SURVIVAL, ANGIELSKI, !!!!!!!!!!pomoce, culture
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HOW TO
SURVIVE
IN THE U.S.
How to Survive in the U.S.: A Handbook for Internationals
Copyright © 1985, 1995; by International Students, Inc.,
P.O. Box C, Colorado Springs, CO 80901
Phone: (719) 576-2700 Fax: (719) 576-5363
Originally written in 1985 by Marcia Warkentin for International Students, Inc.
Revised and updated, 1995
Table of Contents
Introduction
1
Finding a Place to Live
1
Local Transportation
4
Mailing Letters and Packages
6
Telephones
7
Money
9
Shopping
11
Restaurants
13
Health Care
14
Other Services
16
Travel
16
In the Classroom
18
Getting a Job
20
Holidays
22
Spiritual Life
23
Making Friends
24
Having Fun
26
At Someone’s House
27
Important Phone Numbers
28
Your Response
29
Introduction
Welcome to the United States! If you have recently arrived here, you probably have many questions about
how American society operates. Without familiar friends and family around to help, you may be forced to do
many things alone in a strange and sometimes confusing environment.
International Students, Inc. (ISI), hopes you will use How to Survive in the U.S. as a resource guide to help
you feel at home in this country. Keep in mind, however, that it is intended to provide a broad overview
covering many topics. For specific questions or more information on the various topics, contact your foreign
student adviser or others for help.
Although much of the information in this handbook is geared to college and university students, it addresses
many of the same concerns shared by internationals visiting the United States for any reason. While it is
impossible to answer all of your questions, we hope this handbook will help you to better understand Ameri-
can ways and give you confidence during your stay here.
If you have any further questions about life in the United States, or if you just need a friend, please contact
your local ISI staff member. You may also contact the national headquarters: International Students, Inc., P.O.
Box C, Colorado Springs, CO 80901; (719) 576-2700.
International Students, Inc., is a Christian friendship organization that exists to serve international students
and visiting scholars. We offer friendship and practical help to all international students, regardless of religion
or nationality. Serving people like you is what we’re all about!
International Students, Inc.
Finding a Place to Live
I have just arrived in the United States.What types of housing are available?
Students in America have several options. If possible, try to plan your accommodations at least three months
in advance. Options include:
Dormitories (residence halls)—Dormitories are usually located on or very near the campus, making it easy for
you to walk to classes. Meals and sometimes cleaning and linen services are provided. The large number of
people living in the dormitories and frequent planned activities make it easy to meet new friends. However,
dormitories tend to be crowded and noisy, making it difficult to study and find privacy.
Family housing—Some campuses provide housing for married students and their families at a low cost.
Fraternity/Sorority houses—Some fraternities and sororities own large houses where many of their members
live together. You must be a member of the fraternity or sorority to live there.
Apartments—Apartments may be located in another person’s home or together in a series of similar rental
units. Some large apartment complexes (groups of apartment buildings) have features such as laundry
machines, parking, tennis courts, group meeting areas, and swimming pools.
Apartments often have one, two, or three bedrooms and one or two bathrooms, in addition to a kitchen and
living room.
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“Efficiency” or “studio” apartments provide an inexpensive alternative if you want to live by yourself. They
are usually small, with living and sleeping areas combined into one room.
Apartments located near campus tend to cost more to rent than apartments farther from campus. Apartment
management will limit the number of people permitted to live in
each apartment.
Houses—Houses are usually expensive to rent unless you share expenses with three or four other people.
Also, the cost of utilities (heat, electricity, water, and garbage removal) will usually be higher in a house, and
you may be expected to care for the lawn or yard as well. As with apartments, houses closer to campus cost
more, and the number of people permitted to live in them may be limited.
How do I find housing?
For information on dormitories and family housing, contact the international student office or campus
housing agency.
For information on fraternity and sorority houses, contact the fraternity or sorority in which you are inter-
ested or the campus Hellenic (Greek) office, which will have information on all fraternities and sororities.
You may want to find a roommate with whom you can share expenses in an apartment or house, or you may
be interested in renting a room from a family. If so, check bulletin or “notice” boards, or check your school
and city newspapers under the “Roommates” or “Rooms for Rent” sections of the classified ads.
If you are looking for an apartment or house, you might consider the following:
•Check the “For Rent” section in the classified ads in your school and local newspapers.
•Walk or drive through a particular neighborhood or section of town looking for “for rent” or “vacancy”
signs.
•Read an Apartment Shopper ’s Guide or other publications that provide information on properties for rent.
These guides can be found in convenience and grocery stores in larger cities.
•Use an apartment referral agency that will help you find housing without any fee for its services. (For a
listing of these agencies in your city, look under “Apartment Finding & Rental Service” in your telephone
book’s “yellow pages.”)
What issues should I discuss with a potential roommate?
Before you move in with a friend, another student, or a family, you should discuss the following:
•How much rent and utilities will each person pay?
•What household chores will each person do?
•Will you purchase food and cook together or separately?
•What hours are you allowed to have guests or play the television or stereo loudly?
•What rules regarding drinking alcohol and smoking will you have in the home?
•Will you share a telephone or purchase separate telephones and services?
•How much advance notice should each individual give before moving out?
Where can I get furniture?
If you rent a “furnished” apartment, basic furniture, such as bed, couch, table, and chairs, will be provided.
The rent will probably be slightly higher, but renting a furnished apartment may be worth the extra money if
you plan to be in the United States only for a short time.
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If you prefer to buy your own furniture, you may wish to check second-hand (used) or thrift (Goodwill,
Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, and so forth) stores, garage and yard sales, flea markets, bulletin boards
on campus, and the newspaper classified ads section.
Another option, especially if you are living in the United States for a short time, is renting furniture. (For a
listing of businesses that rent furniture, look under “Furniture Renting & Leasing” in the yellow pages of the
phone book.)
What is a deposit?
A deposit is a sum of money paid by individuals living in a rented apartment or house to guarantee against
damage to the building. If there is no damage and you clean the apartment or house thoroughly before you
move out, your landlord or apartment manager should return most or all of the deposit. Most states require
the landlord to return your deposit money to you within 30 days after you move.
What is a lease?
A lease is a written agreement, or contract, between the tenant(s) and the landlord. A lease usually states the
following:
•The rent amount per month.
•When the rent is due every month. Unlike landlords in some countries, those in the United States
ordinarily do not go around collecting rent payments. You are expected to take the rent to your
landlord on or before the day it is due, or mail it early enough so it arrives by the day it is due.
•The deposit amount.
•How long you are required to stay (for example, six months, 12 months).
•What utilities you are expected to pay.
•How many day’s notice you must give before moving out.
•Rules you must follow (such as no pets).
•Services the landlord agrees to perform (such as yard work or repairs).
•Other conditions you and the landlord agree to follow.
Your lease is a legal, binding contract—make sure you read it carefully before signing it.
Do all apartments require you to stay for a certain amount of time?
Few landlords rent by the month. Most require you to stay for six months, one year, or for the school term.
Often the landlord will require you to pay the first and last month’s rent in advance. If you move out before
the date agreed upon in the lease, you may lose the money you paid for the last month, or you may be
required to pay rent for the entire time of the lease, even though you won’t be living there.
It may be possible to have someone else live in the apartment under your lease (this is known as “subleas-
ing”), but you will still be responsible to pay for any damage. Before subleasing your apartment, check your
lease contract to see if you are allowed to do so.
What if my landlord isn’t being fair?
In such a case, you can seek help from the student legal service or attorney at your school or from the Com-
munity Legal Aid Society.
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