BEFORE YOU ARRIVE

Once you have been accepted to the University of South Carolina, you can start planning for your time abroad. You will want to consider such issues as health insurance coverage, financial issues and budgeting along with arranging your travel to the U.S. In addition, you will want to keep in mind that you will experience ups and downs as you adjust to living in the U.S. and will want to consider the differences in climate and the overall University system in the U.S.

1.            Health Matters

Student Health Insurance

Health insurance coverage is automatically charged to your USC student account. If you already have health insurance coverage from your home country that will cover you while you are studying abroad in the U.S., you are eligible to waive the health insurance and have that charge removed from your account. In order to do so, you will need to complete the hard waiver form and submit proof of insurance coverage from your home country (translated into English) to the Student Health Center within the first two weeks of the semester.

Thompson Student Health Center

Students are eligible to receive routine treatment and physicals at the Thompson Student Health Center on-campus. For more information and to schedule an appointment, you can refer to the Center’s web site.

2.            Financial Matters and Budgeting

It is always a good idea to have some U.S. dollars with you upon your arrival. The Columbia airport does not have a currency exchange booth, though if you are flying through a major airport, you should be able to find one during your trip.

Most of your living expenses (housing, food, books, health insurance and miscellaneous expenses) are included in these estimates:

$5,209 US per semester (4 months)   

$11,721 US per academic year (9 months)

$15,217 US per calendar year (12 months)

However, if you do plan on traveling extensively while in the U.S., you may want to consider having extra spending money.

USC offers several meal plan options at a variety of on-campus dining locations.  Students who do not wish to purchase a standard meal plan may use their Carolina Card to purchase individual meals at Campus dining facilities.  For meal plan options visit: http://www.sc.edu/dining/plans.html

Some international students find it convenient to open a bank account in the U.S. You will receive more information on how to open a bank account during the orientation week upon your arrival. You can also check with your financial institution in your home country to see about fees and usability of your debit card in the U.S.

3.            Transportation

Transportation in Columbia, and throughout the U.S., may be very different from that of your home country. You may be accustomed to using public transportation such as buses, trains and subways to get around your home city. Although there is a bus transit system in Columbia, you will most likely need to rely on walking to get around campus and the surrounding area. Most U.S. students do have cars on-campus so once you meet other students, you may be able to ask them for a ride off-campus.

There is an airport in Columbia, but you will most likely fly into one of the nearby international airports in Atlanta or Charlotte and take a connecting flight to Columbia or make arrangements for transportation to Columbia from those airports. It is recommended that you take a connecting flight to the Columbia airport. More information about area transportation can be found below.  

Keep in mind that the Columbia airport is about a 25 minute drive from campus and if you do not make other arrangements for airport pick-up, you will need to have U.S. dollars for a taxi.

Area Airports

Columbia Metropolitan Airport

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Transportation to Columbia from Atlanta: Greyhound (around $50

one-way)

Charlotte-Douglas International Airport

Ground Transportation at the Charlotte airport

Around Columbia

Central Midlands RTA Bus

USC Campus shuttle

Regional Transportation

Amtrak

Greyhound

4.             Packing

Since Columbia is located in the Southeastern part of the U.S., the temperatures throughout the year are fairly mild. During the winter months of November-January, temperatures may drop as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit; however, in the summer months of June-September, temperatures can reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit with high levels of humidity.

You will have access to laundry facilities so it is a good idea pack as light as possible. You will need to have a warm coat, gloves and a hat for the winter months and rain gear, including an umbrella, for the spring months. Also keep in mind that the beach is a short drive away so you may want to include a swimsuit. For more information on packing, please see the packing section of the USC International Student Handbook.

5.             Preparing to live in the U.S./Columbia

As much as you may feel familiar with U.S. culture through music, movies or TV shows, actually living in the U.S. will be an adjustment. To help you prepare for this cultural adjustment, you can read more about culture shock and how to adjust to living in a foreign country. Additional information about living in the U.S. can be found in the USC International Student Handbook.

6.             U.S. Academic System

The U.S. academic system may differ greatly from higher education in your home country. For more information, consult the “American University System” section of the USC International Student Handbook.