CSSA New Student FAQ

BACK CSSA New Student FAQ

Arrive In Eugene

General maps in this area can be found at MapBlast . UOand LCC have their campus maps.
Packing: Bring only what you need!
Recommended:
- Medication (note the expiration date) and prescription glasses
- English-Chinese and Chinese-English dictionary
- Books, music, photos etc. to cure nostalgia, and tell others about your hometown
You might regret hauling these items all the way over:
- General cookware, esp. frying pans and cutting board;
- Heavy bedding and quilt;
- Complete set of textbook/note from your college days;
If you need a pick up, please post it to our maillist .
We usually don't pick up people at Portland Airport due to the distance (122 miles/195Km, 2 hours drive one-way!). Please try book your ticket to Eugene Airport if you need a pickup. As well, we suggest that you pay 10 dollars to the driver who picks you up for the gas fee.
Make photocopies of your passport and I-20 form. Also, copy down your Student ID # (9-digits, usually like 9xx-xx-xxxx for new people) and a temporary 6-digits PAC code, for these numbers will be useful when you deal with the university.

Housing:

We recommend you arrange as much as possible before coming, at least have someone (friends, host families) to accomodate you for a few weeks. It's harder to find good bargains in a hurry, AND most rentals are taken by Fall term (mid-September).

From University Housing

On campus: Start from $535/school year, including utility, local phone, some cleaning and meals.
Off campus: Uo Family Housing includes (1) East University (2) Spencer View (3) Westmoreland and (4) Graduate Student Apts.
Cost: $160-$300 a month. Unmarried undergraduate students need co-applicant(s).
Utilities usually cost $20-40/mo.

Right now, many of our members live in SpencerView while many others live in Westmoreland, so both are the good places if you prefer a Chinese roomate-- just sent an e-mail to our mailing list or to us (cssa@gladstone.uoregon.edu) and we'll forward it.

Commercially Managed Apartments / Townhouses / Quads: When renting a commercially managed place (i.e. those for profit), it's best to check out the room YOU RENT, and read terms on the contract before signing it.

Private Houses : At least two are large shared household, with meals included: International House on E.11th (supported by a Christrian community) and Students Co-Op on Alder St.

As well, you can find many private houses all around Eugene with price ranging from 200 to 1000.

The general safety in Eugene is pretty good and many people assume that east town's environment is better with higher rent price.

Many ads outside Office of Internations Edudation and Exchange (OIEE) are about rental for international students, too.

Rental Info Office Craigslist Daily Emerald and Classified in the local newspaper provide general resource, too.

Settle Down

Come to Oregon Hall and check out the orientation files. Plenty of events will be held September 13-21!

Banking:

Majoy types of accounts sorted by interest rate:

Checking account: needed for writing checks. The primary account you need.
Saving account: higher interest but in many cases does not beat inflation (~3%).
Money Market: A kind of checking account that offers much higher interest, but has a high minimum, some withdraw restrictions, or both.
CD (Certificate of Deposit): ideal for thousands of dollars that won't be needed for at least a few months.

Anyway, go to the bank with your deposit and passport and the clerk there will walk you through. There's always opportunity to find a more satisfactory bank later.

Health insurance really varies a lot.
(1)Those who are GTF (Graduate Teaching Fellow) should be eligible for the plan for their federation.
(2) The university has a plan for international students that can be purchased term-wise. Current price is $176 per term. Contact OIEE or Student Health Center.

English Proficiency Future TAs and those with low TOEFL score(<575 on paper or <233 on computer) should check with American English Institute (ground floor of Pacific Hall). The first kind need to take an oral exam called SPEAK, which is a loose-graded version of TSE, you got a sample exam & tape to practice. The latter undergoes a testing, then talk to AEI advisors to decide what English course to take. Most likely, these courses once established, can only be waived with a satisfactory TOEFL score.

A Social Security Number is needed for those earning income here (e.g. scholarship) for tax purposes. Apply personally at their local office, with your passport and an application form filled by the employer.

Transportation:
LTD bus is free with student ID. Usually 7AM to 11PM, one bus per half-hour.
Bikes are common and sometimes even more convenient than cars. Try to stay on "pedestrian & bikes only", or bike lanes whenever possible, for your safety. Also, bicyclists you should obey the same rules (e.g. red light and stop sign) as mortorists.
Driver's licence:
Contact Driver & Motor Vehicle Service (2870 W.10 Place, 686-7855). You have to pass a computer-monitored knowledge test to do actual practice, with someone with licence and >21 years old beside you.

Expense:
Because everybody has different life style, people's normal expense differs a lot.
A big part of expense is the rent which is described above.
Another big part of expense is for food. If people can cook themselves, we believe they will at most spend $250 every month. For those who cannot cook and need to go to restaurant for every meal, they may spend around $600 for the food.
Also text books in America are expensive, especially if you convert dollar to RMB. Therefore, if you know what text books you are going to use here, you can buy them at home in advance. We believe this will save you some money.

Registering for Courses:

Click here for an on-line course listing or for a more comprehensive catalogue;
DUCKWEB is a secure webpage where you can login and register, look at your university account and course schedule.
Or a more inconvenient way is to call at 346-1600 (DUCKCALL)
Generally, used text books are $10-30 cheaper therefore in great demand. If you prefer these then visit UO bookstore as soon as possible.
Check the the details with your specific department

Communication:
The local carrier is QWest . Lots of long-distance services can be found on the phonebook.

Computers

You can find public terminals at all libraries and EMU Computer lab. To get an e-mail account, do the following things first:

Get your 9-digit student ID.
Register for some credit on the web or via duckcall first.

Then on a networked machine click hereor type:

       telnet authorize.uoregon.edu
       username: authorize
       then follow the directions

To join CSSA's mailing list CSSAPOST, visit here.

More useful stuff can be found at Computing Center's webpage

Internet Telephony
Can be obtained either by use some paid service over the phone, or get broadband connection and do it on your own computer.
Yahoo Index

Have Fun

Hangouts:

Exploring Erb Memorial Center (EMU)
Riverfront Park across Franklin Blvd.
Gym & swimming pool are open for those currently registered for free. Student ID needed.
Hiking spots around town (and many out of town): Skinner Butt, Spencer Butt and Mount Pitsgah
Skiing at Willamette Pass (with commuting bus)
Sports (football, baseball, basketball etc.) tickets -- check EMU ticket office
Hult Center for the Performing Arts
All-seasons skating at County Fairground
Weekly event guide at Eugene Weekly

Annual Activities:
- Eugene Celebration (September)
- New Student Orientation (Fall term)
- Mid-Autumn Party ~October, a good opportunity for new people to meet most of our members
- Spring Festival Celebration
- International Week & Night (April)
- and CSSA would be glad to listen to what members suggest.

Written by CSSA
Updated: July.20, 2007