Table of Contents
A letter to the new coming students April, 97
Welcome to the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). In this letter, we
will try to introduce you the Chinese Student Association (CSA) at UIC and
give you some general information about Chicago. For new coming or
potential UIC students, we will also explain how to contact our current UIC
CSA members who are returning to Taiwan during the summer of 97, how to
arrange an airport pick-up, temporary housing, and other noteworthy issues.
Our goal is to help you adapt to your new life at UIC and enjoy the
experience of studying abroad.
I The Chinese Student Association at University of Illinois at Chicago
The UIC CSA is mainly composed of international students and their families
from Taiwan, the Republic of China. The association is run by student
volunteers and its staff is reorganized each year to include new members who
joined us from the previous year. The goal of the association is to provide
all CSA members any possible help, an information center and an environment
for social gatherings. In addition to the CSA student body and activity
schedule, we also have other CSA-related groups such as a choir, a bible
study group, a mothers' group and many sports activities. For an
organization like CSA to thrive and survive, we need your support and
involvement. Therefore, it is important for you to take a break from your
studies and get involved in CSA activities as much as you can to make it a
successful organization.
II General information about Chicago
Chicago, also known as the windy city, has a world-renowned skyline and
many famous cultural activities. It is the third largest city in the US and
is located in the heartland of the Midwest. Chicago winters are quite harsh
and cold. The snow season usually lasts from November through March. In
contrast, summers are pleasant and full of outdoor concerts and activities.
Dinning in Chicago
Chicago has many world famous gourmet restaurants, and UIC is only minutes
away from many of them. If you are on a tight budget, you can eat at one of
the school cafeterias or obtain food item from nearby grocery stores or
supermarkets and cook for yourself. Lucky for us, the Chicago area has
three large Chinatowns. You can buy almost any Chinese food item or
appliance (rice cooker, utensils, etc.) there. The point is, you don't have
to carry anything from Taiwan to cure your craving for Chinese food.
Clothing in Chicago
As mentioned earlier, the Chicago winter is cold and harsh. As a result,
don't spare any money on a good coat and the accessories. You might want to
buy them here after you arrive in Chicago since the local design and
material might fit your needs better. People at UIC dress casually for
their everyday life. However, it is recommended that you bring one or two
formal suits/dresses with you for some occasions.
Housing in Chicago
If you want to live at the student residence or dormitory, please complete
and send out the school housing application as soon as possible. We
encourage you to contact the housing office directly from Taiwan for latest
information. The university does not provide family housing, only
accommodations for single students. If you want to live off campus, you can
also contact the off campus housing office at the university for information
or have the CSA help you to find one. The average off campus housing cost
ranges from around $250 (sharing a room in an apartment) to $750
(one-bedroom apartment). It is recommended that you arrive about two weeks
before the semester begins and stay at a nearby hotel or limited temporary
housing provided by CSA members if it is available.
Transportation in Chicago
For attending classes, there are free university shuttle bus services on
campus. If you are not planning to buy a car, there are convenient subways
or bus systems to take you anywhere you want to go. For those people that
have evening classes, you can apply for the school's "Red Car" service at
your department to secure your safety during the night.
Entertainment in Chicago
There are three fully equipped gyms on campus; their facilities are all
indoor and consist of a workout room, heated swimming pool, basketball and
racquetball courts, jogging lane and many other sport facilities. It takes
about 10 minutes by subway to get to downtown from the UIC campus. Chicago
has wonderful shopping districts, movie theatres, museums, and many
world-famous cultural events throughout the year. If you are a Bull's fan,
the United Center is only blocks away from campus although the tickets are
difficult to obtain.
III Contact current CSA member during summer in Taiwan
If you want to talk to a current CSA member who is returning to Taiwan for
the summer of 97, you might find his or her name and phone number from the
following list. You are encouraged to contact them for further information.
Name Major/Year Available date Phone Number Comments
Ya-Ju, Lin Art/Senior 06/20-08/15 (06) 230-4571
Chin-Kai, Lin OT/Graduate After 04/25 (04) 392-9610
Yu-Chuan, Hung OT/Graduate 05/03-05/27 (04) 278-0080
IV Airport pickup arrangement
You can easily reach the UIC campus via airport shuttle service, taxi or
subway. If you would like to have a CSA member pick you up at the airport,
please contact the UIC CSA as soon as possible. Please clearly state your
arrival date, time, airline, flight number and the arriving airport (O'Hare
airport or Midway airport). There will be a US$10 charge for parking and
gas expenses for your volunteer driver. Please give the $10 to your
volunteer driver upon your arrival.
V Temporary housing arrangement
We strongly recommend that new coming students apply for on-campus housing
for the first year/semester and make the arrangement so that you can arrive
on or after the time when your housing is available for you. If you are
unable to do so, the CSA will try its best to help you find temporary
housing before you find a place of your own. You can either choose to stay
at a nearby hotel or stay at limited temporary housing provided by CSA
members if it is available. Again, please contact the university housing
office or the CSA as soon as possible if you need housing assistant.
VI Other important issues
After your arrival, please contact your department and the international
student service office at your earliest convenience. If you have any other
questions or need some help in applying for a social security number (SSN),
opening a bank account or any other matters, you can contact the CSA for
information and assistance. We hope you have a bright start at UIC and
enjoy your stay in Chicago.
Sincerely,
Yung-Jen Chuang
and
The UIC-Chinese Student Association
VII Attachment
97-98 UIC CSA President
Yung-Jen Chuang
809 S. Damen Ave., SSR 1302A
Chicago, IL 60612
TEL: (312) 355-7292h
Email: ychuan1@uic.edu
97-98 UIC CSA Activity and Information
Pai-Jun Mao
TEL: (312) 355-7187
Email: U33877@uicvm.uic.edu
UIC CSA Mailbox
Chinese Student Association
UIC Campus Program (M/C 118) Rm. 300, CCC
750 S. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60607
On Campus Housing Office
Campus Housing Department (M/C 579)
Central Administration
818 S. Wolcott Ave.
Chicago, IL 60612-3727
(312) 413-5410 (call for the fax number)
Off Campus Housing Office
(312) 413-5940
International Student Service
Office of International Service (M/C 326)
Suite 2160 Student Service Building
1200 W. Harrison St.
Chicago, IL 60607-7164
(312) 996-3121