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Before you travel to the United States allow yourself enough time for your advance preparations.You will need to get your visa, make airline reservations, check with your school concerning your transportation from the airport to where you will be staying whether the dormitory or a homestay and also pack what you will need while a student in America. Remember also to allow relaxed time to say goodbye to the important people in your life.
Upon acceptance to the school you will be attending you will receive a form I -20 from the school.Once you receive that form, you may proceed with applying for your visa.Take the form to The American Institute in Taiwan to apply for your Visa.Click here for specific information about what to expect upon your arrival in the USA.Remember also that your passport should not expire within six months of your arrival to the U.S.
Airlines:There are many websites and travel agencies that will assist you with this.You can also book directly with the airlines by going to their ticketing offices in Taiwan.
To do your ticketing in Taiwan, please check the office locations below:
- For Northwest Airlines click here and scroll down for the Taiwan office's address.
- For Delta Airlines click here.
- For United Airlines click here for the Taiwan office phone number.
- For EVA airlines click here.
- For China Airlines click here.
- For Singapore Airlines click here.
- For Malaysian Airlines click here.
Finally, you can go to the school you will be attending to check out what air accommodations they suggest for coming to their school from overseas.
On the plane
Preparing for your arrival:
While you are on the plane you will need to fill out some forms that will be handed to you by the flight attendant.These attendants are very helpful and experienced so do not hesitate to ask them concerning matters you may be unclear about.Along with forms for Customs declarations, you will receive the I-94 form (Arrival and Departure Record.).You should organize all of your documents in one place and make sure you have your passport with you at all times. When you disembark and go through Customs and Immigration, which will be discussed in the next section, you will need to show these forms to the Immigration Officer.
- When you arrive in the USA
When you arrive in the U.S. you will be entering the International Airport and must go through Customs and Immigration before you may leave the airport.There will be a line for American citizens and one for the non- citizens.Choose the right line and wait for your turn with the Immigration Officer.Hand him your filled out Customs Declarations forms, your I-94 form , and your passport with it's official Visa stamped.Answer the questions of the Immigration Officer directly and clearly.Following his instructions you will have your picture taken and your fingerprints done. The following quote is from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement website.Click here for more information from this site. There is good information under “Arriving at U.S. port of entry . . . what a student can expect.”)
- “When you arrive in the United States, you should receive a Form I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record) that will include your admission number to the United States.An Immigration inspector will write this admission number on your USCIS Form I-20 A-B/ ID.The Immigration Inspector will then send pages one and two of this form, known as I-20 A-B, to your school as a record of your legal admission to the United States.You are expected to keep pages three and four, known as the I-20 ID.This document is your proof that you are allowed to study in the United States as an F-1 student.You should see your designated school official (DSO) if you need a replacement copy of your I-20 ID.You should also keep safe your Form I-94, because it proves that you legally entered the United States.”
Getting to campus
Before you left Taiwan, you should have already contacted your school to find out their services for transporting you to campus.If they do not offer this service you will need to check out your options before arriving in the states. When you arrive at the school you are not a formal student until you register. After this is done, allow yourself time to acclimate to the surroundings, settle in to your living quarters, and begin meeting some of the people that you will be living with whether in the dormitory or at the home stay.First impressions are important so try to be sociable and friendly.Most people recognize friendliness and courtesy even through the language barrier.A smile goes a long way!!One of the first things you will want to do is go to the Foreign Student Advisor's office.Among other things you will be informed of the orientation time and that is something you will not want to miss!
- Have the phone numbers to the school, the dormitory or home stay, and emergency numbers on your person in case some type of unplanned situation arises and you need to contact them. .
- You should also have the directions to your school , dormitory or homestay on you just in case. Being prepared for every contingency will help you to stay calm during this time when the surroundings are new and unfamiliar.
- Introduction to States in the USA
Government
The United States has fifty states that are united under one Federal Government which was created by the Constitution.While the Federal Government sets up guidelines and operates the defense, currency regulations, and foreign relations of the country as a whole, the State Government in keeping with the historic principle of the Founding Fathers to keep government close to the people, has primary control of issues such as education, sanitation, emergency services, and local transportation.State governments are further broken down into county, town and village governments.
Click here to access Info USA for more detailed explanations about the US government.
Laws
To understand the way a state government works, think of each state as its own separate small country.Each state has its own laws on matters such as legal driving age and traffic laws.The legal drinking age is also up to each individual state； however, most states follow the Federal Government guidelines in setting their drinking age.
Go to State and Local Government on the Net here for links to individual states.This will help you to become familiar with the laws pertaining to the state in which you will be living.
Geographies
The US is divided into four different time zones: Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific.
The United States is divided into different regions.Generally they are New England, Middle Atlantic, Midwest, South, Southwest, and West.Each region has its own geographic and cultural features.
The land of the United States brushes the sky along the Rocky Mountains of Montana, plunges the depths of colorful beauty deep in the canyons of Arizona, and rolls out flat in Midwestern blankets of wheat fields.From the tip of Mount McKinley in Alaska to the sunsets of Hawaii, the United States geography and climate is as varied as its people.Take time to travel while you are in this marvelous country!
Click here on Fact Monster US Geography for more geography information.
Get more information in Taiwan
Learning about the United States is possible right here in Taiwan.There are eighteen U.S. states that have representative offices in Taiwan: Alaska, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.You may contact them directly for more information about their state. Click here to connect to the Taiwan website for the state representative offices in Taiwan.
Today, traveling around the US is easier than ever. You can plan your entire trip , make transportation and lodging reservations, get maps and driving directions, compare prices, and easily access any information you need about the places you ‘d like to visit , by using the internet.This section will provide you with many excellent websites to help you narrow your search andprovide you with loads of information and choices! 
Plan ahead
Traveling around the USA is different from traveling in Taiwan.Usually access to a car is necessary to travel locally in the United States and most everyone does their own driving.Even seniors will drive into their eighties or nineties.In many cities public transportation consists only of local busses.Car pooling is a common mode of transportation especially for college students traveling to and from home or to other destinations.For longer travel times across country, domestic flights, Amtrak train, and Greyhound Bus are other good alternatives for traveling in the USA.Traveling in the U.S.A. is easier than other countries since the interstate highways connect the entire country, and roads are extremely well maintained and easy to use.State-provided rest area amenities are usually excellently maintained and clean, offering large tree shaded parks for picnicking and resting.
While traveling, interstate exits offer convenient fast food and other restaurants, gas stations with budget hotels, convenience stores, and often stores like Wal-mart or Target, and shopping malls.
America is a large country and traveling by car to your destination may require an overnight stay or two on your journey.Budget hotels are convenient and plentiful, as is camping which is a favorite pastime for Americans, and often used for overnight stops during cross country trips to save on travel expenses. There are many websites to obtain detailed driving directions that will give you your travel time and a road trip planner which suggests places to stay, eat, or sightsee on the way to your destination.You simply type in your starting address and ending address, to access a personalized trip planner.Check out Mapquest here for Maps of any area you want, road trip planners, and driving directions.
More helpful sites for planning trips and traveling in the U.S.:
- For all kinds of choices or any budget, Expedia.com will do travel bookings, hotels, rental cars, flights, maps and more.
- For Information and camping reservations in the US National Parks, click here.
- For information about State Parks click here.
Plan your trip to account for busy domestic travel
Some people commute between the different cities by train and airplane, so it is suggested plan your trip in advance and make some necessary bookings.
Airplane ticket prices will be varied when booking time is different.To get a good price, some people would like to take an early bird rate, ticket with condition, or the last –minute rate.Here are the websites for some US airlines:
- For Northwest Airlines click here.
- For Delta Airlines click here.
- For United Airlines clickhere
- For Continental Airlines click here.
- For Southwest Airlines click here.
- For American Airlines click here.
- Rental Cars:
US Rental Car agencies provide hundreds of rental options to fit every budget.Most of the car agencies offer economy, mid-size, or deluxe cars.Some car rental company websites are listed below:
http://www.dollar.com/
http://www.alamo.com
http://www.hertz.com
http://www.nationalcar.com
http://www.enterprise.com
Note on getting a US Driver's license:
Instructions: When renting car, you need to show valid driver's license and buy car insurance during the leasing period.
- Get an international driver's license in Taiwan:
- Each state has its own regulation for temporarily allowing the foreign driver with international driver's license.For instance, the international driver's license is valid in driving in New York for 30 days.
- Where & How?
To apply for an international Driver's license in Taiwan, the required documents are:
- Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles in the state where you will be living in order to find out how to apply for a State Driver's License.
Other forms of transportation
For the people who don't drive, there are several ways to travel around the U.S.
- Trains: The main provider of commercial rail transport in the USA is the Amtrak Company.You can visit their website at http://www.amtrak.com/
- Long-distance busses: The main provider of commercial bus transport in the USA is the Greyhound Bus Company.You can visit their website at http://www.greyhound.com/
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