An International Student's Guide to Starting at Harris

Kavita Rawat, MPP Class of 2027, shares her guide for international students as they travel and get settled in Chicago. 

When I flew to the US for the first time last year, I was already overwhelmed before the plane took off. The visa situation back home was chaotic, and on top of that, this was my first time living away from home, in a country where I knew almost no one. I was lucky to have people guiding me through it, but even then, I spent my first week worrying about things that had simply never been my problem before. Where does one buy a SIM card? Why does every bank want an SSN I don't have yet?

So here it is, the list I wish someone had handed me: what to sort out before you leave home, what to do as soon as you land, and what can wait a week or two. No matter which country you are coming from, the list stands more or less the same.

Before you take off

Housing (or a sublet). Don't land without a place to sleep. If you haven't signed a year-long lease yet, that's fine. Plenty of students sublet for the first month while they apartment-hunt in person. Hyde Park looks very different on a map than it does on foot. Join the Harris and UChicago housing groups and start asking around early.

Dollar cash. Your foreign card may not work everywhere, and your US bank account doesn't exist yet. Keep a few hundred dollars in cash for the first stretch: groceries, a transit card, the random deposit someone asks for.

Food and adapters. You will be jetlagged, and your kitchen will be empty. Pack instant noodles, snacks, and anything shelf-stable from home. My packet of instant noodles on night two felt like a hug. Additionally, US outlets are Type A/B at 120V. Bring at least two adapters and chargers for everything you own.

Once you land in Chicago

Register your status. This is the one item on this list you cannot postpone. Complete your immigration check-in with the Office of International Affairs as soon as you arrive. They'll email you instructions: follow them exactly. Your I-20 and passport are now your most precious possessions. Know where they are at all times.

Get a SIM card. You need a working US number for almost everything that follows: bank accounts, apartment applications, and two-factor codes. Mint, T-Mobile, and a few others have cheap prepaid plans you can set up the day you land. Just download the app, and you are done.

Open a bank account. You don't need an SSN for this, whatever the internet told you. Most banks near campus will open a student account with your passport, I-20, and proof of address. Do this early, because paying rent and getting any stipend or paycheck depends on it.

Download Citymapper. Download Citymapper for buses and the Metra, and the Ventra app to pay fares. But remember, much of your travel is already free. CTA buses 171 and 172, which loop through Hyde Park and campus, cost nothing with your UChicago ID, and the UChicago shuttles are completely free, too.

Within the first two weeks

SSN. If you're planning to work on campus (and many of us do), you'll need a Social Security Number. You can only apply after you have a job offer, so don't panic about this on day one. Just know the process exists, keep the OIA instructions handy, and plan for a trip to the Social Security office.

Immunization compliance. UChicago requires proof of certain vaccinations, and there's a hard deadline. Upload your records to the student health portal, and if anything is missing, the Student Wellness Center can fill the gaps. Do not let this slide; they will put a hold on your registration.

Winter clothes. I'll be blunt: nothing you brought from home is warm enough. Nothing. But also don't buy a parka at full price. Wait for sales, shop in August or September, check out the factory outlets or large retailers like Costco, etc. You need a real winter coat, insulated boots, and gloves at least by early November. Chicago winter is not a metaphor.

That's the list. It looks long, but most of it is one errand at a time, and you'll be surprised how fast it all becomes routine. By week three, you'll be the one giving directions. Welcome to Harris. We're glad you made it here.