Making your way in the U S A

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 Security Card” 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) • Fare. Busters – (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. Book. Renter. 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/h ome/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/st udentclubs/New. Student. Clubs. 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 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 cyl 8 r “See ya (you) / See you later” Ttyl “talk to you later” Jk “just kidding” gtg or g 2 g “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