Handbook | Information for Newcomers

12. Information for Newcomers
If you are an international student, speak English as your second language, or are residing in area for the first time, you may need extra help. Here are several tips to help you to settle in during the first few weeks.

a. The UCard-Student I.D. Card
The University's multipurpose student ID card, the UCard, identifies your current enrollment status and is your key to on-campus privileges such as computer labs and recreational facilities. You need it to use the Meal Plan and to gain access to residence halls with the Card Security System. It is also your library card at the University and at other colleges in the Five College consortium and can be used as an on-campus Debit Card. Once you deposit funds into your UCard debit account, you can use your UCard to make photocopies, print from computer labs, do laundry, purchase items from vending machines, and purchase a variety of goods and services from on-campus vendors.

The UCard is available at the UCard Office, located in Franklin Dining Commons, 545-0197. Please bring some form of identification, such as a driver's license, passport, or official copies of both your birth certificate and social security card. Regular business hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The office is also open on Sunday from 1p.m.-5p.m during the opening week of each semester. For information online, go to http://www.umass.edu/ucard/.

b. Bank Account
One of the first things that you will need to do when you arrive in the area is to open a bank account. There are several banks in the Amherst area, most of which offer special student accounts. Two banks have automated teller machines (ATMs) located in the basement of the Murray D. Lincoln Campus Center. Information about banking services can be obtained from bank staff at the branch offices. You can also go to the Amhert, MA Chamber of Commerce website and search for banks at http://www.amherstarea.com/index.cfm.

c. Social Security Card
One of the documents you need in order to be able to work in the U.S. is a Social Security card. All graduate students (whether or not they expect to be employed) are urged to apply for a Social Security card, which also furnishes a taxpayer identification number.

The International Programs Office, 467 Hills South, makes arrangements for a representative of the Social Security Administration to come to campus to take applications for the Social Security cards during the first weeks of the semester. If you have access to a car, you may want to drive to the main office of the Social Security Administration in Holyoke, which is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is also a representative of the Social Security Administration in Northampton at the Walter D. Salvo Housing for the Elderly on Conz Street, open only on the 2 nd Thursday of the month from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. To apply for a Social Security card, you will need to present your valid passport, your I-94 (small white card in your passport), your I-20 if you are on an F-1 visa or DS-2019 if you are on a J-1 visa, and an employer's letter and/or letter from IPO. For more information please visit http://www.umass.edu/ipo/fsores_ssn.html or call the International Programs Office at 545-2843.

d. Calling Card/Cell Phones
A calling card provides you with an inexpensive and convenient way of making toll calls when you are away from your phone. The issuing company bills you at a later date. Rates tend to be cheaper than on public pay phones but may vary slightly from company to company. Calling cards are particularly advantageous if issued by the same company that operates your home phone service. Some major credit card companies will offer a calling card option when you apply. To apply for a calling card, call any of the telephone companies listed in your phone book. The major companies are AT&T (1-800-222-0300); MCI (1-800-950-5555); and Sprint (1-800-877-7746).

There is also the option to purchase a cell phone and cell phone plan. This can be accomplished by ordering online or by visiting a local cell phone store nearby. Major cell phone companies include AT&T Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

e. Credit Card
You may also need a credit card for certain services, like car rentals, or for your convenience in shopping. Major credit card companies can be researched via the internet where you can get information and fill out an application form. Remember to inquire about annual fees and interest rates, which vary from company to company.

f. Driver's License
To obtain a Massachusetts driver's license, you should contact a Registry of Motor Vehicles office or go to http://www.mass.gov/rmv/ for more information. Individuals in the F-1, F-2, J-1, and J-2 visa (except for high school students under the age of 18) are eligible to apply for a driver's license . The nearest office to UMass is located in Hadley on Route 9. The procedure is composed of two parts: a written exam to obtain the learner's permit and a road test to obtain the driver's license. For more information, contact the Registry of Motor Vehicles office, 1-800-858-3926.

After getting your driver's license, you may want to buy a car. Many graduate students find a secondhand car affordable. When you are looking for a secondhand car, there are three major sources that you may want to try: the classified ads in local newspapers, personal "car for sale" ads posted at the bus stops and in other public places, and used car dealers in the area. You can find many second-hand car dealers in the area offering a variety of used cars within a relatively wide price range. You can also go to the Commuter and Housing Resource Center website, under Buy Sell Trade to see listings of cars for sale: http://wwwx.oit.umass.edu/%7Eumamug/cshrc/SimpleForum/simpleforum.cgi

When you are buying a vehicle in Massachusetts, there are certain laws that protect you as a consumer. For more information about laws and regulations applying to the purchase of a car, van, or motorcycle, contact the Legal Services Center at the University. Also note that auto insurance is mandatory in the Commonwealth, as is vehicle registration.

g. Tax Information
The American tax system is very complex, and for this reason you will probably need to seek professional help on questions concerning your tax status and filing your return. If you work in the United States, you will probably have to pay income tax on money you earn here and, generally, an amount is taken from each pay check to pre-pay your estimated taxes. Between 1 January and 15 April each year, people who have worked in the United States have to file 'tax returns' to both federal and state tax offices. If you have pre-paid more than you owe, you will get a refund; if you haven't pre-paid enough, you will need to pay the difference. In previous years free help sessions for filing tax returns have been sponsored by the Isenberg School of Management. We expect these to continue and announcements about times and locations will be made in early February of each year. Tax returns must be postmarked by midnight, April 15. Information about various businesses which offer tax help for a fee is available in your local telephone directory. You can also go to the IRS website, http://www.irs.gov/index.html for more information and to download forms.

h. Shopping
If you are new in the area, you may need to purchase quite a few household items. There are two shopping malls in the area where you can buy durable goods and clothing. Hampshire Mall is located on Route 9 in Hadley and is on the Amherst (UMass)/Northampton bus route. Hampshire Mall is a relatively small mall with several stores in which a limited selection of basic items can be bought. The mall also has a multi-screen movie theater and a food court. Next to the Hampshire Mall is the older Mt. Farms Mall. The largest mall in the area is the Ingleside Mall in Holyoke, off Route I-91. It is about a half-hour drive from Amherst by car. Although it is not served by the free, local PVTA bus system, a local bus company runs daily trips for a fee. Other area malls include Thornes Market in downtown Northampton (on the free PVTA route during the semester) and the Eastfield Mall and Haymarket Square in Springfield.

Normally expensive items such as furniture or electronics can be obtained secondhand at quite reasonable prices. Along with the several secondhand furniture stores in the area, every Sunday (weather permitting) dozens of dealers get together at the flea market on Route 47 in Hadley. You can also spot "tag sales" (in which people sell practically everything - used furniture, clothing, kitchen utensils) in the classified advertizing section of local newspapers.

For your grocery and other needs, supermarkets in the Amherst area can be found along University Drive and on Route 9 (Amherst and Hadley), close to the bus stops on the Amherst/Northampton route. Northampton also has supermarkets, both of which are located on King Street.

Many local farm and roadside stands provide a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, particularly during the summer months. If you want your food really fresh, you can find fruit, vegetables, and bakery items in Farmers' Markets held in both Amherst and Northampton on Saturday mornings (except in the winter).

The various Munchy Stores on campus (Franklin Munchy Store, Hampden Munchy Store, Worcester Munchy Store) offer a variety of snacks and a limited selection of prepared foods for purchase, as well as personal items such as toothpaste and detergent.

i. Holidays
Several state and national holidays are observed by the University community during the academic year. On holidays there are no classes and offices are usually closed. Check the academic calendar to find out which holidays are observed. Also, students are allowed to make up exams, study, or work requirements they may have missed due to absence for religious observance. In order to be excused, however, you must as early as possible inform your course instructor or work supervisor in writing of the days when you will be absent for reasons of religious observance before the absence occurs. The University has a unique system of following different day schedules after a holiday (for example, a Monday schedule may be applied to a Tuesday following a holiday). If you are a TA or if you are taking classes, be sure to check your schedule and the academic calendar to avoid missing class.

On certain national holidays most shops and government offices such as the post office are closed and buses may have reduced schedules or not run at all. It is a good idea to check the holiday hours of shops and services you may need to make sure that you have enough groceries and other items before the holiday. Local newspapers usually publish a list of holiday openings and closings.

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Thanksgiving commemorates the first harvest and survival of the pilgrims in the New World (America). After their initial hardship, the pilgrims invited Native Americans who had helped them survive to a harvest feast of thanksgiving. The event grew into a tradition and was eventually proclaimed a holiday. Because Thanksgiving is a family-oriented holiday, it marks one of the heaviest traveling periods in the year. If you plan to travel, make your plans early. If you are driving, try to avoid traveling on Wednesday afternoon/evening and all day Sunday, when many other travelers will be on the road.

Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrated on December 25th. It is a national holiday on which most businesses and shops are closed. Many Christians go to church on Christmas Day, and most spend time with family and friends. Gifts and cards are usually exchanged between friends and family at this time. Although most shops are open on Christmas Eve, December 24th, they will usually close early to enable people to spend time with their families and prepare for the holiday.

New Year's Day, January 1st, marks the beginning of the new year and is also a national holiday. Most festivities take place on New Year's Eve, December 31st, when people stay up, usually with family or friends, to "ring in" the new year. Shops usually close early on New Year's Eve. In Northampton, the annual First Night celebration attracts thousands of local residents to an afternoon and evening of live performances in a variety of downtown locations.