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Dear Incoming Student,
Harvard Chinese Students and Scholars Association (HCSSA) cordially
welcomes you to enter Harvard and join our community!
Founded in 1994, HCSSA is dedicated to provide an arena for
activities and communications among Chinese students and scholars
at Harvard, as well as to promote cultural and intellectual
exchanges between China and the United States. HCSSA has become
an influential student organization in New England area.
From our own experiences, we understand the very difficulties
one will face in a foreign country for the first time. We hope
we can help you to make this transition as smooth as possible.
Due to limited capability, we are not able to provide help on
financial aid, flight reservation or housing needs. We hope
that you have either applied for school dormitory or asked your
friends to help to look for housing. If you want to post an
advertisement of looking for housing, you can send a message
to our email list. (See information at the end of this letter.)
The admission materials you receive from the university have
rich useful information, please read them carefully. We recommend
you join two great programs: Host Family Program by HIO (Harvard
International Office) and Host Student Program by GSAS (Graduate
School of Arts and Science). Your host family will usually offer
to meet you at the airport. If you are to arrive in Boston between
September 10th and 12th, and you don't have anyone to see you
at the airport, HCSSA can arrange volunteers to go to the airport
and provide some basic help. Please inform us, via email or
postal mail, (See information at the end of this letter.) your
flight number and arrival date and time. Please also prepare
some changes ($30-40, some $1 bills are also desired) for taxi
and other expenses.
Following is a list of suggestions compiled by "experienced"
fellow students for you reference. Generally speaking, most
stuffs are not surprisingly expensive here, but to bring some
of them will make your life easier, especially at the beginning.
Clothing: Boston usually has long, cold winters with plenty
of snow. A thick coat ($70-100 at least here) is necessary outdoors.
A pair of water-proof boots ($40-50 here) is also useful. Rooms
in school dormitory are well heated in winter, so thick clothes
are not necessary if you live there, and a warm blanket or a
thin quilt is sufficient for sleep. Summer in Boston is moderately
hot. Luckily, most office buildings are air-conditioned. Most
people wear T shirts and shorts or skirts in the summer. You
will frequently machine wash and dry your clothes, therefore,
try to choose 100% cotton and slightly larger clothes. Suits
and formal dresses are rarely used but expensive here. Gentlemen
may consider to bring one suit and one pair of leather shoes,
ladies a few elegant dresses and matching shoes for formal occasions.
You may want to bring sufficient amount of shirts, jeans, pants
and jackets for daily wear. However, do not bring too much clothing
for the sake of it--you may soon find some of them out-of-place
here. Cheap ($20 or so) yet good quality clothes can be easily
found here.
Housing and Dinning: Housing in Boston area is relatively expensive.
Most students choose to live in GSAS dormitory (residence halls)
during first year. The location is convenient, close to your
office and other places you frequently visit. It is also an
excellent place to get to know fellow students and be exposed
to American culture. Many Chinese students choose Dudley House's
meal plan and quite like it. Dudley House's dining hall is also
a great place to meet different people and chat with friends.
However, if you don't feel like to have American food everyday,
you may cook on your own. All dormitory buildings have shared
kitchen facilities, albeit quite limited. You can find most
materials and utensils for Chinese cuisine in Chinatown, which
are not expensive. However, for your convenience at the beginning,
you may want to bring a few stainless steel utensils.
Transportation: Public transportation is convenient and safe
in Boston. The subway (also known as the T) connects most areas.
You can easily get to many places without a car. From Boston's
Logan International Airport to Harvard University, you can take
the T. However, as a new comer with heavy luggage, we recommend
you take a taxi, which will cost you about $30 (including 10-15%
tip).
Miscellaneous: Bring your favorite Chinese tapes, CDs and books.
Also bring something related to your hobbies, like small musical
instruments, table tennis / badminton / tennis bats, chess,
etc. HCSSA has some clubs, such as the soccer team, etc., you
can find your pals there. Besides an English-Chinese dictionary
(if your major is in science or engineering, an English-Chinese
science and technology dictionary is very useful), a Chinese-English
dictionary and a Chinese-Chinese dictionary (for example, Xinhua
Zidian) will prove useful. Textbooks and reference books are
very expensive here, so bring some useful books (either in Chinese
or English) related to your field (especially if your major
is in science or engineering). Bring some common medicine, but
not too much. The clean environment ensures little chance that
ordinary people will become sick. However, some people may be
allergic to pollen. Dental care is extremely expensive here,
so you would better have your teeth thoroughly checked and washed
before you come here. Some small items, such as bowls, chopsticks,
spare eyeglasses, etc. will make your life easier. Do not bring
things like electronic devices, camera, ink pens or soap and
shampoo, though.
Every new comer will face the challenge of transition in a
new environment. If you have time, you can read some articles
and books on "cultural shock" and on how to minimize
the "shock" and adjust to the new environment, which
might be helpful. After you come to Harvard, you will more or
less feel lonely, incompatible to society, and even unconfident
on your own capability. When you encounter difficulties that
you cannot solve, feel free to contact HCSSA members at any
time and we will try our best to help you out.
We hope you find some of the above information useful. On GSAS
registration day in September, HCSSA will set up a table at
GSAS registration site. We look forward to meeting you there.
We are glad to inform you that we will have a series of activities
at the beginning of the new semester. Please join us to meet
new friends and learn survival tips in the new place.
Best wishes!
Harvard Chinese Students and Scholars
Association
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