eat three meals: breakfast (7-8am), lunch (11am-noon), and dinner (6-8pm). Sunday brunch combines breakfast and lunch around 11am.

Time & Temperature

The US uses Fahrenheit for temperature. To convert to Celsius: subtract 32 and multiply by 5/9. The US has four main time zones: Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern.

US Monetary System

The US Monetary System is a decimal system, with one dollar equal to one hundred cents. One dollar is written as $1 or $1.00. One cent is written as 1¢. One dollar and twenty-five cents would be written as $1.25.

Paper currency is most often circulated in the following denominations: $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. Occasionally you will encounter a $2 bill.

Checking Account

You will need a checking account to pay bills, such as rent and utilities. It is not safe to send cash through the mail. It also is not safe to carry large amounts of cash on your person, so you should pay for most of your purchases using a check or credit card.

To open a checking account, visit a bank and ask to open a checking account. You will need to deposit money into the account when you open it. You can deposit cash or traveler's checks, or arrange for a wire transfer from your home bank.

Credit Cards

Credit cards are such an ingrained part of the American way of life that you will have trouble making certain purchases with anything other than a credit card. If you want to place an order by phone, cash a check, rent a car, or buy airline tickets, you need to have a credit card.

The major credit cards in the US are Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Visa and MasterCard are offered by many banks and financial institutions. American Express is offered by only one financial institution, but are accepted by many businesses.

Traveler's Checks

Traveler's Checks are one of the safest ways to transport money. If the traveler's checks are lost or stolen, you can easily get them replaced. Do not countersign the checks until you are ready to use them.

If you bring traveler's checks with you to the US, you should bring traveler's checks that are denominated in US funds. Most businesses will accept US-denominated traveler's checks.

Unlike other countries, The United States does not provide socialized medicine. Because medical care can be very expensive, it is important to have health insurance, even if the school does not require it.

Medical Emergencies

If you need an ambulance or emergency medical care, dial 911 on any phone 24 hours a day. You can also dial 0 to reach the operator. They will send an ambulance to transport you to a hospital emergency room.

Health Insurance

International students should note that in addition to tuition, fees, room and board, and living expenses, they will have to pay for health insurance. US law requires universities to verify that international students on a J-1 visa (and their J-2 dependents) have health insurance before allowing them to enroll.

Your school will probably offer a group health insurance program to students who do not have their own health insurance.

Finding a Doctor

If you need help finding a doctor, call the campus health center. You should receive a list of local doctors that participate in your health insurance program when you enrolled.

Business Hours

The hours of operation depend on the store, and can vary from city to city. Most stores will open between 09:00 am and 10:00 am and close at 05:00 pm or 06:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

Stores in shopping malls keep longer hours, with the typical mall store being open 10:00 am to 09:00 pm, Monday through Saturday, and noon to 05:00 pm on Sunday.

Sales Tax

There is no national sales tax in the US, but each state has its own sales tax. The sales tax is charged as a percentage surcharge on purchases, and is printed on the receipt. Rates differ from state to state.

Unprepared food such as groceries is exempt from sales tax, but prepared food purchased in a restaurant is not. Clothing and medicine may also be exempt from sales tax.

Saving Money

Major department stores frequently have sales in which merchandise is sold at a discount, anywhere from 5% to 25% off the normal price. Not everything in the store will be on sale. Sale prices are usually advertised in the Sunday newspaper.

Supermarkets are large grocery stores, often part of a chain of stores. It is generally less expensive to shop in a supermarket than in a small local grocery, and the selection is larger.

Cars

You probably don't need to own a car during your stay in the United States. A car is certainly convenient, but only cost effective if you use it almost every day. If you live near school, you will find walking, biking, and public transportation to be reasonable alternatives.

If you decide to purchase a car, you can get a 10-year-old used car for $1,000 to $2,000 and a 5-year-old car for $5,000 to $8,000. It will probably need to be repaired frequently, but the total cost will be less than a new car.

Driving in USA

We strongly recommend getting a local driver's license instead of relying on an international driver's license. Traffic laws and driving habits in the US differ so much that it is best to take a driving class and get a local license.

Driving laws differ somewhat from state to state and considerably from what you are accustomed to. Here are some of the more significant differences:

• Speed Limits: Speed limits are designated in Miles Per Hour (MPH). Within cities the speed limit is usually 25 mph (40 kph). Highways have a speed limit of 55 mph (88 kph).
• Driving on the right: In the United States cars drive on the right side of the road, and steering wheels are located on the left side of the car.
• Liability Insurance: Most states require you to maintain certain minimum levels of liability insurance on your car in case you are involved in an accident.

Taxi Cabs

If you do not live far from school, you may find it less expensive to pay for an occasional taxi than to own a car.

You can find the telephone number for the local taxi dispatcher in the Yellow Pages. Call the dispatcher at least half an hour before you need the cab.

Taxi fares are metered in most cities and based on the distance. After an initial "flag down" fee for use of the taxi, the meter will charge a fixed amount per mile, typically $1.00 to $2.00 per mile, depending on the city.

Public Transportation

Bus fares range from $1.00 to $2.00 for a one-zone ride, depending on the city. If you need to change buses, transfers can be purchased for 25 cents in most cities.

Some cities have you pay as you get on the bus, some when you get off the bus, and some depend on the time of day. Some will have different rules depending on whether you're headed inbound or outbound.

Newspapers & Magazines

Every city has one or two daily newspapers. These represent a good source of local information. There may also be several ethnic newspapers specific to the interests of a culture or religion.

There are also a few national newspapers: USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Major weekly news magazines include Time, Newsweek, and US News & World Report.

Television (TV)

Each US city has a half dozen or so free broadcast television stations. As many as 100 television stations, however, are available from cable TV or satellite TV, depending on the level of service purchased.

Telephone Services

When you arrange for telephone service, you will have to choose a long distance carrier. The major carriers are AT&T, MCI, and Sprint. You can change the carrier later.

The telephone company will ask you how you wish to be listed in the local telephone directory. We suggest asking them to list your full last name but only the initial of your first name.

Internet Services

Your school may provide dialup numbers that let you access the campus computer network and the Internet from home using a computer with a modem. Otherwise, the telephone company or any of a large number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can provide unlimited Internet access at modem speeds for fees of about $20 a month.

Mailing Letters & Shipping Packages

Letters and packages can be mailed using the US Postal Service or one of several private delivery services.

US Postal Services

The US Postal Service delivers letters and packages and sells stamps and postal money orders. They deliver mail both domestically and internationally.

Letters weighing up to 16 ounces with the appropriate postage affixed can be deposited in the blue mailboxes located throughout the city. Mail is removed from these boxes twice daily.

US Post

There are four main types of mail, each with a different set of postage rates:

• Postcards
• Letters
• Aerograms
• Parcels and Packages

Entertainment

Major cities often have one or more guidebooks that list the local attractions. It is worth buying a copy of this book. You should be able to find it at local bookstores. The Sunday newspaper will include a section on arts, music, theater, movies, and other forms of entertainment.

Tourist Attraction

During your stay in the United States, you may wish to do a little touring. The US has a lot to offer the international visitor.

Some of the more famous attractions for international visitors include:

• Niagara Falls
• The Smithsonian Institution
• Disney World
• The Grand Canyon
• Yellowstone National Park
• Statue of Liberty