Welcome new Emory international students!

Welcome new Emory international students!!

International Student Orientation 2008 is behind us, and we hope all of it was fun, informative and useful for all involved. Nearly 500 new international students joined the Emory community on August 21, 2008, so please go out of your way to meet and guide them in their new academic endeavors.

Please take note of a few reminders for new international students:

Please always read your bi-weekly Ac’cent electronic newsletter from ISSP. It contains important updates, event announcements and immigration information. It is our primary method of communication with our international constituents, and it is your responsibility to keep up with the information distributed.
Please join us for the next International Coffee Hour on Friday, September 5 from 11:30 am-12:30 pm in the Winship Ballroom in the Dobbs University Center. It will be sponsored this week by Student Health and Counseling Services. Here you will meet some of your senior colleagues and new friends from around the world.
If you are still in need of practical information, such as setting up house, buying a car, how telecommunications work in the U.S. or the Atlanta transportation system for example, please consult our handy Online Handbook http://www.emory.edu/ISSP/survival/handbook/index.html. It contains information on almost any practical topic you still have questions about. The ISSP website (www.emory.edu/issp) contains a great wealth of information and many downloadable forms. It should always be your first stop for practical information. Of course, you are always welcome to visit the ISSP office during in suite 130 of the North Decatur Building or consult one of our advisors via e-mail or telephone.
ISSP’s “housing help” program has been extended to September 8th by appointment only. If you require additional assistance with finding suitable housing, ISSP has a dedicated Housing Assistant available until September 8th to assist new international students. Please call our office (404-727-3300) to make an appointment. You will also need to complete a short questionnaire to help us assist you better. You can pick up this form at our main office. An electronic copy of the form can be found at http://www.campuslife.emory.edu/issp/students/prehousing.aspx. The form should be submitted to our office no less than 48 hours prior to your appointment. Contact Charles D. Bush at cdbush@emory.edu for further details.
If you find yourself feeling homesick, overwhelmed or depressed, please understand that what you are probably experiencing is a normal reaction when you enter a new cultural environment and leave your familiar one behind. It is a natural part of “adjusting” to everything, including the people and their habits, language, time change, and surroundings. Staff and advisors at ISSP have special training in cross-cultural adjustment issues, as well as resources for referral if needed. We are there to help. Please feel free to approach us if you would like to talk or obtain assistance in dealing with this process.
If you have still have questions about Social Security Numbers, please contact the ISSP office. At this time, all of the on-campus appointments have passed. Remember that F-1 students need to have employment in order to be eligible for an SSN. Remember that you will need to get a copy of the waiver letter (SSAL-676) for the purpose of obtaining a Georgia driver’s license from the SSA if you are not eligible for a Social Security Number. Information about applying for an SSN can be found on the ISSP website at http://www.emory.edu/ISSP/survival/handbook/financial/ss.htm.
If you have any difficulties in getting or are refused a Georgia driver’s license or state ID, please inform ISSP. Please let us know which Department of Driver Services office you visited and the exact nature of the problems you encountered. Also note the names of any officers or managers with whom you spoke.