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Being in a new place can be intimidating and confusing. There’s so much to take in and even more to do! Where do you start? Thankfully, you’re not alone, and we at Campus Recreation have a few tips to help get you started and settled down in little Rhody!

I would like to begin by welcoming all our international students to the United States! We’re glad to have you and learn alongside you. We hope you find your studies here to be fun and valuable! Here are some things that I hope can help my fellow students in the long run:

The first major thing to get set up would be to get a social security number, otherwise shortened to SSN. This is essentially a number that the federal government uses to identify citizens and residents, which includes those with a student visa. The SSN is usually necessary to make a bank account and get a job if you plan to do either of these things. In order to get this SSN, you would have to make an appointment with a social security office. Rhode Island has a few of these offices, spread between Providence, Pawtucket, Newport, Warwick and Woonsocket. You can also call to make an appointment at 1-800-772-1213 between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM on weekdays. When and if you make an appointment, you’re required to bring some form of photo identification.

With your social security number, you can now make a savings account, and thus have somewhere to put your money should you choose to get a job. Now I’ll be completely clear here: I have no clue how banks work. But one thing that you as an international student should look for is a bank that can complete a rate exchange with your home country’s currency. One of the banks that can do that, which I know from personal experience, is Bank Newport, which is local to RI and has a pretty basic app. Other banks near and around URI include Bank RI, Washington Trust, Citizens’ Bank, and Bank of America, to name a few. There’s even a location for the Rhode Island Credit Union in the Memorial Union.

Speaking of jobs, the University of Rhode Island has a couple of options if you want to stay on-campus. On-campus opportunities include Campus Recreation, which is a branch of the Division of Student Affairs. The fitness and wellness centers, Boss Arena, and Memorial Union all have student employees who were all hired by the Division of Student Affairs. For general information about Campus Rec, you can call (401)874-5926 or email campusrec@etal.uri.edu. 

Another option you have for looking for job opportunities is to go to Handshake. This is a site that partners with universities to connect students with jobs on and off campus that play to the students’ strengths and the employers’ needs. One of the employers is URI itself and is actually how I found my internship for our Campus Recreation blog! The Memorial Union has several different positions open for application on Handshake, including working in the Rams’ Den, student senate office assistants, student-involvement roles, and of course writing positions. Handshake also has off-campus employers nationwide, having positions from New York to Los Angeles in both the private and public sectors. This site keeps track of your skills, graduation year, and major, as well as your interests, in order to present job opportunities to you.

I find HandShake to also be super useful in finding potential internships, which you may or may not need later on in your education career.

One last thing, but one of the most important, is the health service processes for international students. Like every other student, you’ll be required to answer some immunization questions, as to protect yourself, each other, and URI as a whole. This will include proof of vaccinations for polio, smallpox, and COVID-19 to name a few. Additionally, international students are required to purchase the University’s insurance plan for yourself and for any dependents you may have, though URI itself doesn’t offer pediatric services. There are certain conditions in which you don’t have to purchase the URI insurance, but that is only met if the insurance in question meets the same standards as the American Care Act.

 

The American Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, was passed with the goal of making medical insurance affordable to everyone in the US. It was also passed to make Medicaid more readily available for low-income adults and with the additional goal of making innovative care delivery methods to make care cheaper to the consumer.

With your healthcare, bank account, and employment all situated, you can finally do the most important thing for yourself: relax. You’ve already accomplished so much in not only applying, moving, and settling down, but also in your education so far. You deserve some rest and relaxation and luckily for you, I have some more tips for that too. 

 

The University of Rhode Island has more than 130 different student clubs and organizations, including dance clubs, philosophy clubs, clubs including politics, clubs including athletics, activism, culture, anime, games, greek life, and much more. You can find the full comprehensive list here. These clubs are a great way to make friends with similar interests or to learn about others you may not be familiar with. 

 

Of course, you don’t have to join a club if you don’t want to. There are other ways and places for you to relax on campus. We have the Anna Fascitelli Wellness Center and a Mackal Field House, for those who like working out. 

The fan favorite \ Memorial Union, is home to the Rams’ Den, 193 Degree Coffeehouse, and even a sushi bar on the bottom level (Which is my favorite place to be since it also has boba tea in many different flavors!). I’d highly recommend the guava boba green tea while bringing a friend along to play pool, then sitting down at one of the nearby tables to study and finish up homework. 

There’s always the Quad, which is great for picnics, non-competitive sports with friends, and Greek-life gatherings. 

The Boss Arena is open to the public on weekends for open skating. 

We at URI also have a Multicultural Center aimed at making our multicultural and international communities feel welcomed and involved! But wait, there’s more! Go exploring on campus and you’ll find friends and new things to do at every turn!

Admission content – URI in the World

International Students – URI in the World

International Admission

Rhode Island Social Security Office Locations

Contact – Campus Recreation

Student Organizations