Orientation Book Getting organized, for Truman students 1. All students are advised that it is NOT possible to graduate in the semester concurrent with any study abroad program! 2. Students should get prior approval of course substitutions before departing for their Study Abroad experience. Courses taken abroad will be substituted for on-campus courses upon approval of the student’s academic advisors, relevant division heads, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Students are encouraged to submit a “Request to Substitute Courses” form as early as possible; it is appropriate to list tentative course choices since in some cases students will not have a definitive schedule until they arrive on site. Courses from Truman sponsored programs will be accepted as elective credits, but students must seek approval if intending to use those courses to fulfill specific requirements, such as requirements for the major or Liberal Studies Program. 3. A minimum of sixty days prior to the first payment due date, the student may apply for a Truman State University cultural loan, federal aid, or other aid through the Financial Aid office. 4. Pershing Scholars: the Business Office will release Study Abroad stipend monies, other than Truman enrollment fees and other program costs, as requested by the Pershing Scholar. The student must maintain receipts and reconcile expenditures with the Business Office within fourteen days after returning to the campus. 5. The Business Office will release to students with Truman State University cultural loans any monies that exceed the identified program costs fourteen days prior to the departure date. 6. Set up a plan for enrolling in Truman courses for the semester after returning from abroad! Prior to departure, the student must make preparations with their advisor to enroll in course work for the return semester at Truman State University. The student should be able to enroll on the Truman State University website. The CIE will assist in the enrollment process, but it is preferable to have the advisor do the enrolling. Also, the student must make the arrangements to pay any fees associated with course registration. 7. If eligible: prior to departure, the student may apply for graduation in the semester following his/her return to Truman State University. Due to the delay in receiving grades, it is not possible to graduate in the semester concurrent with any study abroad program. 8. If applicable: any student intending to apply for financial aid in the first semester after returning to Truman State University should complete a Financial Aid Appeals Petition 1 form and leave it on file with the CIE prior to departure. Due to the delay in receiving grades, students must complete the appeals process. 9. Keep all course materials, especially syllabi and course descriptions, to facilitate the substitution of courses if this was not completed before departure. Things to do before leaving campus 1. Contact your academic advisor 2. Contact your campus employer 3. Contact financial aid 4. Arrange your housing situation for when you return 5. Arrange to have your mail forwarded 6. Contact your bank 7. Turn in all of your pre-departure forms to the Study Abroad Office Passport Information A U.S. passport costs $110 with a $25 executive fee if this is your first time applying for a passport. You can obtain a passport application at the State Department Passport Agency (located in major cities), federal or state courthouses, or at a post office. What you need with your application You must present your application with proof of U.S. citizenship (birth certificate with a raised seal, documentation of naturalization or dual citizenship), some type of photo identification (such as a driver’s license), and two identical 2x2 inch photos. Passport validity For persons over the age of 18, passports are valid for exactly 10 years from the date they are issued. If you already have a passport, make sure it will not expire before you leave for your destination. The passport needs to be valid for the duration of your stay, plus six months. If your passport will expire before this time, you need to renew it. The mail-in renewal procedure costs about $110. Application process It normally takes about six weeks to process the application. Obtain your passport in advance, and there will be fewer chances of problems arising. If you are running late, it is possible to have the passport express mailed; explain the urgency when applying. This will, however, cost more. If your passport is lost or stolen while you are abroad, contact the local authorities and the nearest American Consulate or Embassy immediately. Visit http://travel.state.gov/passport for more information on passports. 2 Visa information In many countries, if you are to stay more than 90 days, you will need to obtain a visa. A visa is a permit stamped on your passport; it allows an individual entry to a certain country. To obtain a visa, you will need to contact the consulate of the country you plan to visit. The consulates are located in major U.S. cities. Allow sufficient time to receive a visa (some consulates require you to apply in person -- this may mean a trip to Chicago or another major city -- though some allow you to use carrier services such as Travisa). Unlike a passport agency, certain consulates may not be sympathetic to your last-minute needs. Every country is different and has its own set of rules and procedures. The best thing to do is contact the consulate nearest you. There may be a charge for the visa; in some cases, the charge may exceed $100. General Health Care Physical Examination As part of your preparation, you should have a doctor’s examination to assure that you are healthy and can adjust well to the rigors of the Study Abroad experience. Because the change in diet is sometimes drastic, and the hours can be long and exhausting, students who are not in top physical condition suffer unnecessarily. For this reason, we recommend a physical examination and urge each of you to take whatever precautions necessary to assure that you are in top physical condition when you start your Study Abroad experience. If you make reasonable preparations before you leave and take simple precautions while there, you should not be limited in your ability to take advantage of every opportunity while abroad. Dental checkup See your dentist well before you leave to allow time for necessary fillings or other dental work. Study Abroad Health and Accident Insurance It is required that all students have valid health insurance prior to departure. The program cost will include insurance. Eyeglasses and contact lenses If you wear contacts and/or eyeglasses, do not forget to take a prescription and an extra pair. Take a sufficient supply of soaking/wetting solution for your lenses if necessary. Many U.S. brands of contact solution can be difficult if not impossible to locate overseas. It is a good idea to stock up before leaving the country. Motion sickness and prescription medicines Dramamine or Bonine seem to help most people with motion sickness. Reactions to motion seem to be affected by psychological as well as environmental situations. Remember: most of these drugs make you extremely drowsy, and you certainly don’t want to “see” your new culture in your sleep. If you know you are subject to motion sickness, you should take along your own medication. To avoid problems when passing through customs, keep medicines in their original, labeled containers. If you travel with a prescription drug that contains a narcotic, take along the prescription or have the medication in a container that bears the label of your pharmacy with your name and the name of 3 your doctor on it as well as a letter from your doctor attesting to your need to take the drug. If you have any doubt about the legality of carrying a certain drug into a country, consult the embassy or consulate of that country before leaving. Bring any medications and eyeglasses and/or contact lenses that you need in your carry-on luggage. Special medical problems A detailed statement from your physician listing treatment recommendations may be helpful when seeking special treatment abroad. International Student ID Cards (ISIC) About ISIC: This ID card is especially beneficial if you are traveling in Europe. As a part of the travel assistance benefits of the card, it will carry special reduced student airfares with many agencies, student discounts, basic accident and sickness insurance coverage, and a 24-hour traveler’s assistance hotline. However, this insurance policy should be used as secondary coverage only. The ISIC is valid for the year in which it is purchased. How to apply for an ISIC: To apply, please bring the application (found at the end of this booklet) and the $25 fee (checks payable to Truman State University) to the Center for International Education Abroad at Truman State University. Once your application is submitted, you will receive an e-mail from ISIC and should follow the link provided to upload a photo of yourself. The ISIC card will take three weeks to process. Money Spending money How much money you will spend depends greatly on whether or not your meals are provided for you. If you are going to live in an apartment or at a residence that doesn’t include every meal, you will need a significantly larger amount of money. In many countries, eating out can be very expensive. Fortunately, you will find most supermarkets economical. You should plan to budget food money separately. The rest of your money will go to snacks, souvenirs, going out, traveling expenses, museum admissions, shopping, and more.