CSSA Preparation for Trip

Most people who go abroad for the first time want to take as much stuff as possible. That is good. But, in case that you have forgotten something, don't worry. There are several Chinese stores in Denver, so you can buy nearly everything you need. What I list below is the things new students usually bring.

One thing to remember is that we use electrical stove. Make sure the bottom of your pot or boiler is a little flat so that it can sit on the surface of stove. Your pot will get burnt up very easily if it does not have a thick bottom. Containers (such as Fan4He2) are not necessary. They are cheap here and what you need would better be microwave safe. But maybe you need one in case you arrive too late and can't buy one at once. If you are used to the Chinese kitchen knifes, you'd bring your own one. And you may also find the grindstone is useful if you cook a lot.

Not every room here has air-conditioners. But do not worry. Boulder is the most suitable living town in USA. One of the reasons is that the weather is quite mild in summer. It may be above 30 degrees in the afternoon. But it is dry and in most times you will not sweat. The temperature will drop quickly after the sun set to below 20 degrees. You will never have difficulty to fall into sleep because of hot weather. But it is usually a little cool in the summer morning. So, a quilt is necessary.

No need to bring blankets. There are heatings in every room here. Usually, the temperature is kept around 20 degree Celsius, sometimes lower, in winter. Make sure your quilt is suitable for 20 to 25 degrees use. We suggest you bring bed sheets, pillow, towels, underwear, etc. If you do not like soft pillows, you'd better bring your own.

Bring casual wears, such as T-shirts, jeans, sweaters, a heavy duty jacket. Students, even professors in the U.S. seldom wear formal dresses. Suits are rarely useful in daily life. But it might be worth bringing one set of suit with you in case of formal occasions.

A lot of clothes we bought in China will shrink if put in dryer. You'd better buy those with good quality. People usually change clothes, e.g., T-shirts, pretty frequently. It is not unusual changing once a day in the U.S. So make sure you have enough clothes, e.g., T-shirts, underwear, pants. We suggest that you bring clothes made of cotton.

Sports shoes here are not very expensive and of good quality. You can buy a pair of Nike shoes in no more than $30 sometimes. And they are worn most often here. It is not very cold in the Winter here. Thick leather shoes are not necessary. A pair of slippers is useful.

(Eye) Glasses are expensive in the U.S. but of good quality. For example, cost for a basic eye examination is up to $100 with a pair of disposable contact lens (lasts for two weeks), but without any frame or glasses).

An English-Chinese dictionary might help. A Chinese dictionary might be useful if you write to your family or friends often.

Some cash, at least $800 as we suggest, is used to cover the housing and living expenses for the first month. You will not get your stipend until the end of each month, but there is a lot of everyday merchandise to buy the first several times when you go shopping. You might also need $350-$400(varied) to buy health insurance, if you won't choose to buy the health insurance provided by the school. You'd better also take some change with you. You probably need to pay a few dollars to use the cart to carry your baggage in the airport.

Some basic medicine. Students have access to the Wardenburg Health Center. But you have to make an appointment with the doctor. It is a good idea to have some basic medicine with you for emergency. Too much is also unnecessary because medicine will expire.

Strange Chinese medicine, e.g., medicine made from herbs, unless you know its function precisely and it is really necessary. Food, except those are sealed airtightly. Any electrical appliance. The voltage supply in USA is 110V and plugs here are a little bit smaller than those in China.

Cooking. You will cook for yourself while you are here. So, some basic cooking skills will definitely make your life easier. There is fast food available on or off campus, only if you are used to those foreign food. Some Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese restaurants are pretty good. In general, $3-$4 will be enough for a meal.

The dental care in the U.S. is very expensive. It can take you a lot of time as well. Get your dental work done in China. There is no rest time at noon here, no special time for lunch. So try not to be sleepy after lunch, for you may have work to do.

Passport, visa and I-20(make an extra copy and keep the original and the copy in different places). You will need your passport and I-20 when you go through the customs. Please keep the documents with you instead of leaving them in the luggage to be checked in(Tuo1Yun4).

Phone numbers of contact persons at Boulder and some cash.

If you have never taken planes, please pay attention to this section. It is the summary of the experience of many students .

Time difference is a big problem for people who first go to America. There are 4 time zones in USA. East, Central, Mountain, and West. Denver and Boulder are in Mountain Time, while Detroit in Central Time, Los Angles and San Francisco in West Time. Every year after April, the whole America will put the clock forward 1 hour for the sunlight saving except Arizona. So there will be 13 hours difference between China and Los Angles, 14 Boulder, 15 Detroit. In general, the time marked on your airplane ticket is the time of the target or the departing place. So, when you need to tell us when your plane will arrive at Boulder, just use the time on your ticket.

When you get off the plane in America, perhaps the first thing you want to do is to call your parents. There are public phones in the airport. You need to prepare some quarters (25 cents). Remember it is very expensive to make a long-distance call. If you happen to get a phone card bought online for making long-distance calls in America, it is much better because you can almost talk to your parents as long as you want. The way to dial to China is 011 + 86 + (district number without the preceding 0) + local phone number. For example, I want to call my parents. The district number of my hometown is 0533. I will dial 01186533xxxxxxx.

No one can make it for everything. It is extremely true when you take planes. It is not unusual for the plane to be delayed when it takes off or lands. When you get off the plane, you may find that the next flight has taken off for half an hour. In such case, do not panic. First, you should ask the people of that air company whose flights you are going to take to arrange a new flight for you. Next, call those who pick you up to tell them the time of the new flight. Then, sit down and enjoy your first drawback in America.

Although there are far less thieves in America, no one can guarantee that his possessings are totally safe. So, always keep an eye on your stuff and never let them go out of your scope. It is better if two or more people travel together. If you are so unlucky that a damn thief pick your wallet or something else, immediately ask policemen for help. Then, call persons who will pick you up to tell them your misfortune for help. But, it is really rare for you to be stolen. I do not hope that happen to you. May God bless you!

If you arrive at the target too late, for example, after 12 at night, generally, it is hard for people to wait for you because there will be no Bus for them to go back. If you know somebody here and they are kind enough to offer you a night pickup, you are really lucky. If not, just sit down and spend the night in the airport. Do not worry. In the next morning, CSSA will pick you up.

After you get off the plane, are picked up by us, and sent to the temporary living place, you have a lot of things to do before you can begin your normal life here.