Let the Adventure Begin!

Congratulations!  You have been admitted to the University of Michigan –Flint and are now an official Wolverine!  GO BLUE! 

In the U.S., “411” stands for “source of information.”  I will be your 411 about living in the U.S.  Please let me know what you are anxious about regarding your move to Michigan and I will do what I can to put your mind at rest.  I lived in South Africa for six years as a young woman, so I have some idea of the excitement and anxiety you might be feeling.  I will provide information in this blog, I will respond to your comments, and I will respond to your emails (doritta@umflint.edu).   I will be telling you what is safe, lawful, and wise, to the best of my ability. 

When you arrive, there will be an orientation to help you get acquainted with the campus, to discuss University rules and classroom culture, to take placement tests*, and to get acquainted with other international students and the International Student Center staff.   I will provide information about ethnic markets, places of worship, restaurants, etc., when you arrive.   

*Placement tests in English, chemistry, foreign languages, and mathematics are required by UM-Flint of all students.  The results of the tests are used to plan your program of study.

There have been visits to this blog since March 20, 2007.

You will be here for at least part of all four seasons, which means you will be experiencing temperatures from -17º to 32º Celsius.  Keep that in mind as you plan what clothing to bring.   

Initially you will need traveler’s checks or cash to pay for incidentals, stock your pantry, make the first payment on your residence, and purchase textbooks and supplies like paper and pencils.  You may use a money order made out in U.S. dollars, traveler’s checks, cash or international credit card to pay for your tuition.  You may take care of this business during or following orientation.

I will pick you up at the airport if you fly into Flint Bishop International Airport.  Detroit Metro Airport is the next nearest airport – a two-hour drive from Flint.  

Send me your arrival details as soon as you can. 

UM-Flint now has one residence hall on campus, but you may still choose to live in an apartment off-campus.  The first thing I need to know is how many of you will be sharing living accommodations (for instance, will four of you share a two-bedroom apartment or two of you share a two-bedroom apartment?).  One or two of you could live comfortably in a one-bedroom apartment.  Two, three or four of you could be comfortable in a two-bedroom apartment.  A two-bedroom, 1 ½ bath apartment leases for about $600 per month; utilities are in addition to the lease and averages about $150 per month.  Divide those figures -$750 total- by the number of students sharing the apartment to get your individual cost.  Apartments are furnished only with kitchen appliances (cook stove, refrigerator and dishwasher).   Bathrooms have tub/shower, toilet, and hand basin.  Laundry facilities are shared with other tenants and are housed in a building nearby.  You will need to purchase or rent bed and bedding (sheets, blankets, etc.), dining table and chairs, desk, sofa, easy chairs, lamps, etc.  You might prefer to purchase gently used furnishings for your residence.

Visit http://www.umflint.edu/resources/offices/admissions/housing/index.php to get an idea about housing in the area.  Some places are within walking distance and some are further away, requiring you to take the city bus.  You could plan to stay in a hotel for your first day or two (or three) while you decide which apartment you prefer.

If you prefer to live in the Residence Hall, please communicate with Patriece Campbell in the International Student Center:  patriecc@umflint.edu.

I will take you to the bank as soon as possible to set up an account so you won’t have to carry the cash and/or traveler’s checks around on your person.  You will deposit your traveler’s checks and apply for a debit card at the same time.  You will have to wait a week or two for the debit card to arrive.   Most international students use Chase Bank because it does not require international students to have a social security card to open an account.   The Chase Bank website address is http://www.chase.com/.

All international F-1 students are automatically enrolled in the University of Michigan Health Insurance Plan for International Students. Student accounts are billed directly.  After you arrive in Flint you my stop by the International Student Center (ISC) in 219 University Center, or call ISC at 810-762-0867 if you have questions about coverage, health care providers, billing or if you need a waiver request form.  

An undergraduate International Student needs to take 9 credits per major semester (Fall and Winter), 6 credits during the Spring/Summer semesters, or be enrolled in an ESL program to stay in status with the F-1 visa.  Depending on the results of your placement test (see *  under “411”), you may be required to take ESL (English as Second Language) courses instead of or in addition to your business courses.

You will meet with an academic advisor during orientation to discuss your academic plan.

Most Americans drive rather than use mass transportation, but using the city bus system is a simple and practical option.  However, if you are interested in driving in the U.S., I recommend that you get an international driver’s license before you leave your home country.  If you don’t have time to do that, you may take a driving test here.  If you want to take a look at bus routes, etc., here is the MTA (Mass Transit Authority) website address:   (http://www.mtaflint.org/index.html).