Category: Living in the US

Studying in Aix-En-Provence

Everyone should study abroad in Aix-En-Provence, France with IAU! When looking for abroad programs, I was open to any country and culture in the European region. When I heard about Aix-en-Provence, France, I knew that it was the best place for me. Aix is a small city in the south countryside of France. It is located just less than an hour away from the Mediterranean which sold me as I love warm weather and being near bodies of water. I was equally excited and nervous to immerse myself into a brand new culture across the world. I didn’t know any other languages besides English and a little bit of Spanish which made me timid about my navigation and communication skills that I would need in a different country.

Institute for American Universities is the program offered in Aix-en-Provence which was very helpful because all of my classes were in English. The school itself was very small, only located in two buildings a block away from each other. Similar to Cal Lutheran, the professors were all very helpful and caring when it came to school work. Classes ranged anywhere from 5 people to 20 people, which was what I was used to back home. It made it really easy to ask questions and make friends in class. Aix is a very quaint city and is known for having a large population of university students. There are two other local colleges in town, making the city young and lively.

The vast history of Aix makes for a popular tourist destination, especially in late spring and early summer. I found a lot of local restaurants and coffee shops, but also a lot of familiar places. Aix has a pita pit, a subway, a dominos, etc, which made me feel like I wasn’t too far from home. For shopping, the town had small boutiques in the center but also brands like Zara, H&M, Levi’s, and more.

Homestay:

Specifically for this program most students tend to live with host families. I lived with a young couple who were both in their early 30’s. Thankfully, IAU had a survey to fill out regarding language spoken in the household. I had said that I was a beginner in French and that led me to two host moms who both had their PhD’s in English Linguistics. This helped a lot because they were able to help my roommate and I with our French homework. And, not only did they speak French, but one of them was actually Lebanese and the other Italian. This brought in a lot of culture and yummy food every night. They cooked us dinner every evening and bought us breakfast food. We were on our own for lunch which pushed me to try almost every restaurant in the city. I had my own room downstairs and one roommate who had her own room as well just across the hall from me. Like a lot of neighborhoods in Aix, I lived in the suburbs and had a 35 minute walk to class every morning. It was hard for me in the beginning to walk 1.5 miles in the blistering cold at 7 am, but within a couple of weeks my walks to and from the center of the city became very therapeutic. I spent most of this time listening to podcasts or facetiming friends and family from home.

There was public transportation in Aix but it wasn’t always available through the night time. Aix has buses that run from 6 am to 10 pm, but plenty of ubers to order which I did most of the time when coming home from being out at night with my friends.

Travels:

France is somewhat in the center of Europe, which made it really easy for me to travel to other countries in Europe. I was able to go to 6 different countries, Spain, Switzerland, The UK, Germany, Italy, and Greece with less than 2 hours per plane ride. I got to see some amazing cities thanks to RyanAir which is a low cost fare company. More often than not, I paid less than $100 for a round trip ticket. A lot of the time RyanAir had deals and I was able to fly for less than $15 to Italy.

Traveling tips:

Do NOT bring a big suitcase to split the cost and space with your friends. My friends and I made the mistake and thought it would be more convenient to pack a big suitcase and take turns rolling it while traveling. Although it was cost effective if you wanted to pack more things that could not fit in your carryon, it was way more of a hassle to lug around a huge suitcase in metro systems. Also, most of the streets in Europe have a lot of cobblestone streets making it difficult to roll a suitcase. There is just no reason to pack more than two outfits when traveling for only a weekend. Only pack what can fit in your backpack/carryon. You might also do a little bit of shopping in the city that you are traveling to as well, so leave room for that.

Book an Air bnb / Hostile closer to the time that you land in the country. A lot of the time, my friends and I flew in very early to the city we were traveling to in order to have an “extra day”. However, it was kind of a drag having to wait for your check in time with a heavy backpack or bag.

Always have your passport on you. I always had my passport either in my jacket pocket with a zipper or in my waistband. I was terrified of having it stolen so I did everything I could to keep it as close to me as possible. I would put it in my bag as well, but I made sure it was in the zipper pocket of a bag with a zipper.

-Alyssa Fellows ’23

Balancing Two Cultures

In my life, there have been two sides, two cultures. Growing up in America, diversity is everywhere and in everything. In my youth, I was immersed in my parent’s culture, as they had grown up in Mexico. I would go ride horses, go to rodeos, and speak an entirely different language. I thought that that was my world since that’s all I had ever known, and I loved it. Although I did see different people, it didn’t really occur to me that they lived completely different lives and had different struggles. It wasn’t until I got to school did I only realize how different everything was. Many of these kids were like me, but they weren’t. Most, if not all, spoke perfect English, and many didn’t know another language. These people were completely different from me and I didn’t know how to reconcile that. Eventually, I learned that I had to meld myself to the dominant culture to survive, which meant losing the other.

I slowly began to detach myself from my parents’ culture and quite literally everything I had known, and had to trek on a new shaky world. I tripped and stumbled a lot, it was definitely a struggle to find my way. Of course I had my older sister to help with the journey, but we both experienced the world in different ways and thus couldn’t entirely compare stories.
I spoke less Spanish, no longer rode horses, and went from being outdoors every chance I had to staying inside and watching tv. I was a completely different person. The awful part was that I started to view my parents in a different light. It meant that all the things they did that were “different” compared to other parents was embarrassing because I had tried so hard to be like everyone else and they were ruining it! This meant that I detached myself from them as well, which was something that happens to many others as you assimilate to a new culture.
Something I lost almost completely was music. I loved and still love music. Many genres have their own style and energy that I enjoy. I listened to Spanish music from cumbias to zapateados, my range was vast. Out in the world I lost that. There was R&B, Pop, Reggae, and so many other genres to experience. When I didn’t know a popular song people judged me for it and wondered a lot about me and where I grew up. These judgments weren’t always the best. In order to adapt, it meant no longer listening to Spanish music and immersing myself into the world of English music. Even now though, people still act surprised when I don’t know a song, or play an oldie on repeat, because it may have been my first time listening to it or experiencing it. They don’t understand what it feels like to lose that part of themselves, or to learn something that is completely new, like a boomer trying to figure out facetime.

Eventually, coming to Cal Lutheran, I grew up. I saw the world differently, and I learned that there were more cultures than just mine and the dominant culture in America. I learned that I wasn’t alone and many others had the same experiences and struggles. I didn’t need to hide who I was anymore, and taught myself to be proud. Not just of myself, but of my parents and my culture. I truly had lost something so vibrant and joyous in my life to survive. As time has gone on, I have slowly begun to reincorporate traditions and most importantly my parents into my life. It has been hard and a process, but it is worth it. To regain a piece of you that was once lost feels ethereal. To know that one day, you can regain what you once lost.

With this, I leave you with a message. Do not lose who and what you are. Hold onto it and treasure it because the world won’t. The people by your side, friends, and family will. Speak the language, treasure the memories, and remember who you are.

Written by: Jerry Tovar

Obtaining A Social Security Number

As exciting as applying for an on-campus or off-campus job is, the process of being authorized to work and being able to get paid can be equally distressing. However, as an international student who just began working on campus, I’m going to try and make this part of your college journey as easy as possible by breaking down the entire process for obtaining a social security number. 

What is a Social Security Number?

Before I get into the methodical process it’s good to know what a SSN is.  A Social Security number is assigned to all US citizens at birth and  is used for employment purposes in the United States and is used to track earnings. It’s basically a form of identification and the card contains a unique number that many places will ask for to prove who you are. International students in F-1 status must apply for a SSN if they are employed while studying in the US. 

As you prepare to gather your documents the SSA will require that you prove your identity, age, immigration status, and eligibility to work. In addition, international or F-1 students must provide evidence of on-campus employment from the campus department and verification of enrollment status from the department that hired you. I will further explain the exact documents required but the first step for any international student should be to open an American bank account (for your paycheck to be deposited) which is a fairly easy process. You can find how to open an American bank account here- sites.callutheran.edu/global-engagement/2021/08/03/opening-a-bank-aaccount/. 

Documents required for scheduling an appointment

To apply for a social security number, you must first be offered a job and be given an employment offer letter and you can apply for a SSN upto 30 days before the start of your employment.

You will have to physically mail the following documents (listed below the mailing address) to your Local Social Security Administration Office. Once they have received your documents they will contact you regarding scheduling an interview.

As a student at CLU the Social Security Administration Office mailing address would be: 
SUITE 110
322 E THOUSAND OAKS BL
THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91360

The documents required to be mailed are: 

    1. The SS-5 (Social Security Application): Needs to be filled out by the applicant (it also mentions all the documents required to be included in your application). You can email Career Services for the form.
    2. Official letter of employment (a letter from the office that you are employed in stating your employment): You will have to send a request for this letter through the OISS student portal and on the student portal there should be a Letter Request option on the left. The letter will then be emailed to you.
    3. I-20 (most recent)
    4. I-94 (you can download your I-94 here: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home and click on “Get most recent I-94” )
    5. Passport copy (including your F-1 Visa)

After mailing the documents

Once you have mailed the documents you should hear back from the SSA regarding scheduling an appointment. This usually takes about 2 weeks and if it takes more than 2 weeks you should contact them and check on your application. 

Interview 

Once an interview is scheduled you will need to carry your original passport, a copy of your I-20 and I-94 (not required but it is always better to have a copy of both documents), your Student ID and Letter of Employment.

After the interview is completed your documents will either be verified immediately and you will receive a SSN after a day or two (not the physical card just the number) or usually it would take upto 4 weeks to verify your documents. In my opinion it usually takes 4 weeks and although this is a long process, to be able to start working right after your interview you need to ask for a receipt (during your interview) which shows your application has been approved. This receipt will allow you to work immediately on-campus however you will not be paid until you receive your SSN. After your application has been processed (which takes about 4 weeks) you should receive your SSN card in the mail and inform Career Services and the department that hired you.

Since this can be a lengthy process especially for students with an F-1 visa I would highly recommend submitting all the necessary documents a few weeks ahead of time in order to get an interview and receive your SSN in time. 

And that’s all there is to it. Obtaining a Social Security Number isn’t necessarily complicated, it’s just a very lengthy process with a lot of wait time but the experience of being able to work on campus and meet other students and staff definitely makes it worth it!

By: Malaika Nazim

Advice from Tamar

You’re reading this because you’re like me. You love studying abroad! I mean who doesn’t? It’s a different, new, and adventurous experience. You either hit rock bottom or you live the best moments of your life. Don’t worry. In most cases, you’re living the time of your life. Yes, you’re away from your home, your comfort zone, and you’re likely thrown into a culture shock. I clearly remember my first time in the US. I was fascinated by American public bathroom doors. If you look inside them, you might be able to see the person using the toilet! CRAZY! But despite the tough times, it’s definitely worth it.

Here are 4 advice from a baddie who published her first book and founded her non-profit as a CLU student:

1- Use available resources. CLU has a lot of resources that many students don’t take advantage of. Please, use them. For example, when will you ever go to a therapist without paying them? Your tuition covers such services. Use the chapel’s pantry with many food options. In times of struggle, the pantry was a savior. Go to events on campus. They usually have food trucks. Don’t we all love food trucks? Even outside CLU, being a student comes with benefits. Students in the US get a lot of discounts like in movie theaters. Even Spotify and Hulu offer student discounts. Also, the city of Thousand Oaks has a free transportation system within Thousand Oaks. Don’t waste your money on Ubers and Lyfts. So, always do your research. It can save you a lot of money.

2- Network, network, network. Making connections got me jobs on campus. Applying to jobs hasn’t. Making connections got me to travel to different states for conferences and events at least once a month pre COVID. Be out there.

3- Use your time wisely. I got to publish my book, “The Future of Palestine: How Discrimination Hinders Change” while studying and having a part-time job. A few months later, I started my non-profit, Yalla – Palestinian Student Leaders. Know how to manage your time.

4- Make friends and have fun. Orientation week is a golden week. That’s where I made friends for life who shared my cultural and ethnic background. Clubs, programs, and classes are also great places to make new friends. Working hard for a successful future is important but sustaining your relationships and having fun is as important, especially for your mental health. Go to Tarantula Hill and then to Tipsy Goat across the street for a typical Thousand Oaks fun night. The Oaks mall is amazing for shopping. Split gas with a friend who has a car and do fun stuff in LA or nearby areas. You are in a new country. Enjoy it.

You are here to learn, grow and have fun. If you need anything, know that you’re not alone. The international office is a place to go to when in need.

By: Tamar Haddad

Say Hi to Your Peer Mentor!

As an incoming international student, we are all assigned an international peer mentor! They are students who will help you get acclimated to life in the US and will answer all your questions and concerns about CLU. Peer mentors consist of international students, study abroad alumni, and global ambassadors. 

If you are an incoming international student, you should be getting an email directly from your peer mentor a week or two before orientation. Feel free to ask them any questions or advice on any topic because they were once in your shoes! They are here to help. Once you arrive on campus, the international orientation will take place before regular orientation. This will give you a chance to learn about your responsibilities as an F1 visa holder. The peer mentors will lead orientation and will be a part of the information session. Here you will meet your mentor and have a chance to talk and spend some time with them. Don’t worry there will also be food, fun activities and an international social where you can meet other students! 

I had a peer mentor my first year who studied abroad in Japan, where I am from. This gave us a great chance to bond over both our experiences. She helped me so much from finding a job on campus, choosing classes, using the myclu portal all before I stepped onto campus. All the peer mentors my freshman year were incredibly supportive and kind and we were able to create a small community within the CGE. This helped me immensely with getting comfortable in the US, which is why I applied to become a peer mentor as well. You can apply before the start of the new year by contacting Lara from the CGE, her email is lraynaud@callutheran.edu.

I’ve had the honor of meeting amazing people from all over the world through this program. I recommend dedicating your time to getting to know your mentors, mentees, and anyone in the global community because it’s such a unique experience you cannot get elsewhere on campus.

By: Emma Kohara

Adapting to New Environments

Summer is in full swing right now, and the idea of a new school year seems pretty far in the future for most of us. However, August will soon come around and we will all be making our way back to campus for another year at CLU! I will be a Junior when we return and I honestly cannot believe that I’m already in my third year, it’s insane! Time really has flown by and the terrifying prospect of “adulthood” gets ever closer…. However, I’m not talking about that today. I wanted to talk about how to adapt to your new environment, specifically as international students, who often face many more challenges the the residential students.

If the idea of getting on your first flight to the US, moving alone, or even just living with strangers for the first time is a daunting one to you do not worry, I feel you! It can be super scary at first, even more with the culture shock you face when arriving in the US. My advice to you would be to surround yourself with familiar things, whether its food from home, photos of people you cherish, or even just simple home comforts – make your home from home feel like just that! I’m so lucky to have the best friends around me who are also international students, and I think this is super important too. Without them, I would feel more alone because we RELATE to each other. We face similar struggles and therefore, you face them together. If you are wondering where to meet other fellow international students, come to the CGE! I’m usually there, along with loads of other friendly faces who will always be happy to talk to you and help you with any problems you may have 🙂 We also hold lots of fun events, as well as having peer mentor programs which are super helpful for new students! (I recommend this, it helped me loads!)

So, for now enjoy the rest of your summer! Be optimistic and look forward to the new school year, you will have the best time!!!

By: Sophie Davies

Opening a Bank Account

Attempt number something, I lost my count by now. It’s that thing where you want
to write something original, fun to read, not too shabby but each time you scribble you end up with something generic, redundant. My experiences as an international student might be different, may be useful however, one only watches the movies that are memorable to them and at this point I can’t tell if the things that are memorable to me would have the same effect on everyone else. So here I am going back to something that may actually be helpful (My experiences would be a good ice breaker when we all meet for the orientation.) How to open an account as an international student. (Yup fun fun !!)

STEP 1 – Finding the right bank for you:

Well so you travelled to the US, started school and used the card you brought with you to pay for all the different restaurants you are trying, movies you are watching and groceries you are buying. If you are like my parents, they made you figure out everything beforehand which includes finding a card that can work internationally so you won’t have to pay for the extra charges for international transactions. But what if you found a job on campus (Here you can find all the jobs on campus and here you can find the procedure to get a Social Security Number which would be the next step after you find a job.) For the paycheck to be deposited you need an American bank account. The first step to get an account is to find a suitable bank that will fulfill all your needs. Following is something I found that may help you decide the idle bank account for you.

STEP 2 – Documentation:

Now you have finalized the bank for your account, the next step is to go to figure out the closest bank branch location near you which would be CLU. I opened my account in Bank of America in 2019 back in NY when I first moved to the US, so I will be using BOA as an example. You will find all the information for BOA international student accounts here. Due to the pandemic most banks moved all their processing online, however as an international student it’s a better idea to physically present at the bank
location and provide all the necessary documents. (Yes, keep a bunch of copies of all the documents when you visit.) You may need the following information and documents for the bank account.

1) Home or permanent residence address:
This must include building name or number and street name, city or town, state or province, country.

2) U.S. physical address:
Only one of the following documents is needed:

– Government-issued ID with photo
– Student ID with address and photo
– Current utility bill with your name and address
– Other (rental agreement, etc.)

3 ) Primary ID:
Only one of the following documents is needed:

– Foreign passport with or without passport visa (with photo)
– U.S. Non Immigrant visa and Border Crossing Card-DSP-150 (with photo)
– Mexican, Guatemalan, Dominican, Colombian Consular ID (with photo)
– Canadian Citizenship Certificate Card (with photo)

4) Secondary ID:
Only one of the following documents is needed:

– Foreign driver’s license with photo or U.S. driver’s license
– U.S. student ID validated for current term or school year (with photo)
– Debit or major credit card with Visa® or Mastercard® logo
– Major retail credit card from a nationally well-known company
– U.S. Department of State Diplomat ID
– Mexican Voter Registration Card (with photo)

5) Foreign Tax Identification Number (FTIN):
An FTIN issued by a country other than the U.S. A U.S. TIN/ITN is not required unless you’ve been issued one. For me as I am from India, it was a PAN card. So, it may vary
from country to country.

This is the general documentation you would need, but it may vary from bank to bank. For Bank of America information you can go to this link.

Processing time for each bank may vary and you will receive the confirmation, your
debit card and other information from the bank through email after that. There will be some process to activate the card but it’s just a minor thing and you are good to go. Also, keep track of your account number and routing number. You will also have to
update the routing number and residential address if you move to a different place than you provided on the application. Having the BOA or any other application makes all these processes quite easy. You can also submit the checks online and will not have to deposit it at the bank.

So, there you have it. Most things you need to know for opening a bank account. I feel
light headed, but worth it !! Looking forward to meeting and talking to you all who made it this far. (Which I personally would never have made it to…)

Happy travels and welcome to CLU !!!!!!

By: Samar Salve