Washington University in St. Louis Fall 2016 Exchange Report. Ming Yi YEE BSc in Risk Management and Business Intelligence

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Jane Dawson
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1 Washington University in St. Louis Fall 2016 Exchange Report Ming Yi YEE BSc in Risk Management and Business Intelligence

2 Table of Contents Monthly Activity Log General Exchange Information - Visa Procedures - Accommodations - Transportation - Bank - Communication - Food - Groceries Items to Bring Useful Links and Contacts

3 Monthly Activity Log September I could not join the orientation for exchange students because I had an internship that lasted until the final day of August. I left Hong Kong the next day after my internship ended and arrived at St. Louis on the 1 st of September. The Fall Activities Fair was held in early September, the Activities Fair would provide a nice chance for you to join different clubs and societies at WashU. Since it was the start of the semester, there were a lot of events and activities held by the school and student clubs which offered networking opportunities and free food. It would be easier for you to notice these events if you sign up for the clubs in which you are interested in the Activities Fair as they will send you s regularly to remind you about their upcoming events. During the month, I also watched the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game at the Busch Stadium. October I travelled to West Lafayette during late September to early October for a short trip to visit my friend in Purdue. The Presidential Debate was held in WashU, there were a lot of Debaterelated activities and even watch parties. In mid of October, during the Fall Break, I joined the school Senior Trip to Chicago. The trip provided transportation, lodging, a formal cruise, and discounted drinks and events around Chicago. It was a precious opportunity for me to know people of the senior class in WashU as well as some other exchange students. The weather was fine during my stay. If you plan to go up the Skydeck, I would advise you to choose a clear day with high visibility. Remember to try out the deep-dish pizza in Chicago! I joined a pumpkin carving event for Halloween and it was my first time to make carvings out of a real fresh pumpkin! I also went hiking and joined a harvest party organised by locals I met outside school at the end of October. November I went to the East Coast for the Thanksgiving break. Flight tickets were pricey in Thanksgiving. Even if you choose to stay in St. Louis during thanksgiving, there still are a lot of Thanksgiving Lunch/Dinner/Banquet, different sorts of events that you can participate. It could also be an amazing opportunity to meet new people and experience the American culture. Mark your calendar for Black Friday and Cyber Monday as you can get really good deals on that two days. December January It was the end of the semester and I was busy preparing for final exams. It can get quite cold in December. I recall that sometime before my departure, the temperature dropped down to -12 C during daytime. Be sure you bring enough clothes and keep yourself warm. Before I left St. Louis, I grasped the opportunity to explore the city. I left St. Louis on the 21 st, and I went to travel in the West Coast for the remaining of December, then I went to Vancouver and stayed there for about two weeks in January.

4 General Exchange Information Visa Procedures Accommodations Transportation Bank Communication Food Groceries WashU will provide you the required documents and instructions for applying the Visa. It is better to have it settled as early as possible. After making the online applications and paying the required fees, you will need to schedule a visa interview, your passport will be collected at the day of interview, so make sure you are not going to need your passport from the day you have your visa interview until the day it is mailed back to you (probably takes around 1-2 weeks time till you get your passport back). I applied for school housing and was allocated to The Lofts. It was the school s off-campus housing. The environment was nice but it was costly. You may want to rent a place yourself to live off campus as that could save you a lot of money. The school provided the students everyone a UPass, it was free to take the MetroLink and MetroBus. You can find their arrival time on Google Map, and they are quite accurate most of the time. There are still places that are not directly reachable by taking the public transportation, and it would be much more convenient if you could just rent a car and drive around. The more expensive option would be taking an Uber. I opened my bank account in Bank of America. There was one branch in Danforth Campus next to Mallinckrodt Center. You will need to make an appointment in advance to create an account at the branch. Remember to close your account at the branch before you leave the States. Life would be much easier if you get your US number as soon as you arrive. You would need a US number to open your bank account. I signed up for my mobile plan at T-mobile in Delmar Loop. The school required students to purchase meal plans, no matter if the students lived on campus or off campus. It is better for you to plan ahead on how to spend your meal points and not to accumulate those points until the very end of the semester. There are actually many nice restaurants in St. Louis, so explore the city and do not limit yourself to options within the campus. If you are going to live in The Lofts as I did, the most convenient place for you to buy groceries would be United Provisions, which is located right next to The Lofts. It offers a lot of Asian stuff, but if you do not mind going a little bit further away from University City, Walmart and Target would offer you wider variety on items options. I used to go to the Walmart near Maplewood- Manchester MetroLink station.

5 Items to Bring - Credit Card - Summer and Winter Clothes - Adaptors and Chargers - Bedsheets - Passport and Insurance Copies - Calculator - Camera - Medicine Useful Links and Contacts Links Course Listings Listing.aspx Blackboard (similar to Canvas at HKUST)

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