Housing
One of your first tasks after arriving in San Diego will be find a place to live. This section provides you with a few tips to make your search a successful one.

Temporary Accommodations

When you first arrive on campus you will need a place to live while you look for permanent accommodations. Many schools will provide temporary housing for international students who arrive before the semester begins. Ask the foreign student advisor or housing office for information about temporary housing.
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Another option if you know a student at the school is to ask them to let you stay with them for a few days. New graduate students, for example, can often find someone in their department with room for a temporary guest. You may have to sleep on a couch, but at least you'll have a roof over your head. You'll also be able to ask questions of someone who is familiar with the area.

Agencies

Most major cities have a Council for International Visitors or similar organization to help incoming international visitors. They can often arrange for you to stay with a local family for a few days, but such arrangements must be made in advance. They also are a good source of information for international students and may provide hospitality and social events. Look for them in the telephone book, or ask at the Traveler's Aid desk when you arrive. Every major airport, bus station, and train station has a Traveler's Aid desk.
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International Hostels

Many cities also have a youth hostel. Hostels are a good place to stay for a few days while you look for a permanent place to live. They provide dormitory style accommodations, sometimes with bunk beds in large rooms. There's usually a curfew, and lock-out hours during the day. The cost runs from $5 to $25 a night. You will be able to stay at the youth hostel at low cost if you are a member of the International Youth Hostel Federation. The US branch is called Hostelling International - American Youth Hostels (HI-AYH). A one year membership is $25 ($10 if you are under age 18). For more information, call 1-202-783-6161, fax 1-202-783-6171, or send email to hiayhserv@hiayh.org. Your travel agent should be able to help you become a member. A good source of information about hostels is the Internet Guide to Hosteling. Another source of information is the Traveloco Hostelling site.
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Apartment Costs
The cost of renting an apartment varies considerably depending on the part of the country and the local supply and demand. A one bedroom apartment in Pittsburgh might cost $400 a month while the same apartment in San Diego will cost $750 or more. The school's housing office or financial aid office can provide you with an estimate of the annual cost of renting an off-campus apartment.
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Apartment Search
You should do a few things before you begin your search for an apartment:

Ask the housing office and current students which neighborhoods are safe and which should be avoided.
Decide whether you want to cut costs by sharing an apartment with a roommate or two.
Get a detailed street map for the neighborhoods you are considering. You should be able to buy a map in the college bookstore. Rand McNally maps tend to be very good. You will want to get a copy of the Rand McNally Road Atlas if you will be doing any cross-country driving. Another good source for maps is the AAA (American Automobile Association). AAA maps and guidebooks are free to members, one of many reasons to join the auto club even if you don't drive a car.
Spend a few hours walking around the neighborhood to familiarize yourself with the area. Note the location of grocery stores and restaurants, since your most frequent trips will be to school and to buy food. Also note the location of bus stops and other public transportation. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to walk a mile and 5 minutes by bike.
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Important
When looking for an apartment, ask friends and fellow students if they know of a good apartment. Sometimes they will know someone who is moving out of a good apartment or may be moving themselves. Such desirable apartments are rarely advertised because they are rented very quickly.

Smoking
Smoking has become socially unacceptable in the US, in part due to the health risks. Smoking is prohibited in government and public buildings, and many businesses, especially restaurants, will not permit smoking on the premises. Those restaurants that permit smoking will usually have a separate section for customers who smoke. Your school probably has a ban on smoking within campus buildings or near building entrances.

Tobacco products may not be sold to anyone under 18 years old, and federal law requires stores to ask to see a photo ID for anyone under 27 years old.
If you are a guest in someone's home, you should ask whether it is ok to smoke before lighting up. If there are no ashtrays in the house, it is a good sign that smoking is not acceptable.
Smoking on airplane flights within the US is prohibited. There are severe penalties for smoking on an airplane or in an airplane lavatory. Smoking is also prohibited on interstate trains and buses.
Smoking is prohibited on public transportation, including buses and trolleys.
Smoking around children is inappropriate. Buying cigarettes for a child, or giving a child a cigarette is illegal.
It is extremely impolite to blow smoke in someone's face.
If you are smoking and someone coughs, it is often a polite way of asking you to extinguish the cigarette.
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Phone Calls Etiquette
When you call someone, it is polite to identify yourself. For example, if your name is John Smith and you were calling Robert Chen, you would say "Hello, this is John Smith. May I speak to Robert Chen, please?".

When you answer the phone, it is ok to answer just "Hello". After your caller introduces himself, you would say one of the following:

"Hi John, this is Robert. How are you?"
"Speaking." or "Robert Chen speaking."
"I'm sorry, but Robert is not able to come to the phone right now. May I take a message?"
It is not polite to call someone before 9 am or after 10 pm, unless it is an emergency. The only exception would be if he or she told you it is ok to call earlier or later.
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Revised 12-9-2001
by Fabrizio Donato
Csis 136 Grossmont College