making your way in the u.s.a. new international student orientation – fall 2013

Making your way in the U.S.A.

New International Student Orientation – Fall 2013

ISP Office

• Building #1600, Room #1658• Drop In• M-Th 9:00 am – 4:00 pm• F 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

ISP Website

• http://www.laspositascollege.edu/international

• Useful links• Forms for current students• Monthly Newsletter

Housing

• Homestays – ISP• Apartments in area• Rooms• Craigslist – www.craigslist.org

Social Security Number• History – Retirement Benefits• Helpful – not required• Banking, Department of Motor Vehicles

(DMV), Cell Phones, Buying a new car, Renting an apartment, Credit Cards …

• “I’m not eligible to receive a Social I’m not eligible to receive a Social Security CardSecurity Card”

• Social Security Administration – Hayward Office

On Campus Employment

• Limited to 20 hours per week • Full time during school breaks• Where to find?

• Bookstore• Cafeteria

CA Driver’s License

• Who needs it?• International Driver’s Permit• Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) –

Pleasanton • eye exam, • written test, • driving test (must have car with

insurance)

CA Driver’s License• Wait until 10 days after you arrive in the U.S.• Make sure that your SEVIS record is “Active”.

Check with Sean or Cindy before you go.

CA ID

• Official Identification

LPC Student ID Card

• FREE• Building #1600 (Admissions and Records

Office)• Take out books from Library• Student discounts – theaters, museums, ski

resorts etc.• 10% discount from Subway and Carl’s Jr. on

Airway Boulevard in Livermore• Not an official ID

Parking on Campus

• $2 daily permit• Semester parking permit - $30• Parking citation = $35!!• Buy semester permit with

credit/debit card on Class-Web• Need License plate number• Permit must be visible in car

Public Transportation

• Wheels # 12 Bus• Every 60 minutes (sometimes 30 min)• Last Bus M-F (to East Dublin/Pleasanton BART)

10:18 pm• Last Bus M-F (to Livermore Transit Center)

10:17 pm• Tickets - $2.00 ONE WAY (exact change

required)• FareBusters – (10 one way tickets $16.00) –

Bookstore• East Bay Value Pass - $60/month Includes County Connection

Public Transportation

• Bay Area Rapid Transportation (BART)

• Transfer from BART to Wheels 85 cents

• www.511.org

Choosing classes

• Counselors• ISP • Ask your teachers, friends• www.ratemyprofessors.com

Buying Textbooks

• Bookstore – online• Required vs. Recommended• Textbook Loaner Program• Science and Math books $$$• Used vs. New• www.amazon.com• www.half.com• www.cheapesttextbooks.com• www.booksprice.com• www.BookRenter.com (renting)• www.chegg.com (renting) plants a tree for

each book purchased• LPC Bookstore – (renting)

Class Web/ Blackboard

• http://www.laspositascollege.edu/• Add / Drop Classes• Pay your tuition• Check grades• Order / Activate Parking Permit • W # and PIN (date of birth - MM/DD/YY)• March 17, 1988 = 031788

The Zone/ Zone Mail

• https://myportal.clpccd.cc.ca.us/cp/home/displaylogin

• Waitlist notifications are sent to your Zonemail account.

Computer Access

• Computer Lab – Building #800• Library (noisy)• Wifi on campus – no password• Print Card – buy in Bookstore

Student Clubs

• Student Clubs - http://www.laspositascollege.edu/studentclubs/NewStudentClubs.php

• International Students Club• Club Rush – Wednesday, August 31 in

Quad (in front of Library)

Shopping

• Alameda county has banned plastic bags as of January 1, 2013. 10 cents per paper bag.

• Bring own re-useable bag.

Smoking

• Not allowed on campus – parking lots only

• Not allowed in restaurants

Cell Phones

• AT&T• Metro PCS• Sprint• T-Mobile• Verizon Wireless

Banking• Bank of America• Chase Bank• Citibank• Union Bank of California• Wells Fargo

Checking Account• Pay bills

Writing Checks

Coins

25 cents 5 cents 10 cents 1 cent

$1 (100 cents)

ISP T-shirts - $15

FYI: Acronyms/ Slang

• ISP (International Student Program)

• ILC (Integrated Learning Center)

• LPC• Las Po• UCBC

FYI: Acronyms/ Slang

• “Freeze!”• “hit me up” - HMU• “hella”• “kick it”• “for here or to go”• “soup or salad”

Text talk

• OMG• “oh my God”• LOL• “laugh out loud”• BFF• “best friends forever”• BF• “boyfriend”• GF• “girlfriend”

Text talk

• cya or cyl8r• “See ya (you) / See you later”• Ttyl• “talk to you later”• Jk• “just kidding”• gtg or g2g• “got to go”

Text talk

• Brb• “be right back”• IMHO• “in my humble opinion”• Np• “no problem”• Omw• “on my way”• asap• “as soon as possible”

Text talk

•@ = “at”•. = “dot”

•sday@laspositascollege.edu

Text talk

• * = “star” OR• = “asterisk” in writing

• # = “hashtag” on Twitter OR• = “pound” on landline phone OR • = “number” in writing