An International Student Marketplace - Semtus blog

MAXIMIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

10/2/2014

By: Jessica Mazelon

In between classes and studying, many students do not realize there is an enormous opportunity to learn. As an international student, your time is limited; so why not take advantage of it? By maximizing your experiences outside of the classroom, you will create long lasting friendships, a strong professional network, and amazing stories to bring back with you.

The following is what you will need to succeed:

Networking and Maintaining Business Relationships

9/26/2014

By: Saad Hirani at UC Berkeley

A number of international students approach college in the U.S. with one thing in mind, landing an H-1 sponsoring job soon after graduation.

With limited time in hand, international students have to use the time and resources efficiently to land into the dream job.

Here are some of the issues international students face during their transition from student to professional:

On-Campus Jobs

9/24/2014

By: Saad Hirani at UC Berkeley

An important part of managing life in college as an international student is being able to save money or contribute to tuition.

International fees are almost thrice as much as in-state fees for students who study in the U.S., and can often be a huge financial burden.

Obtaining an on campus job can help decrease this stress and is often a primary source for international students. A variety of jobs are available at universities, which try to make use of student employment to decrease their wage bills.

Sororities and Fraternities in the U.S.

9/16/2014

By: Saad Hirani at UC Berkeley

Trying to settle in the USA can be very tricky. Several students come to college knowing nothing about both fraternities and sororities in the States, and often lose out on the chance to make important social and professional connections that can prove crucial to acquiring jobs.

Engaging in On-Campus Activities

9/11/2014

By: Saad Hirani at UC Berkeley

Incoming international students often find it hard to settle down at college and adapting to a complete change of lifestyle.

For many students, their first semester of college is an ‘adjustment period’ to severe cultural shocks.

Engaging in on-campus activities and enrolling in student organizations is the best way to enjoy campus life and get to know other students at college.

Getting a Driver's License as a College Student

9/9/2014

By: Saad Hirani at UC Berkeley

College campuses, especially larger ones, are often at the outskirts of cities or in small towns where public transport can never be relied on.

Having a driver’s license can be a huge advantage, especially when you have a job or internship.

Being able to drive also means easier connectivity to nearby relatives and can be helpful with emergencies.

It is also a great way for students to enhance their social experience at college.

Possessing a license allows students to rent their own cars and make numerous road trips, which can be great ways of spending weekends and small breaks during college semesters.

Every state has its own rules about when you can use a foreign driver’s license and when you must apply for a U.S. driver’s license.

Steps to Obtaining a Social Security Number

9/2/2014

By: Saad Hirani at UC Berkeley

For some parents, it is incentive enough to send their children abroad for studies; many consider it to be a crucial first step to immigration. It is a small, 4x2 inch card that is sometimes given as much importance as academic pursuits; this card is known as the Social Security Number (SSN).

Social Security numbers are generally assigned to people who are authorized to work in the United States. They are used to report your wages to the government and to determine eligibility for Social Security benefits.

Every U.S. citizen has an SSN, but the card is not only restricted to U.S. citizens.

The Importance of A Smartphone for COLLEGE STUDENTS

8/28/2014

By: Saad Hirani at UC Berkeley

It may be considered a privilege or a sign of status in third world countries such as the one I first came from as an incoming freshman, but a smartphone, especially one with data is an absolute necessity in college.

Gone are the days when students would carry paper maps of their campuses or college towns and try to learn about navigating the areas around where they lived.

In a fast paced university environment, with back to back classes and a large number of extra curricular activities, students have become very dependent over smartphones.

The following perspectives in the life of an average college student may help explain why:

Semtus Joins UC Berkeley

8/7/2014

The UC Berkeley new student orientation week is coming up and Semtus will be present!

The orientation will be taking place from Sunday, August 17th to Friday, August 22nd and Semtus will be sponsoring a couple of the events, giving out free SIM cards, as well as handing out Peet’s Coffee & Tea coupons.

There will be a variety of mobile plans, such as T-Mobile, Ultra Mobile, and AT&T. Plus, students will be able to purchase any of our products and activate them in that very moment!

We guarantee this will be the quickest process you will ever encounter from any mobile service provider and it will only require your I-20. It’s simple, a Semtus staff representative will take a photocopy of your document, swipe your credit card, and assist you in activating your SIM card – no credit check or social security number will be necessary!

And if customers would prefer an even quicker process, there’s an even better option! Visit our website, make your purchase, and have your order delivered to you or simply pick it up at the UC Berkeley International Office on campus.

You can also find airport pick-ups and drop-offs as well as unlocked phones on our site.

Semtus aims to provide the best deals and premium customer service, so keep checking www.semtus.com for even more possibilities.

We look forward to seeing you. Go Bears!

Buying a cell phone in the US

7/9/2014

July 6, 2014 | By Henry Cheng at UC Berkeley

Whether you are arriving for the first time, or already here – getting a cellphone and making the right choice on a cellphone plan is an extremely important decision. If done right – international students can save a lot of time and hassle.

As an international student, I found getting a cellphone in the US an extremely difficult process so I wanted to share my experience so it can save you some time and money.

Typical issues you’d face when trying to get a cellphone service:

1)      First, if you arrive with no local service, it is expensive to make international calls or even just get around

2)      Secondly if you are here, deciding on which plan to stick with is a challenge

3)      Many US cellphone companies may require a security deposit or good credit standing which at arrival you won’t have

4)      Deciding what is important to you can be challenging, each carrier has its own pros and cons (speed vs. coverage vs. price)

5)      Only a few providers allow for you to use your device from home. You might need to buy a new US phone

6)      Learning the difference between prepaid and postpaid, individual vs. family plans

7)      Getting the right SIM card size with cheap international calling capability

To decide which mobile carrier to choose, I just Google’d “American mobile carriers” to learn but after quickly being overwhelmed I asked my international student office and they were able to help.

How to avoid these problems:

A San Francisco based company (www.semtus.com) is now partnering with UC Berkeley international student office to bring some of the best US plans and discounts to international students within a single online store. Along with that, their online store offers all the new phones that are unlocked and can be used with any carrier in the US or worldwide.

As a UC Berkeley international student, you can get guaranteed lowest rates on a variety of different wireless plans and carriers. Some of the carriers they offer include T-Mobile, AT&T, and Ultra Mobile with the latest iPhones, Galaxy, and other popular devices.

How to get it?

If you are interested, you can visit their online store at www.semtus.com or contact the UC Berkeley International Student Office to request a free SIM card.

They will also be present at the campus during the orientation week on Sunday (Aug 17), Monday (Aug 18), and Wednesday (Aug 20) at the student fair and Friday (Aug 22). You can meet their staff and buy your service in person and get some of the best discounts.

How else can you benefit?

I also learned that this year they will be introducing a referral program that will allow international students to bring a friend, and for each friend that signs up, you can earn $20 referral fee towards your plan.

Hope you can take advantage of these new solutions now available to UC Berkeley International Students.

Welcome to UC Berkeley.

Henry

无论你是第一次抵达美国还是已经生活在美国，买一只心仪的手机并且选择一个好的手机套餐服务是非常重要的。如果你有做出正确的选择，作为一名留学生你会省下很多困扰时间。

作为一名国际学生，我发现在美国买手机和办理手续有一系列繁琐的过程，所以我希望分享我的经验并且可以帮助到你省下一些时间与金钱。

当你准备购入手机套餐服务的典型事件：

1）首先，如果你抵达美国时没有当地手机网路服务，如果你要打国际长途，价格是非常昂贵的。

2）其次，选择购买哪个手机套餐也是一件挑战的事情。

3）大部分的美国手机公司都会让你提交保证金，因为我们初来美国还没有长期的当地信用。

4）决定哪个套餐也是具有挑战性的，因为每个公司每个产品套餐都有各自的利弊。

5）只有少数的手机供应商的手机是可以回国使用，除非你买全新原价的解锁手机。

6）需要了解不同的付款方式。如，预付套餐，月付套餐，个人套餐，群组分享套餐。

7）买到正确的手机卡大小与拥有便宜的国际长途通话性能。

该选择哪个手机服务供应商呢，我谷歌查询了“美国手机供应商” 并了解到一些讯息，但是我很快被一系列的问题给难倒了，最终我还是问了学校的国际学生部门寻求帮助。

怎么解决这些问题？

一家在旧金山成立的公司（www.semtus.com ) 现在和伯克利大学国际学生部开始合作，他们是一家网络公司给国际学生带来最好的手机服务套餐。同时他们的网站上还提供最新解锁版智慧型手机，所以我们可以在全球任何地方使用。

怎么使用该公司产品？

如果你对该公司感兴趣，你可以上他们的网站 www.semtus.com 或者联系伯克利大学国际学生部领取免费sim卡。

你还可以得到什么福利？

我今年还了解到，他们会给予小幅度的回报，如果作为使用者的你，介绍给自己的朋友并且让他们留下自己的联系方式，你就可以获得$20 储值到你购买的套餐服务里。

伯克利大学的新生们希望你们对这些最新的服务方案感兴趣。

欢迎来到伯克利大学

Henry

4 things i learned about...

7/6/2014

Most of you will come across some degree of culture shock when you arrive to the United States for education. I certainly experienced this and wanted to share some ways in which you may be able to avoid them or prepare for it.

When I first moved to the U.S., I didn’t assume there would be a huge difference in the way people behaved. Frankly, coming from a Latin country with no study abroad experience, I had no idea what to expect. I arrived in America with an open mind but realized that there were many differences, which led me to experience a sense of a ‘culture shock’.

‘Culture shock’ occurs when a person feels disoriented in a new country and is not used to the routine or people. This often leads to homesickness but can be avoided if you’re aware of what to expect.

Some social customs can make you feel a certain level of ‘culture shock’. Here are a few examples from my experience:

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