Welcome to Harvard! The Harvard GSAS Singaporean and Malaysian Association (SAMA) is a GSAS student group. We aim to help build ties within the Singaporean and Malaysian communities in Harvard GSAS and the greater Boston area, and to share Singaporean and Malaysian culture with the Harvard community and other interested individuals. Look out for our Welcome Dinner this semester and our events in the year ahead! We’ve prepared a crib sheet to help you settle in; we hope you find this useful. – Harvard GSAS SAMA Mailing List: https://lists.hcs.harvard.edu/mailman/listinfo/sama-grad Website: www.hcs.harvard.edu/~samagrad/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harvardsama/ E-mail: sama-gsas-admin AT fas.harvard.edu

Stay Connected The Overseas Singaporean Unit (OSU) helps engaged and connect with overseas : https://www.overseassingaporean.sg/ (Register here for a free OSU-Passion Card.) e-Register with ’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: https://eregister.mfa.gov.sg/eregisterportal/common/preLoginEregisterView.action ’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.kln.gov.my/web/guest/home Boston-area Singaporean and Malaysian societies: MIT (http://mitsss.mit.edu/) Harvard College (https://lists.hcs.harvard.edu/mailman/listinfo/sama-list) Boston University (https://www.facebook.com/BUSCS) Tufts (https://www.facebook.com/TuftsSSA/) Northeastern University (https://www.facebook.com/singaporeatnu) Banking and Payments Boston has numerous local banks and credit unions; among the US Big Four, Bank of America dominates the Boston market. You’ll need state-issued ID (e.g., passport), visa documents (student visa and I-20) and proof of address (your first Harvard student invoice should work well) to open an account – you’ll probably want a fee-free student checking and savings account. The Harvard University Employees Credit Union (https://www.huecu.org/) can be really useful for international students – you can apply for fee-free checking and savings accounts, a debit card, and possibly a HUECU Rewards credit card. Apply at HUECU Branches in Harvard Square and Longwood Medical Area (HSPH Kresge Building) – bring along the aforementioned documents and your Harvard ID. Credit and debit card usage is abundant in the US – swipe (and signature), and increasingly, chip (and signature) transactions are very common, even for small sums. You may wish to look into obtaining a credit card for daily expenses, the associated benefits and rewards (e.g., cashback, auto insurance) and the ability to build up a credit history – but be sure to pay the balance off promptly, and in full, to avoid interest charges and additional fees, and to benefit fully from access to credit. Mobile payment methods such as Venmo and Paypal can be helpful for sending money between friends. Groceries and Food Look out for Trader Joe's (eclectic food selection), Whole Foods (slightly more upmarket supermarket), Star Market/Shaw's (numerous branches all over Boston). Specialist supermarkets with groceries include H-Mart in Central Square (convenient, with a small foodcourt), Super 88 in Allston (wider selection, lower prices, good foodcourt), Chinatown (cheaper groceries). Restaurants with Singaporean and Malaysian food include: Royal East Restaurant near Central Square, Penang in Boston Chinatown. Lots of good Cantonese and Chinese restaurants in Boston Chinatown. Good Indian food at The Maharaja (Harvard Square). Food trucks e.g., at the Science Centre can be good options. Eater Boston (https://boston.eater.com/) has many guides and articles on local restaurants. Note that it is customary to tip 15-18% onwards on the pre-tax bill when eating-in. Shopping Look out for Target (stores in Central Square and Fenway), T.J. Maxx and Macy's (both in Boston Downtown Crossing) and Bed Bath & Beyond and Staples (both in Fenway) for your general shopping needs. The six- month Amazon Prime Student trial can be very useful as you’re building life in the US. Walmart (Quincy), Costco (Everett) and outlet malls (e.g., Wrentham Village Premium Outlets) are distant (outside Cambridge and downtown Boston) but potentially useful options. Mobile and Wi-Fi The main carriers are AT&T and T-Mobile (GSM carriers; removable SIM card) and Verizon and Sprint (CDMA carriers). Older phones may not be portable between the two types of carriers; unlocked and LTE- capable devices may work. You will likely find it cheaper to share a family plan with a few friends. The basic AT&T / T-Mobile plans from $40 - $50 onwards for unlimited call, text, along with (some) 4G data are amongst the most inexpensive options for single users. Wi-Fi is available on campus (Harvard Secure, eduroam). Transport and Driving Licence The MBTA (http://mbta.com/) is the public transport conglomeration of the greater Boston area (and beyond). The most immediately useful options for you are the ‘T’ (Subway: MRT-equivalent) and buses. Get a CharlieCard (EZ-link card equivalent) from Harvard Square between 7 am and 7 pm and top this up in-station or with the bus/’T’ driver. A semester pass is available through GSAS The M2 and Harvard shuttles are useful for getting around; in particular, the M2 travels between Harvard Square, Central Square and the Longwood Medical Area (and on occasion, Brookline). Hubway (a more formal bike-sharing system with fixed stations) and Zipcar (car-sharing system) are abundant and useful in the Boston area – there are Harvard discounts for both services. Massachusetts Driving Licence: you need an SSN (or a Denial of SSN notice from an SSN office), a document proving your signature (e.g., passport), a document proving date of birth (e.g., letter from the FAS Registrar's Office), a document proving your Massachusetts address (e.g., credit card bill), and visa information (I-20, student visa, I-94). Apply at a Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) Office and sit for a theory test, which grants you a driving permit. You can apply for a driving test appointment and driver’s licence thereafter through the RMV. It may be useful for you to proceed through a local driving school (check Yelp). Further details at http://www.massrmv.com/. Taxes Apply for your SSN (if you qualify e.g., on-campus employment), or for a taxpayer identification number (ITIN – if you do not work in the US) – the Harvard International Office will send an e-mail out on this in good time. This is useful for filing taxes and for building a credit history. The Harvard International Office will send information on the Windstar Foreign National Tax Resource later in the academic year, which will be useful in helping you understand and prepare for filing taxes in the US. Note that neither Singapore nor Malaysia currently have tax treaties with the US (as of 2016/2017). Outings and Attractions Outings and Innings (https://www.fas.harvard.edu/links/outings-innings) has many discounts and offers for Harvard students, including local attractions and sports events. There are often discounts and deals, such as discounted cinema passes, available through the home institutions of academic laboratories (e.g., Partners Healthcare for certain Longwood-based students). Your Harvard ID grants you free entry at several museums (e.g., the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, many of the Harvard-affiliated museums such as the Harvard Art Museums and the Harvard Natural History Museum) and student discounts all over town. https://ofa.fas.harvard.edu/student-discounts