Academic Programs Abroad - Resources for Incoming International Exchange Students

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Resources for Incoming International Exchange Students

Congratulations on being accepted for exchange at Louisiana State University! Your coordinator here, Rachel Daroca, will send an acceptance packet to your home university contact that includes official admission letter, Immunization Compliance Form, immigration documents, if applicable, and housing information.

Click below for the appropriate topic:
International Services
Housing - On-campus or Off-campus
Immunizations
PAWS
Choosing Courses
Scheduling Courses
Orientation
Traveling to LSU
Temporary Housing

International Services
International Services' website (http://www.oip.lsu.edu/iso/) is an invaluable resource regarding i to international students regarding their educational, financial, immigration, personal, and social concerns in relation to their status in the U.S. International Services is is responsible for the LSU's compliance with federal regulations pertaining to non-immigrant students and employees.

Housing
While waiting to receive your official LSU acceptance packet, you should begin to think about whether you want to live on or off campus. If you want to live on campus, you should begin to research on-campus housing options by visiting the Office of Residential Life's housing options (http://appl003.lsu.edu/slas/reslifeweb.nsf/$Content/Residence+Halls?OpenDocument) as soon as possible.

On-Campus Housing (http://www.lsu.edu/housing)
If you decide you want to live on campus, you should apply for housing online as soon as you receive your acceptance packet from LSU. To apply, visit the Office of Residential Life's "Apply Online" page at http://appl003.lsu.edu/slas/reslifeweb.nsf/$Content/Apply+Online?OpenDocument. Please follow all online application instructions and pay your $150 deposit online, if applicable.

It is in your best interest to apply for housing as soon as possible, since housing is assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis, and housing is limited. If you wait too long, you run the risk that on-campus housing will be unavailable.

Important Note to ISEP Participants: Please be advised that you will be given a housing stipend equal to the amount of a two-student dorm room with a suite bath. If you choose a more expensive housing option, such as East or West Campus Apartments, you will be responsible for the cost difference.

Information regarding dorm and apartment rates may be found on The Office of Residential Life's Rates page: http://appl003.lsu.edu/slas/reslifeweb.nsf/$Content/Apply+Online/$file/Price_List.pdf.

Be sure to bring linens for your bed.

Off-Campus Housing
We recoomond on-campus housing, if possible, since it allows you greater opportunities to benefit from campus activities and to meet your fellow students. If you decide to live off-campus, you will be responsible for locating your own housing, since Academic Programs Abroad does not assist with housing searches. You will likely be responsible for providing your own furnishings and may also be responsible for electricity, telephone service, and cable service. You should try to find lodging near campus or near a campus bus line to allow you to easily get to class.

For housing help, you can visit the International Cultural Center's website at http://www.lsu.edu/icc and click on "Services" to find a roommate. You can also visit the following websites for information on Baton Rouge apartments:
http://www.apartmentsbatonrouge.com/
http://www.och101.com/
http://www.apartments.com/
http://www.apartmentfinder.com/Default.aspx
http://www.apartmentguide.com/
http://www.rent.com/
http://www.forrent.com

Immunizations
All international students who have been admitted to LSU are required to provide proof of immunization compliance prior to registering for courses. Click here for the immunization compliance form. After you have been officially admitted to LSU, you will receive an email from the International Exchange coordinator reminding you to send your immunization forms and your insurance forms. If you have any questions about immunization, please refer to the guidelines provided by the Student Health Center (http://appl003.lsu.edu/slas/shc.nsf/$Content/Immunization+Requirement?OpenDocument) or contact Rachel Daroca (rdaroca1@lsu.edu).

PAWS
Once you've returned the applicable materials to the International Exchange coordinator, a PAWS account will be created for you and you will be emailed a PAWS ID and instructions on how to log in. PAWS stands for Personal Access Web Services and is the gateway to your life as a student at LSU. Through PAWS, you can schedule courses, apply for housing, check and pay your fee bill (if applicable), search the LSU libraries catalogs, and more.

Choosing Courses
To see a listing of courses LSU offers for a particular semester before you have a PAWS account, visit http://appl003.lsu.edu/booklet2.nsf/mainframeset and choose the appropriate semester and year.

For a list of course descriptions, see the LSU Course Catalog (http://www.lsu.edu/catalogs/2008/247coursesinstr.shtml), specifically the Course Listing section (http://www.lsu.edu/catalogs/2008/pdfs/243CourseList.pdf).

The registrar's Scheduling and Registration Instructions booklet (http://appl003.lsu.edu/slas/registrar.nsf/$Content/Schedule+Booklet/$file/Fall%20Semester%202008.pdf) provides important dates, how to complete registration, fee payments, waitlisting, parking, dining, and more.

Scheduling Courses
Once you've been admitted into LSU and have set up your PAWS account, you will be able to register for courses on the date your International Exchange coordinator gives you.To register for courses, go to www.lsu.edu and click "Log in on to PAWS" in the top left-hand corner. From there, you can schedule classes.

Log in to PAWS, click "Registration Services," click "Schedule Request," and the schedule request page comes up; select the semester you want to look at, then click "View Schedule Request." After that, it's self-explanatory. You may have difficulty getting into some courses because of prerequisites. In those cases, email your International Exchange coordinator, Rachel Daroca (rdaroca1@lsu.edu), with the course and section number.

Regarding waiting lists, if the course has a prerequisite and you can't schedule it, then Rachel Daroca will ask the advisor to put you on the list.

Orientation
You will have two orientations to attend. The first is an International Student Orientation hosted by International Services. At this orientation, you will receive important information regarding your immigration status and campus services. It is held approximately 10 days before classes begin. Then, you will attend an orientation hosted by the International Exchange coordinator the week before classes begin.

Traveling to LSU
Once you have recieved your welcome packet and applied for your visa, you should make your travel plans and send an email to Rachel Daroca (rdaroca1@lsu.edu) that details your flight information so that you may be picked up. Please be advised that our office will only pick up students at the Baton Rouge airport. If you fly in to the New Orleans airport, you will be responsible for your own transportation to campus.

In case of an emergency or last minute changes to your travel plans, please contact either Academic Programs Abroad at 225-578-6801 or the International Cultural Center at 225-573-2199.

Temporary Housing
Since international students must arrive to campus a couple of weeks early, temporary housing is available until the permanent housing move-in date. Temporary housing will usually be in a different facility than your permanent housing. Be sure to remember to bring bed linens with you.