Rest assured, you will have your orientation to get you started and ready for everything maybe couple of times including your orientation here at Stanford. All of these are aimed at getting you ready for the next challenge in your life. This page will serve as list of things that you should start thinking about from the very beginning before the quarter even starts. You will soon be exposed to new situations which will require your best response to get the best out of it. You are not on your own in the program, many people from the university will help you to get what is required, but to get you there you should know first what you need and what you want. Hopefully these hints will help you to do that.
Plan, Plan, Plan
You should by now have at least in your mind what kind of live you would like to experience. Early preparation will not hurt you it will only serve to get the most of what you are going to do. Start listing the things that you want to do, the places you want to visit. This is a short program and so you might as well see more challenging things that you want to expose yourself to as you go along, but the list will give you ideas of where to start. This list could range from the classes that you want to see yourself in, the teaching methods that you want to improve, your English ability that you want to develop, the kind of extra curricular activities that you want to do or even the places that you want to visit. I assume you will have few weeks time before the first quarter starts. That is the perfect time for you to get started on this because by then you start to see what is available at the university for you to explore and you start to get to know the people at the language center and your mentor for you to ask questions.Planning everything will help you to do more because it will help you keep track of the things that you have done and you need to do next. And in terms of vacation and visiting places this means less money because tickets are always cheaper if you book them in advance.
Get the right attitude
As a newbie in the USA many things will seem strange and unknown to you. This can be good or bad it all depends on your perspective - but you need to remember that there is always a positive side to it. Do not take anything personally. This could be the culture of the country that you are not aware of. Be ready to be exposed to these differences because that is what you are here for, to build mutual understanding. People are very diverse at Stanford. If you need information or clarification about certain cultural aspects that you do not understand and therefore are unsure of how to behave, you can always consult your mentor. Ask questions! To be politically incorrect is the last thing that you want to do here. Listen very carefully to what people expect you to say and be generous in sharing your culture as well and hopefully by doing so mutual understanding between cultures will be accomplished.
Get on the network
Involve yourself with campus life and the city life of Palo Alto. You live near both areas - this gives you the opportunity to explore both. At the beginning of the year there will be an exhibition of extracurricular activities at White Plaza. Students with tables and music try to get many people involved in their activity. Sign up for the things that interest you. You may not have the time to do all but when you put yourself in the mailing list that will allow you to get the information about what happen on campus.
As for academic life and professional development, this campus is rich with opportunities. There are talks everyday with amazing speakers that you do not want to miss out on, volunteer projects to enrich your experience. You will not find out about all these things if you do not have the information. You can start with Bechtel International Center and pay attention to the fliers. Most importantly get involved with the network of fellow students from your and the other FLTA's countries, this will help you to still get the feeling of home and also a good opportunity if you want to pass on information about the courses of your language that you have made available at the university. All important links will be found at the links part of this wiki.
Blend in
Now that you have found out all the happenings in campus, join them. Go to the talks, involve yourself in new things. This is the time for you to experience them. Not many people will have the same opportunities - all you have to do is be there and participate. All those talks and activities will not only enrich your experience but also to give you new perspective that you might not know before and help you meet new people with similar interests. These talks are usually by the best lecturers from universities all over the States. Do not limit yourself to only things that you already know about. Be involved in new things and be prepared to face the other world that you might not realize before. If you happen not to like the talk or the activities, let me share with you one secret: it is still worth going anyway because they usually serve free lunch or dinner at any activities held!
Your Status
As weird as it sounds, you do not have a student or an instructor card for your being at Stanford. You will receive a paper card named visiting scholar that needs to be renewed for a certain time of period. You will get this card from Pat in the Language Center. You need to get different cards to allow you to use the libraries or the gym. To get a library card, you need to go to Green Library and get the electronics card there; with that you have access to use all libraries on campus (eight of them). However, to go to the gym you need to get another card with a picture ID. You can visit the gym in Arrillaga and ask where to go to get a picture ID - you will need to pay for this.
Get Stanford Wireless
If you bring your laptop on campus and intend to use it for teaching then you need to get it connected to Stanford's wireless system. Using your SUNet ID you can send a request for help by clicking "HelpSU" on the left side of your webmail. Fill out the form and make an appointment. These people are there to help you because you are part of Stanford. You can always submit another request if you experience any problems with your computer and network. You can ask Tracey, Amy, or Monica for more information on this matter.