Banking Most students on campus have a Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union (FMFCU) MasterCard debit/credit card. FMFCU will contact you over the summer asking you to open up an account with them and send them a check deposit. Since mailing checks internationally is not a good idea, you might want to wait until you get to campus – we have scheduled a meeting with the bank manager, who will walk you through opening an account. Your account will have no service charges. The MasterCard you will get can be used as a debit card when withdrawing money from the campus ATM or as a credit card in stores and online (whatever you charge on it will be deducted from your bank account). With that card you will also get a checkbook. In addition, you may want to apply for a FMFCU MasterCard credit card with a credit limit of 0. Generally, an account with FMFCU is a good choice, since they offer online account management, they don’t charge any fees whatsoever, and they have an ATM on campus and one in the nearby mall, both of which have no transaction fee.Sometimes you might have problems with FMFCU like the ATM overcharging you, and your card acting funny with online purchases, but I have found Kass Mutz in the local branch very helpful in resolving all these issues. She really knows what she’s doing, so if you have a problem she’s the person to go to.The other bank nearby is PNC Bank, which supposedly offers the same benefits.
The Ville This is how Swatties refer to The Borough of Swarthmore, the little town that’s opposite campus. Highlights include: the Coop (the local grocery store), the Swarthmore Post Office (there’s one on campus as well, but this is the official one), and The Co-ed Hair Salon/The Hair Studio (which will charge you / for a simple guys’ haircut). Eating options include Renato’s Pizza, Vicky’s Place (open from 7am to 2pm, has great pancakes), Cheng Hing, The Cheese Palace and Occasionally Yours. The Ville is really not the most terribly exciting place ever. Basically, you will be eating and maybe shopping there. Aside from that, if you are staying on campus over one of the breaks, then you probably will be renting a place there. Link to Phone Numbers of Restaurants: http://local.yahoo.com/results?p=Restaurants&csz=19081&sm=Yahoo%21+Search&fr=FP-tab-lcl-t-275&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8top
Food Sharples is a comparatively nice dining hall, you get to have as many servings of whatever you want every meal. It is true that sometimes the food gets repetitive, but don’t listen to the people who say it’s unbearable, they’re dramatizing. You will get to appreciate Sharples if you are staying on campus during one of the breaks and have to cook for yourself.Essie Mae’s provides a break from the routine with sandwiches and other yummy foods. It is great for when you miss dining hours at Sharples or have an extrl and want to get some snacksThere are two coffee bars on campus; one in Kohlberg and one in the Science Center. The one in the Science center offers sushi! Link to Dining Services website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/sharples/ In addition there are two student run restaurants: Paces (menu changes weekly) and QUB (Asian).
Shopping for Food Usually you wouldn't need to get additional food during the semester, but if you need to shop for food during breaks, Genuardis is definitely the best place to do that. It is a giant store where you can find pretty much all you would ever want to eat (well except for food from home, but…). It is much cheaper than the Coop in the Ville, the only problem with it is that is on the Pike, about 25 min. walking distance away from campus. However, the school does runs Shuttles to both Genuardis and Target every Tuesday and Sunday. When you shop there, make sure you get a Genuardis Club Card, which gets you an average 10-20% discount on whatever you buy. We will show you how to get the place during Orientation. Another good place to shop for groceries is ACME, which is at least as cheap as Genuardis, but is located some 50 min walking time down the Pike.
Shopping in General There are two locations nearby where you can shop for clothes, shoes, CD’s, electronics, cooking utensils, and household items: Springfield mall (about 25 minutes walking distance) and the Target department store (about 35 minutes walking distance). The mall has many different shops and two department stores – Strawbridges and Macy’s (the shops sell items of a particular brand, where as the department stores sell everything). The difference between Springfield and Target is price and quality – if you want to buy good clothes and shoes, you would go to the mall. If you need some household items, detergent, undergarments, socks, Target is probably a better and cheaper idea.
Buying Computers If you are planning to buy a computer in the States, I would advise you to consult some upperclass-person (like me) before you do that. There are many ways you can get discounts, at Compaq, Dell, and Apple for example. Just ask and we’ll show you how you can save big time.
Buying Textbooks Buying textbooks is always a pain. When it comes to new books, the college Bookstore does offer very cheap books. However, when it comes to used books, theirs are way too expensive. You can get very cheap second-hand books from www.half.com or www.bn.com. The best scheme goes as follows: you buy your new books from the Bookstore, then you buy the same ones second-hand online. You use the ones you got from the Bookstore while your second-hands arrive in the mail. Once they arrive, you return the new ones to the Bookstore for a full refund. In the end, you got cheap second-hand books and you have your books right from the start and you don't have to wait for delivery.
The Pike The Pike refers to the Baltimore Pike, a main highway that is located about 20 minutes away from campus. Many of the local highlight are located on it: Springfield mall, Genuardis, Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, a variety of restaurants and diners, Borders, RadioShack, Krispy Kreme (if you don’t know what that is, just wait until Orientation).
Staying on/off/around campus during breaks As you probably are aware, Swarthmore does not officially offer housing during winter and summer breaks. Don’t worry, though. During winter, all international students on financial aid can get a room for free starting January 2. There is a gap of about 10 days in late December, when the school closes down all dorms. This may sound a little daunting, but it’s easy to find a place to stay for these 10 days, sometimes it turns out being fun to hang out with your friends around Christmas. During the summer, you can get school housing for about 0, or you can look for a housing option of your own. If you need to stay off campus (which I don’t recommend), you will probably have a choice between The Barn (a big political activist place, small rooms, cheap around 0 per month, quite dirty), an apartment above the Cheese Court (somewhat nicer and cleaner, more expensive), or some other place that you arrange for on your own. By far the best solution to staying off-campus during breaks is house-sitting for a prof where you get to live in their house while they’re away in exchange for looking after their property/plants/pets. Personally, I was quite freaked out when it came to finding an apartment to stay in over summer, but it turns out there isn’t much need to worry. There are plenty of people who will be happy to have you stay at their place, at least for a few days.
Clothing and money Many people come to Swat with the idea that students here will be all cool and dressed up like in TV ads, but let me assure you that this is far from Swat reality. Nobody will care about what you are wearing, dressing awkward and funny is a very common thing here. You will see that kind of attitude in all aspects of campus life – nobody will treat you differently based on what you’re wearing or how much you have in your pocket. So just relax and stress on other things that matter.
Transportation This is always a pain. We have campus shuttles running pretty much all the time, so going around campus it very easy and convenient. However, problems arise when you have to get off campus. To go to Philadelphia, you have to take the train, which turns out to be around round trip. If you are traveling with a group of friends, you want to try and get ‘family fare’ which will get you a round trip ticket for about .50 (this technique will be demonstrated during Orientation). To go shopping in the mall or Genuardis, you need to walk for about 30 minutes, to go to the movies, it’s a 1 hour walk one way. This is really not such a great idea, unless you have a lot of time to spare. Howeve, once the school year starts there are shuttle to Genuardis, Target even Philly.If you are trying to get around the States, it is a good idea to talk to some upperclass students before choosing your mean of transportation. If you are trying to get to New York, Washington D.C., or Boston, the most sane choice would be local rail. Unless you have an expensive taste, you should avoid Amtrak; even though it is easy, fast, and comfortable, the price can be two-three times higher than what you would pay otherwise. Your second option would be the ever-so-popular Chinatown bus. It is dirt-cheap: it can get you to NYC or D.C. for around 20 USD. The trouble with it is that sometimes it is hard to get a seat and you might have to wait for a few hours until the next bus. On top of that, it may drop you off in the middle of nowhere in some suburb, and in a big city it might be expensive to get anywhere. But if you are an experienced traveler, and you don't mind a little excitement in your life, that's the cheapest option. As far as buses are concerned, you might also want to consider the Greyhound, which is more convenient than the Chinatown bus, but it is also more expensive. If you are traveling longer distances, you really should look into air travel. Prices have gone way down these days, and if you use one of the online travel companies like www.cheaptickets.com, you can sometimes get an even cheaper deal than rail (a friend of mine got a ticket to Boston for ).
Calling home Using a calling card in the best option. You can get some in CVS or the Bookstore. Consult an upperclassman over which card has the cheapest rates for the country you intend to call.
Jobs Swat offers many lucrative employment opportunities. When you arrive you will be briefed by the Student Employment Office, run by two internationals, about good and bad jobs on campus. Jobs are open to anyone at Swat, you don't need to be on financial aid to be allowed to work.
Taxes Being an international student, you will have to file a tax return, no matter if you made any money at all. This is a new thing, and last year many people didn't know about it or didn't believe me. So let me say it again, you have to file a tax return even if you didn't work, even if you made 0 dollars. That shouldn't worry you, because the school offers assistance with your taxes: the Financial Aid Office hosts tax help desks, where Sydney Pasternack will do your taxes for you. It couldn't be any easier, just get an appointment and show up. In addition, the school will pay any taxes that you owe if your scholarship exceeds your tuition fee (i.e. if your scholarship covers room and board). In addition, the US will reimburse you for any federal taxes you ended up paying - you will get a check for that from the Financial Aid Office. It is important to do your taxes, even the state ones, because in theory, failure to file all the required forms can jeopardize your immigration status. In practice, that has never happened, but you should still do all the paperwork, just to be on the safe side.
Attitudes Some people feel uneasy coming to the States because they think they will be treated differently because they’re not from here. Swat has a very open society, where any background differences make you a more unique and interesting person to others. Nobody here will look upon you differently because you’re international. That may not be true for the US itself - you have to realize Swat is a bubble, that isolates you from what's out there. But it is very unlikely that you be mistreated based on your nationality, whatever that may be.
Weirdness This is very broad issue that you should probably start to get used to from now. Swat is full of wonderful, interesting, gifted people like you, but those people tend to be quite eccentric at times. So don’t be disturbed if you see people walk, talk, and act funny. It takes some time to get used to, but in the end it becomes a unique part of your college experience.