special programs for new students
New students will be able to shop for linens, toiletries, food, household items, clothing, etc. on Monday, January 9 from 1:00-4:00. ISSS will provide a guide and a bus to a local strip mall. To join this trip, new students must sign up in ISSS, Talbert Hall 210, North Campus and pay a $10 fee, which will be returned to them when they board the bus.
This is an opportunity for new students to meet other new students and a representative from the Campus Living (residence halls) staff. Pizza and beverages will be provided.
The meetings will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10. The location will depend on the residence hall where the students live.
• Clement Hall Lobby (South Campus Residence Halls)
• Richmond Dining Hall (Ellicott and Greiner Residence Halls)
• Lehman Hall Lounge (Governors Residence Halls)
bank & cell phone accounts
Students who arrive early should stop by ISSS, Talbert Hall 210 for tips on opening bank accounts and maps to banks which are accustomed to opening accounts for internationals, and streamline procedures for them. Note: It is possible to open a bank account without a UB card, Social Security Card or even proof of address in Buffalo.
Students will be able to open bank and cell phone accounts on Tuesday, January 10 (10:00-3:00). Representatives from AT&T, Bank of America and M&T Bank will be in Knox Hall opening accounts on those days. Note: Students who do not have Social Security Cards and do not want to pay deposits will be able to open cell phone accounts and get their cell phones at that time.
driver's licenses
International students can drive in New York State (NYS) with an International Driver’s Permit and home country driver’s license as long as they are in valid non-immigrant status, and the driver’s license and International Driver’s Permit are both valid.
However, we recommend that students obtain NYS driver’s licenses because police officers often have difficulty determining if home country driver’s licenses are valid. In addition, car insurance rates are lower if one has a NYS driver’s license.
Students’ I-20 or DS-2019 must show that they will enroll or engage in a program that will last at least one year. They must also have at least six months remaining on their I-20/DS-2019.
esl course, speak & toefl test sign-up
New students who must take ESL courses in addition to their academic courses will be able to register for those courses starting on Tuesday, January 10 (9:00-2:00). Keith Otto, Program Director of ESL Programs, will register students in their ESL classes and lift their ELI hold (formerly F checkstop) in Baldy Hall 320.
New students who must take SPEAK or TOEFL tests will be able to do so during International Student Orientation. The TOEFL test will be given at 1:00 on Tuesday, January 10. The SPEAK test will be given to all graduate students who have been awarded graduate, teaching or research assistantships and graduate students whose departments require it on Tuesday, January 10 (12:00-3:30). Sign-up for the TOEFL and SPEAK tests is required and will take place in Baldy Hall 320 on Tuesday, January 10.
housing: off-campus
New students will be able to pick up helpful information on off-campus housing in ISSS and at International Student Orientation. These handouts provide tips on where to look for off-campus housing, criteria to use in selecting an apartment, leases, etc. This information is also available at www.buffalo.edu/intlservices/offcampus.html.
New students should have their lease reviewed by an attorney before they sign it. Students seeking such assistance should go to SBI Legal Assistance, Student Union 377 during the hours below:
Tuesday, January 10: 1:00-4:00
Wednesday, January 11: 1:00-4:00
Thursday, January 12: 1:00-4:00
Friday, January 13: 1:00-4:00
immunization requirement
New students cannot register for classes until they submit their immunization form to UB’s Student Health Services. In case students did not do so yet, SHS medical staff will be present at Orientation Check-In on Tuesday, January 10 (10:00-3:00). They will be in Student Union 210 checking new students’ immunization records, lifting their registration hold (formerly I checkstop) and giving shots to any student who needs one.
shopping trip
New students will be able to shop for linens, toiletries, food, household items, clothing, etc. on Wednesday, January 11 from 4:30-8:30. ISSS will provide a guide and a bus to Walmart.
social security cards
To apply for Social Security Cards, F-1 students must have written job offers and be registered as full-time students. J-1 students do not need written job offers to apply.
Any student who meets these requirements and wants to apply for a Social Security Card must attend the “Social Security Card Information Session” on Friday, January 13 (3:45-4:45). There will also be a few make-up "Social Security Card Information Sessions” during the first week of classes (schedule available in ISSS, Talbert 210). Letters with single-use passwords that new students can use to activate their UB computer accounts will be distributed on Tuesday, January 10 (9:00-2:00). After that, new students can obtain their single-use password letters in ISSS, Talbert Hall 210.
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