University of SAMSU Singaporean Society Student Handbooksamsu.uchicago.edu/Resources_files/HANDBOOK EDIT 2011.pdf2 SAMSU Singaporean Society (i) Packing/ Things to bring Clothes: Don’t

1 SAMSU Singaporean Society

UniversityofChicagoSAMSUSingaporeanSociety

StudentHandbook


1)Pre‐departure:(i) Packing/Thingstobring 2(ii) GettingtotheUofC 2(iii) Medicalissues 3(iv) Finances 4(v) Administrativerequirements 4

2)Settlingin/Lifestyle(i) Safety 5(ii) Bankaccount 6(iii) Phoneline 6(iv) Internetaccess 7(v) UChicagoID 7(vi) Beingunderstood 7(vii) Shoppingfornecessities 8(viii) Tipping 8(ix) Laundry 8(x) Weather 8(xi) Taxforms 9

3)TransportationinChicago(i) Publicbuses 10(ii) Freecollegebusservices 10(iii) Freenightshuttleservices 10(iv) SafeRide 10(v) Trains 11(vi) Driving 114)BeyondChicago(i) Opportunitiesfortravel 12(ii) Modesoftransportation 13(iii) Placestostay 15(iv) Crimesanddangers 15

5)Academics(i) Academicadvisor 16(ii) Requirementstograduate 16(iii) Placement/accreditationtests 17(iv) Choosing/planningforclasses 18(v) Registeringforclasses 19(vi) Corecurriculum 20(vii) Textbooks 24(viii) Summerschool 24(ix) Studyabroad 246)Housing(i) On‐campushousing 25(ii) Generaladvice 287)School/citylife:(i) RecognizedStudentOrganizations 29(ii) Studentevents 29(iii) Parties 31(iv) Religion 31(v) UchicagoArtsPass 32 (vi) Theater 32(vii) Museums 32(viii) Music 32(ix) Film 33(x) ProfessionalSports 33(xi) Shopping 34(xii) Food 34(xiii) SAMSU/Schooltraditions 35(xiv) Districts 36 8)Resources(i) Administration 41(ii) Academics 41(iii) Buying/Renting 41(iv) OverseasSingaporeanUnit(OSU) 43(v) Others 43

CONTENTS


(i)Packing/Thingstobring Clothes: Don’t pack fat winter down jackets, they take up space and are cheaper and more

fashionable in the US anyway. It does get warmer in spring, so bring some clothes for hotweather.Doremembertobringswimmingtrunksandgogglesforyourswimtest.

Sparespectaclesandspectaclesprescription. Electrical stuff: US plug adaptors for your favorite Singapore electronic devices, Laptop,

Externalhard‐drive,earphones,Camera+SDcards,MP3players,opticalmouse. Stationery:MoreexpensiveintheUS.Pencilscanbeusedinclassandinexams,soyoumight

needmore 2B pencils. Don’t bring paper from Singapore, 3‐holed letter‐sized paper is usedthereinstead.

Textbooks:International‐editiontextbooksarecheaper,soyoucangettheminSingaporefirst. Documents: ‘A’ Level/’O’ Level certified copies, F‐1 visa + (I‐20 + financial cert), medical

prescriptions/vaccinationrecords,exitpermit. ThingstobuyinChicago:

o Bedding(TriptoTargetduringinternationalpre‐orientation/orientation)o Toiletrieso Laundrybag(rollingonesaremoreconvenient)o Readinglight/desklampo American stationery, e.g. writing paper, 3‐ring files, 3‐hole punchers (Office Depot at

intersectionof55thStreet&S.LakePark)o WinterClothing(SAMSUwillorganizeatriptoanoutletmalltobuywinterclothing)o LipBalm(Canbeboughtusingflexdollars)o Printerpaper(Canbeboughtusingflexdollars)

Note: live plants and agricultural products are prohibited by US Customs law and will beconfiscated.

(ii)GettingtotheUofC Airlinetickets:Bookyourairticketsearly.Mostpeoplebookaone‐wayticketfortheirfirsttrip

totheUS,toallowformoreflexibilityinfuture. ThefollowingaresomeoftheairlinesthatflyintoChicago’sO’HareAirportwith1stopover(in

NaritaorIncheonInternational):o UnitedAirlineso AllNipponAirways o JapanAirlineso KoreanAir

ArrivingonthedayofInternationalPre‐OrientationorOrientationisfine,butyoumaywanttobe1‐2daysearlytoallowyourselftogetoverjetlag.Ifyou'renotgoingforInternationalPre‐Orientation,aimtoarriveatleast1‐2daysbeforeOrientationstarts.YoumayentertheUSupto30daysbeforetheprogramstartdatestatedonyourI‐20.

InternationalPre‐Orientation:Freetransportionwasprovidedin2010onthefirstdayofPre‐OfromO’HareAirporttoschool.

Taxi:AtaxifromO’HaretodowntownChicagowillcostaboutUS$40,whileataxitoschoolwillcost US$60, before a tip of about 10%. This is by far the fastest option available, and we

PRE-DEPARTURE INFORMATION


recommend it especially if you comewithyour familyorwitha groupof friends, as you cansharethecost.

Airportshuttle:Thisgoestothecity,andnottotheUniversity.ItshouldcostaboutUS$20perperson.

Train: You can take the CTA Blue Line Train downtown, which should cost only $2.25 perperson,butisakintotakingtheMRTfromChangitoBoonLay,withbaggageintow.

CheckinimmediatelyattheOfficeofInternationalAffairsinInternationalHouse(locatedattheintersection between Dorchester and 59th Street). This is an important SEVIS immigrationrequirement.

(iii)Medicalissues UniversityStudentHealthInsurancePlan(U‐SHIP)

o Allstudentsmustbecoveredbyacomprehensivestudenthealthinsuranceplan.o Eachyear,allUChicagostudentsareautomaticallyenrolledintheUniversity’sStudent

Health Insurance Plan (U‐SHIP). You can select the coverage of your choice, but theBasicplanissufficientunlessyourequireintensivehealthcare.

o Students have the opportunity to waive U‐SHIP by providing proof of comparableinsurancebeforetheannualdeadline(typicallythesecondFridayinOctober).

o AllU‐SHIPwaiverrequestsmustbesubmittedusingthewebsite:http://studentinsurance.uchicago.edu

o Sign‐upforaU‐SHIPaccount:https://www.uhcsr.com/SelfServiceSupport/Students/myaccount/AccountLogin.aspx

Immunization Forms: Remember to visit your doctor, follow the requirements in the formexactly,andtakenoteofexpirydatesforyourexistingimmunizationshots.Ifyourshotsarenotupdated,youwillberequiredtotakethemduringOrientation(andyou'llhavetopay).

Medication:BringmedicinelikePanadol,PoChaipillsetc.,whichcan’tbefoundintheUS.Alsopackanyprescriptionsyoumayrequire.

Bringalistofyourcurrentmedicationandspectaclesprescription. Getallnecessarymedicalprocedures/operationsdone inSingaporeashealthcare intheUS is

expensive,evenwithinsurancecoverage. UChicagooffersfreevaccinationsforH1N1andseasonalfluseveraltimesayear.

(iv)Finances BillingDatesandPayments

o TheBursar’sOffice is locatedon the first floorof theAdministrationBuilding, and isopentothepublicfrom9:00a.m.to3:00p.m.,MondaythroughFriday.

o Allbillswillbemailedtoyouralternate(home)address,unlessotherwisespecified.Aspecialbillingaddressoption is availableon theweb.Toverifyorupdate adifferentaddressfortuitionbills,youmustlogontocMoreathttps://cmore.uchicago.edu/.ThefirstAutumnbillscheduledtobemailedonAugust22isdueonSeptember16,2011.Itis your responsibility to make certain that your address information is correct byAugust14.

o Ifpaymentforthefirstbillofeachquarter isnotreceivedbytheduedate,a$50latepayment fee will be assessed. Approximately three weeks will be given to pay anybalancedue.Failuretopayanamountduewillresultinanadditional$100latefee.

ElectronicBillingo The University of Chicago offers students the option to receive and pay tuition bills


electronically.E‐Billallowsyou toviewyourbills24hoursaday,7daysaweek, fromanywhereintheworldandtomakepaymentsoverasecurewebsite(U.S.bankaccountsonly).

o Youwillreceivenotificationbye‐mailofanynewbill.o ThereisnoadditionalchargeforE‐Bill,anditjusttakesafewstepstosignup.o Foradditionalinformationortosignup,visit"WhatisElectronicBilling(E‐Bill)?"here:

http://bursar.uchicago.edu/faq‐public.html.

Agency/SponsorBilling(Forscholars)o If your bill will be paid by an outside agency or sponsor, you are responsible for

providingtheBursar’sOfficewiththeagency’sorsponsor'sauthorizationletter.o For additional information about setting up an Agency Account, contact the Agency

BillingRepresentativeat(773)702‐[email protected]. FeesandTuitionRates(AllfiguresinUSdollars)

QuarterlyFees StudentLifeFee(grad.students) 284StudentLifeFee(Collegestudents) 310CollegeClassFee(1styearandtransferstudents:Oneoffpayment) 950BasicStudentHealthInsurance 822PrescriptionAdvantageStudentHealthInsurance 1,250BasicStudent+1DependentHealthInsurance 2,257BasicStudent+2ormoreDependentsHealthInsurance 3,497PrescriptionAdvantageStudent+1Dependent(Basic)HealthInsurance 2,685PrescriptionAdvantageStudent+2ormoreDependents(Basic)HealthInsuranceTuitionFees

3,925

13,951

TuitionbySchool/Division 2011Rate(allratesareperquarterexceptasnoted)

1Course 5,8632Courses 9,908FullTime3or4Courses 13,9515Courses 17,999

(v)Administrativerequirements F‐1Studentvisa:OnceyoureceiveyourI‐20,applyforyourF‐1visa.Ifyouhavenotreceived

yourI‐20,thinkaboutgivingtheAdmissionsOfficeacall,ordropthemanemail. Once you have scheduled your visa interview, make sure that you have all appropriate

documentswithyouatthetimeofyourappointment:o Yourpassport(validforatleast6monthsafteryourentryintotheU.S.)o YourFormI‐20orDS‐2019o Financialdocumentso Copiesofyouracademiccredentialso SEVISfeereceipto FormDS‐156,DS‐157andDS‐158(orDS‐160)(foundontheconsulate'swebsite)o Visaapplicationfee(cashier’sorderonly,checksandcashnotaccepted)


Congratulations for completing the long and arduous cross‐continental 24‐hour journey to theUnitedStatesofAmerica!Aftergettingpasttheinitialwowfactorofthecoolclimate,carsdrivingonthewrongsideoftheroadandtheawesomelayoutandarchitectureoftheUniversity,it’stimetosettle inasquicklyaspossible.Herearesomeofthe first fewthingsthatyoushouldtakenoteofwithinthefirstfewdaysoflandinginChicago.

(i)SafetyHydeParkisarelativelysafeneighborhoodeventhoughitislocatedinthesouth‐sideofChicago.Thisisinpartduetothelong‐standingpresenceoftheUniversityandtheeffortsoftheUniversityofChicagoPoliceDepartment (UCPD)and theChicagoPoliceDepartment (CPD) tokeep theareasafe.However,youshouldstillnotletyourguarddownastherehavebeentheftsevenoncampusandindorms.Especiallyatnightinless‐populatedareas,itisonlywisetostayingroupsorpairs.Youwillsurelyspotthe300+whiteemergencyphoneboxesthattheUCPDhassetupallaroundthecampusandtheHydeParkneighborhood.IfyourunintotroubleorneedtocontacttheUCPD,presstheredbuttonandaUCPDofficerwillcometoyourlocationimmediately,evenifyoudonotspeaktothedispatcherontheintercom.Youcanalsodial123fromauniversityphoneor(773)702‐8181tocontacttheUCPD.TheUCPDalsoprovidesserviceslikebicycleandlaptopregistration(sotheycanbereturnedifrecovered),whichcanbeobtainedattheirheadquartersat61standSDrexelAve.

SETTLNG IN/LIFESTYLE


OneofthemostusefulservicesforgettingaroundHydeParksafelyatnightistheSafeRideprogram,whichisaphone‐invan‐taxiservicethatpicksyouupanddropsyouoffanywherewithintheHydeParkneighborhood.Another service, thoughmuch lesspopular, is theUmbrellaCoverageby theUCPD.YoucancalltheUCPDhotlineandtheywilldispatchapatrolcartoaccompanyyouasyouwalktoyourdestination.TheseserviceswillbecoveredingreaterdetailinthefollowingTransportchapter.TheroadsintheHydeParkneighborhoodaremostlystop‐signintersectionssocarsmuststopandcheckfortrafficandpedestriansbeforemovingoff.Thusitisgenerallysafetocrossaslongasyoukeepalookoutandmaintaineye‐contactwiththedrivers.Youshouldobeythetrafficlightsatthetraffic light intersectionsalongSWoodlawnAve andalong theMidway.Finally, somepedestriancrossingsalong55thSt(suchasSUniversityAveand55th)arenotsignaledbutdon’thavestopsignseither.Whiletheroadmarkingmaylooklikeazebra‐crossing,itdoesnotworklikeone!Theonusisonthepedestriantojudgethattheroadisclearoftrafficbeforecrossing.Donotbemistakenthatcarswillstopforyou! Ifyouareuncomfortablewithcrossingatthis intersection,headoneblockeastorwesttothesignaledintersectionsatSEllisAveorSWoodlawnAve.(ii)BankAccountSincemany of youwill be carryingwads of greenbacks or cashier’s checks, setting up the bankaccountshouldbeyour#1prioritytoreducetheriskoflosingyourmoney.Thereshouldbebankinformation within your Orientation packages, but our recommendation is to go for a CitibankaccountsincethereisaCitibankbranchrightoncampusatSEllisAve(nexttotheBarnes&Noblebookstore)andplentyofCitibankATMsoncampus.BringyourI‐20form,photoID(passport)andmoneytothebranchandthestaffwillhelpsetupyourbankaccountsanddebitcard.Don’tdepositall your cash right at the start as therewill be adelay of 1‐2days before thebank accounts areready. The bank details (bank name, bank branch, bank address, bank account name, accountnumber,swiftcode)areimportantforyourparentsorscholarshipagenciestowiremoneytoyouraccountinthefuture.Be sure to keep a healthy balance in your checking account, as the bank will charge you anoverdraftfeeifyouspendpast$0balanceinyourcheckingaccount.Ifyouneedcashurgentlybutcan’tfindaCitibankATM,youcanwithdrawcashfromanon‐CitibankATMatafee(roughly$2)orgetacashbackwhenyoubuythingswithyourdebitcardatpostofficesandsomelargerstores.You’lleventuallyhave: acheckingaccount(linkedtoyourdebitcard) asavingsaccount(earnsinterest) a Citibank debit card (can be used tomake purchases and apparently grants free entry into

Zouk) anonlineaccount(allowsyoutomakeconvenientonlinetransfers) 2checkbooks(filledoutdifferentlyfromSingapore,takenote!)

(iii)PhoneLineTherearemanycellphoneproviders,withAT&T,Verizon,andT‐Mobilebeing themostpopular.While AT&T sometimes has poor reception and customer service, most of us sign up with the“FamilyTalk Nation 700 Rollover & Unlimited Night/Weekend & Unlimited Mobile‐To‐MobileMinutes” plan because it’s the most value‐for‐money plan overall at about US$32/month. Thesmallest familysize is2peoplebut toget the lowestaveragepriceperperson,youshould try toformacompletefamilyof5people.Onepersonwillhavetobethe“parent”whowillhavetopaythe


monthlybillonlineandcollectthepaymentfromtherestofthefamily.Theplangives700anytimeminutestothewholefamily,androllsoveranyunusedminutestothefollowingmonth.SincenightandweekendcallsaswellascallsbetweenAT&Tmobilesubscribersarenotchargedsoyouwillprobablyneverrunoutofanytimeminutes.Wesuggestyougettheunlimitedtext(SMS)add‐onasincoming textmessages are chargeable, unlike in Singapore. Youwill not have a Social SecurityNumber(SSN,moreon that later)at thispoint, soyouwillhave toputdowna$500depositperpersonwith AT&T, whichwill be eventually refunded to you. You can also use a Blackberry oriPhonebuttherewillbeadditionalchargesinvolved.(iv)InternetaccessThereare twoways togetonlineoncampus:wiredLANandwireless.YoushouldreceiveaLANcable from the ITServices (formerlyknownasNSIT)whichyou canplug into thewall socket inyour dorm room to get wired LAN connection. You can also use your CNet ID to log onto the“UChicago”wirelessnetwork.ThewiredLANnetwork is faster than thewireless connectionandletsyouaccesscTV,which is similar tocableTV.Theschool is reputedlyquite strictoncatchingpeople who illegally download online content, with the first offence incurring a face‐to‐facewarningfromtheDean,andsubsequentoffencespossiblyleadingtoexpulsionfromdormhousingandsuspensionofyour internetaccess.Thatsaid, theschool internet isprobably faster thananyinternetyouwilleveruse.(v)UChicagoIDDuring Orientation, youwill at some point, line up outside the Regenstein Library to have yourUChicagoIDcard(UCID)made.Makesureyoulookniceasyouwillhaveyourphototaken,andthisphotowill staywithyou tillyou leaveUChicagoorhaveyourcardreplaced.TheUCID isused togainaccesstodininghalls,schoolfacilities(libraries,gyms,etc)andsomeofthenewerdorms,andtopay for laundry(with laundrycredits)andpurchasesat the2campusconveniencestoresandHutchdiningcommons(withyour$100Flexdollarsperquarter).IfyouloseyourUCID,gototheRegandhaveyourreplacementUCIDmadeata$25fee.FordormswhichrequireaUCIDtoentertheroom,youcanrequestforatemporarycodedaccesscardfromthedormfrontdeskbeforeyougetyourreplacementUCID.(vi)BeingUnderstoodItmightbehard fornon‐Singaporeans tounderstandwhatyouaresaying,especially in the first‐year, where your peers might not be used to foreign accents. Also, Singaporeans tend to speakreally fastwhichmakesusevenharder tounderstand. Some thingsyoucando tomakeyourselfmoreeasilyunderstoodarespeakinglessquicklyandarticulatingwordsmoreclearly.Thoseofyouwithnon‐Englishnamesthatmaybehardtointroducemaywanttospellyournamesout,anglicizeyour names, adopt a nickname or even pick an English name! Finally, some terms that arecommonlyusedinSingaporearenotsocommonlyusedinAmericaandcouldconfusepeople.SomeexamplesarelistedbelowfollowedbytheirAmericanequivalents: Football–Soccer(duh) Lift–Elevator Queue–Line Pavement–Sidewalk Expressway–Highway/Freeway/Interstate Carparklot(theactualwhiteboxyouparkin)–Parkingspace Carpark(theplacewheremanycarsareparked)–Parkinglot Multi‐storeycarpark–Parkingstructure/garage Take‐away(food)–Take‐out


High–Happy/excited/stoked/pumped(being“high”intheUSinvolvesillegalsubstanceuse) Stoned–Spacedout(again,being“stoned”hereinvolvesillegalsubstances) Shag–Tired/exhausted(refertoAustinPowersforthemeaningof“shag”) Petrol–Gasoline/gas Junction–Intersection

Thatsaid,someofyour friendsmightactuallybevery interested inSinglishandourveryuniquelingosoyoucouldfindopportunitiestoteachthemsomeSinglish!(vii)ShoppingfornecessitiesTherewillbetripsorganizedduringPre‐OrientationandOrientationtoheadouttoTargettobuynecessitiesforyourdorm.Themosturgentitemsshouldbebedding(pillow,sheets,blankets,andcomforters)andtoiletries.Otheritemsthatareoftenboughtonthesetripsaredesklamps(andtherequiredbulbs),clocks,waterfilterjugsandstationery.BedsinthedormsareTwinXLsize.ThereisalsoahairdressersaloncalledJapaneseSpaZeninHydeParkat53rdstreetandDorchester.AnalternativewouldbethebarberatthebasementofReynoldsClub.(viii)TippingThetypicalratefortippingisbetween15‐20%.However,youcangetawaywith10‐15%sincetheyknowyouareapoorcollegestudent.Youcanalsotipmoreiftheserviceisoutstandingorlessiftheservice isatrocious.Restaurantsgenerallyhaveapolicytoautomaticallyadd18%gratuitytothebillforlargegroups(usually6ormore).Youdonothavetoaddatipinthiscase.Taxidriversandhairdressersshouldalsobetippedatasimilarrate,whilecoatroomattendants,valetsandportersshouldbetipped$1‐2.(ix)LaundryLaundryisdoneatthelaundryrooms,whichareusuallyinthebasementsofdormbuildings.Youcan choose topaywith quarters or using credits that you can add to yourUCID card at laundrymachines.Thewashingmachines anddryers cost $1 eachper cycle and youwill need to supplyyourown laundrydetergentanddryersheets.Themachinesarealsonotorious for “eating”yourmoney,butyoucangetarefundfromthedormfrontdeskbyfillingoutaformwithdetailsliketheoffendingmachine’snumberandhowmuchmoneyyoulost.Ifyouareusingquarters,bringmorethannecessarytoavoidhavingtorunbacktoyourdormincaseyouhaveyourmoneyeaten.Also,docleantheaccumulatedlintfromthedryerfilterwhichislocatedatthebottomedgeofthedryerdooropening. Laundryetiquettedictates that you judiciouslykeep trackof the time left onyourlaundry cycle and remove your clothingpromptly once the cycle has ended. Youmayhave yourclothesextractedandleftsomewhereinthelaundryroomifsomeonecomesalongandneedsthemachine.Conversely,youarepermittedtodothesametosomeoneelseiftheyleavetheirclothesunattendedinthemachines,butdoitquicklytoavoidtheawkwardmutual‐guiltsituationofbeingcaughtred‐handedbytheclothing’sowner.(x)WeatherWintercanbedifficulttolivewithinChicagobecauseofthesub‐zerotemperatures,densesnowfallandstrongwind.SAMSUorganizesagrouptriptotheAurorapremiumoutletstoresinFallquartersothatyoucanbuywinter‐wear(anddesignerclothing)atcheapprices.Wecommonlybuydownjackets,gloves,beaniehats,scarvesandwaterproofbootsinpreparationforthewinter.Dormsmaygetcoldinwinter,dependingonhowefficientyourdorm’sheatingsystemis.


However, the weather can be fairly warm in Spring (up to 30oC). If you are staying in a dormwithoutair‐conditioning,youmaywanttopurchaseafanastheheatcanbecomeunbearable.You should also remember tomoisturize often and apply lip balm to prevent chapped lips. TheBurt’sBeeslipbalmfromthecampusconveniencestoresishighlyrecommended.(xi)TaxformsWe are required to file tax forms in the US, even if we have not gained anyincome/worked/receivedscholarshipsthere.Mostofuswillnotbecountedasa"Resident(fortaxpurposes)"becauseF‐visastudentsreceive5yearsofexemptionfromthephysicaldayscountedinthe Substantial Presence Test. We will hence be counted as a "Nonresident for tax purposes".StudentsarerequiredtofilloutForm8843iftheyhavenotreceivedanytaxableincomeintheUS.Students are required to fill out Form1040NR/1040NR‐EZ if theyhave received taxable incomeduringtheyear.AusefulresourcewouldbeasoftwareprocuredbytheUniversityofChicagotoassiststudentswiththeirtaxforms:https://internationalaffairs.uchicago.edu/php/cintax/authenticate.phpFormoreinformation,pleasecheckhttps://internationalaffairs.uchicago.edu/practical/taxes/nonresident.shtml


(i)Publicbuses CTA Bus #2 (Hyde Park Express), CTA Bus #4 (Cottage Grove), CTA Bus #6 (Jackson Park

Express)allheaddowntown. CTABus#55headstoGarfield(Redline)andGarfield(Greenline)trainstations. CTAFullFares(exactfarerequired):Cashfare:$2.25full. Chicago Card: $2.00 (bus) or $2.25 (train) deducted on 1st ride, $0.25 deducted on 2nd use

within2hours;free3rdusewithintwohours. ChicagoPlusCard:Automatictop‐upfromyourbankaccounteachtimeyourcardvaluedrops

below$10.Cardisfreeforfirst‐timeusersand$5subsequently.

(ii)Freecollegebusservices CTA#170:Servicefrom5:30am–10am;3:30pm–7pmMondaytoFriday. CTA#171:Servicefrom7am–6pmMondaytoFriday;weekendsfrom8am‐6pm. CTA#172:Servicefrom7am–6pmMondaytoFriday;weekendsfrom8am‐6pm. CTA#192:Servicefrom6:30am–9am;3pm–7pmMondaytoFriday. #170, #171, #172: Students, faculty, and staff of the University ride free upon displaying a

University issued University of Chicago ID, University of Chicago medical Center ID, orUniversityofChicagoLaboratorySchool.

(iii)Freenightshuttleservices Duringtheacademicyear,theeveningroutesrunasfollows:

o Monday–Thursday:every10minutesfrom6pm–8pm,every20minutesfrom8pm–2am(lastrun1:40am).

o Friday: every10minutes from6pm–8pm, every20minutes from8pm–3am(last run2:40am).

o Saturday:every20minutesfrom6pm–3am(lastrun2:40am).o Sunday:every20minutesfrom6pm–2am(lastrun1:40am).

During summer and academic breaks, the evening routes run every 20minutes from 6pm –1am(lastrun12:40am).

TheeveningroutesareforonlyUChicagostudents,faculty,staff,andhospitalemployeeswithavalidUChicagoIDcard.Nofareischarged.

Fordetailsontheeveningroutes,visithttp://facilities.uchicago.edu/transpparking/transportation/bussched‐evening.shtml

(iv)SafeRide The SafeRide Program is a phone‐in van‐taxi service that picks you up and drops you off

anywherewithinthefollowingarea:o Northto39thStreet,southto64thStreeto EasttoLakeShoreDrive,westtoCottageGroveAvenue

TheSafeRideProgramhoursofoperationare:o SundaythroughWednesday,5pmto4am.o ThursdaythroughSaturday,5pmto6am.

TRANSPORTATION IN CHICAGO


Theserviceoperatesona“first‐call,first‐come”basissobepreparedtowait,usuallynolongerthan20minutes,foryourride.

Simplydial(773)702‐2022andprovidethedispatcherwithyourprecisepick‐uplocationanddrop‐offdestination.

AllpassengersshouldbepreparedtodisplaytheirUniversityIDcardwhenboardingthebus.(v)Trains RefertoCTAmapbelow

MostcommonlytakenlinesaretheRedlineandtheGreenline,bothaccessiblebyCTABus#55.

(vi)Driving International students, scholars and other temporary visitorsare not required to have an

Illinoisdriver’slicenseorstateidentificationcard;theymaydrivewithavaliddriver’slicensefromtheirhomecountry.

Studentswhohaveasocialsecuritynumber(SSN)areeligiblefora“regular”driver’slicenseand/orstateID.IfyouhaveaSSNandwishtoapply,pleasevisithttp://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/drivers_license/acceptable_id.html

YoumayobtainRulesoftheRoadfromOIAtofamiliarizeyourselfwithroadrulesinIllinois.


Chicagohasmuchonoffertotakeupyourfreetime,butifyouhavealongerbreakandwouldliketoseemoreofthecountrythatcoversthewidthofacontinentandspans sixtimezones,therearemanyopportunitiestodoit,safelyandeconomically.

(I)OpportunitiesfortravelTherearethreelongbreaksforthosenottakingsummerschoolatChicago;WinterBreaklastsforthreeweeksandisthebreakthatcoversChristmasandtheNewYear,SpringBreaklastsforaweekinMarch,andSummerBreakcoversthethreemonthperiodbetweenacademicyears. WinterBreakThisisthetimewhenChicago(andmostoftheUnitedStates)isatitscoldest,andtransportationschedules forall typesof transportmaybedisruptedsporadically. If staying in theChicagoarea,therearenearbyactivitiessuchassnowboardingandskiinginWisconsin,oriceclimbingatStarvedRockStatePark just twohourswestofChicago.TheChristmasandNewYear celebrationsmakeNewYorkagreat(albeitcold)placetovisit,andwiththreeweekstherestoftheEasternSeaboard(WashingtonDC,Baltimore,Philadelphia,Boston,etc)canbevisitedwithease.

BEYOND CHICAGO


Alternatively,youcanchoosetoescapethecoldandheadsouth;SouthernCalifornia,FloridaandMexicoarerelativelymuchwarmer,andifyouhavesomesparecashyoucantakeadvantageoftheSouthernsummer;this isthebesttimetovisitthebeachesofRiodeJaneiroandotherwisefrigidPatagonia. SpringBreakChicagomaystillbealittlechillyduringSpringBreak,butwiththeweatherwarminguptherearemoreopportunitiestoexplorethecity.TheUniversitysharestheweekofSpringBreakwithonlyahandful of other schools, meaning air transportation, while still relatively expensive, is notprohibitivelycostly.Theusual(andinfamous)partydestinationsforSpringBreakarethebeachesofFloridaandCancun,Mexico.If you wish to avoid the air traffic crush, you can choose to take a road trip, with car rentalcompaniesoftenofferingstudentdiscountsduringtheperiod.TheGreatLakesofferanidyllicwaytospendtheweek,withNiagaraFallsbeingapopulardestination.YoucanalsoheadsouthtohitthemusiccapitalsofNashvilleandMemphisinTennessee,orwesttoseeMountRushmore. SummerBreakMost students will be heading home during this period, but with Chicago being almost halfwayaround the world from Singapore, there are plenty of options to break up the journey withoutbreakingthebank.Manybudgetairlinesplythetrans‐AtlanticroutetoEurope,fromwhichAirAsiaX can bring you to Kuala Lumpur, where you can get a cheap flight back to Singapore. Note,however, that many budget airlines land in relatively smaller airports. For example, Air Asia XdepartsfromStansteadAirportratherthanHeathrowinLondon.Alternatively,youcanchoosetoflyacross thePacific toan intermediatedestination inEastorSoutheastAsia,and thenhoponacheapflightbackhome.IfstayingmostlyinChicago,youcantakethechancetoseethenationalparksthatmaketheUnitedStatesfamous.Yellowstone,YosemiteandGlacierNationalParksarecoldformuchoftherestoftheyear,andwhileyou’dhavetojostlewithacrowdofothervacationerstheweatherwillbeperfect.Chicagoitselfcomesaliveinsummerwithfestivalsandfairs,anditmightnotbeabadideatostayforaweekortwobeforeflyingout. ShorterbreaksThe holidays at the University of Chicago are few and far between, but they are almost alwayscoupledwithaweekend,allowing foraquickgetaway.Thanksgivingweekend inNovember lastsforfourdays,whileMartinLutherKingJr.Dayinmid‐January,CollegeBreakinmid‐FebruaryandMemorialDayinMaygivethree‐dayweekends.Thereareweekenddealsforcarrentalsifyou’dliketoexploretheMidwest,butlikeairtravelduringthisperiod,itisbesttobookinadvance;therestofthecountrywillbetravellingaswell.NearbyplacestoexploreincludeMilwaukeeandMadisoninWisconsin,CedarPointinOhioandtheMichigancoast. (ii)Modesoftransportation CarDriving is theAmericanwayof life, and itwouldbevery inconvenient, if not impossible, tovisitmanyplaces(especiallynationalparksandstatesofftheEastCoast)withoutprivatetransportation.The good news is that cars do not necessarily cost a fortune. Rentals of five‐seaters (includingunderagesurcharge,insuranceandgas)approximate$100aday,splitbetweenalloccupants.Thereisusuallynoneedtobookwayinadvance,exceptduringmajorholidayswhencarsdogetbooked


out. Note that when you make a reservation and the class you selected is not available at thecounter,youareentitledtoafreeupgradetoalargercar.Rentalcompaniesoftenrefuserentalstothoseunder21,andcharge$15‐20extraperdayforthosebetween 21 and 24. Enterprise has a lower surcharge than other companies,making it the firstplacetolookforadeal.However,othercompanies,suchasHertz,periodicallywaivetheirunderagesurcharge in promotions, so it’s a good idea to check online for offers. Third‐party insurance ishighlyrecommendedifyoudonotownyourpersonalpolicy,withtheUnitedStatesbeingsuchalawsuit‐friendly land. Also note that it is illegal in Illinois to be driving without third‐partyinsurance. BusThemain bus company in the United States is Greyhound, which honestly is neither cheap norreliable.Theydohavethegreatestcoveragewhenitcomestopublictransportation,though,sotheycanberelieduponasalastresortwhentryingtogetinbetweencitiesandtowns.Bookinadvanceonline,usuallybeforethethree‐weekmark,togetthebestrates.TakenotethatGreyhoundalwaysoverbooksitsseats.Gettothebusterminalandstandinlineatleastanhourearlytoavoidbeingbumpedtothenextbus,whichcouldverywellleavethenextday.MegabusisabudgetbuscompanythatservesChicago,butitsMidwestnetwork(whichextendstoCleveland, Ohio) doesn’t connect to the Eastern Seaboard network (which begins in Pittsburgh,PennsylvaniaandstretchestoBostonandToronto).Thepricescangoaslowas$1.50ifyoubookinadvance,andeven last‐minutebookingsareoftencheaper than thoseofferedbyGreyhound.Thebusesoftenofferwirelessconnections,buttherearenobusstationstowaitin,meaningyoucouldbedumpedon the streetsuponarrival at two in themorning. Forbothbus companies, factor indelaytimesforarrival,whichmayrangefromthenegligibletoseveralhours. TrainAmtrakistheonlymajorpassengerservicethatyouwouldencounterintheUnitedStates,andtheyhaveaverylimitednetwork,exceptforontheEastCoast.Traveltimesareverylonganddelaysareaguarantee,butseatsarecomfortableandareatolerablewaytospendthenightifyouwanttoskipaneveninginthehotel.Cabins,ontheotherhand,areprohibitivelyexpensive.Itisoftencheapertotakeaflight.AmtrakoffersstudentdiscountsforholdersoftheISICcard,whichslightlyoffsetstheapproximately 30% higher price Amtrak seats cost over Greyhound ones. Travel on Amtrak fortripslastinglongerthan14hoursisnotrecommended,itisoftencheapertofly. PlaneDomestic plane travel is roughly equivalent to flying on a budget airline within Southeast Asia.Therearenomeals,delaysandcancellationsdohappenand it isoftenhard togain recourse forproblems.Itisrelativelyaffordable,however,andforcertainroutestheycanevenbecheaperthantravelusinggroundtransportation.It isalsoforthisreasonthatdistinctionsbetweenfull‐fledgedairlinesandbudgetairlinesareoftenblurred;theonlydifferenceismostlyprice.Southwest is consistently voted amongst the best American airlines, andwith its lowprices andrelativelygoodservicethere’snosurprisewhy.SouthwestleavesfromMidwayAirportinChicago,whichisaconvenientdirectone‐hourbusrideawayfromcampusinsteadofthemuchfurtherawayO’Hare.Bookinadvancetogetthebestrates,which,includingtaxes,cangoaslowasa$100foraone‐way flight to New York. JetBlue is slightly more expensive but last‐minute rates are lower.


SpiritAirlinesalsoservesafewselectdestinations(alsotheCaribbeanandLatinAmerica)fordirt‐cheaprates,butserviceisunreliableandcustomerserviceisatrocious.(iii)Placestostay HostelsHostels are the cheapest way to spend a night if travelling alone, but quality varies fromestablishment toestablishment,evenunder theHostelling Internationalnetwork.Hostelsarenotfoundineverycity,unlikeinSoutheastAsiaorEurope,soplanandmakereservationsahead.Thesinglehostelinatown(evenforbigcitieslikePhiladelphia)maybebookedoutforweeksduringhigh travel seasons, suchasoverChristmas. For thoseplanning to travel extensively on theEastCoast,gettingaHostellingInternationalstudentcardishighlyrecommended;itshavesabout$3offeach night, which range from about $25 in Madison, Wisconsin to $50 in New York City. Mosthostelsofferwirelessconnections,butsomemaychargeforinternetusage. MotelsMotels offer surprisingly cheap and comfortable accommodation, and with the right amount ofpeople(roomscantake inuptofouroccupants)canbemuchbettervaluethanhostels.Theyareoftenonlyfeasiblefortripsinvolvingcartravel,however,asmostofthemarelocatedoutsideofcitycentersandalongmajorhighways.Anightatadecentmotelcancostaslowas$40foraroomwithtwodoublebeds.ChainmotelssuchasSuper8andRodewayInncanbefoundeverywherealongthemajorhighways,andchargeabout$80anight fortwodouble‐beds.Thesecomewithall the furnishingsofagoodhotel,withaccoutrementssuchashairdryersandironingboards.ThepricecanbeoffsetbylookingatonlinesitessuchasRoomSaver.comfordiscountcoupons,whichmaysometimesnotapplyforweekendperiods.Theseroomsalwayscomewithwirelessaccess.Forthosehopingtosavealittlebitmore,lookforYellowPageslistingsforsmaller,localmotelsthatareoftenhiddenawayinsmalltownsalongoldhighways,andcall toask fortheirrates.Atip is to lookuptheestablishmentonStreetViewforaroughgaugeoftheirstandards.(iv)CrimeanddangersCities in theUnited States have good and bad parts of town; read up before you arrive and youshouldnotencounterproblems.Thosewhodon’t looklocal(CaucasianorAfrican‐American)mayfaceafewproblemsintheSouth,butthisismoreattributabletotheirraritythantogenuineracism.Askaroundyourschoolmateswho live in theareatosee if therearespecialprecautions to take;therearenogeneralproblemsprevalentthroughouttheentireUnitedStates.


(i)AcademicAdvisor Eachstudentisassignedtoanacademicadvisorwhenheorshematriculates.Youradvisorwill

adviseyouon:o Completingmajor/graduationrequirements.o University regulations and College academic procedures, (e.g. interpretation of

placementtestresultsandregistrationforcourses).o Application procedures for fellowships, graduate and professional schools, and

employment.o Anyotherresourcesyoumayrequire.

You are required to meet with your advisor during Orientation to discuss the Collegecurriculumandtoassistwithcourseregistration.

Youthenmeetwithhimorheronceaquarterforyourfirstyear,andonceayearinsubsequentyears.Inyourfirstyear,youwillnotbeallowedtoregisterforclassesunlessyouhavemetwithyouradvisor.

(ii)RequirementstoGraduate GeneralEducation/CoreCurriculum1. Humanities ‐ atleast2quarters

Civilizations ‐ atleast2quartersArts ‐ atleast1quarter1additionalcourseinHumanities,CivilizationorArts 06credits

2. MathematicalSciences ‐ atleast1quarter

a. PhysicalSciences ‐ atleast2quartersBiologicalSciences ‐ atleast2quartersOR

b. NaturalSciences ‐ 4quarters1additionalcourseinMathematical,PhysicalorBiologicalScience 06credits

3. SocialSciences ‐ 3quarters 03credits MajorRequirements 9‐19credits Electives 8‐18credits Total:42creditsCourses inonecategory cannotbedouble counted for another category–e.g. a course taken forgeneral education cannot be used to fulfillmajor requirements.However, courses canbedoublecountedwithin the same category – e.g. courses for your firstmajor canbe used to fulfillmajorrequirements for your second major. One the other hand, courses for minors are consideredelectivesandcannotbe(1)doublecountedwithyourmajor(s)orwithotherminorsor(2)countedtowardgeneraleducationrequirements.YoucanpetitionforcreditsforHigher‐LevelIBaswellas1

ACADEMICS


credit for ‘A’ LevelBiology. You can petition for IBHigher level Economics, Biology, Physics andChemistry credits. Refer to http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/pdf/exam‐credit.pdf for moreinformation. LanguageRequirement

o All students are required to demonstrate reading, writing, and (where appropriate)listeningandspeakingskillsequivalenttooneyearofcollege‐levelstudy.

o Officially, “Students who are foreign nationals may meet the language competencerequirement if their formal schooling experience in a country other than the UnitedStatesenablesthemtodemonstratethecriteriaofculturalunderstandingandlanguagecompetencedescribedabove.”

o For most Singaporean students, this can be fulfilled through a petition submitted toCatherine Baumann (Cobb 502, 702.8008, [email protected]) based on goodperformanceinplacementtests,O’Levelor‘AO’LevelChinesegrades(includecopiesofyourcertificates).

o Ifyoutakea3rdor4thyearcourseinChinese,youcanpetitiontobegrantedcredits.Upto 6 credits can be granted based on “compelling academic reasons”. For example, ifyourscholarshiporganizationwritesinalettertoexplainthatyouneedtograduatein3years.Non‐Scholarsmayalsopetitiononthegroundsof financial circumstances. Youareeligibletopetitionfor3chinesecreditsifyoutakea3rd year Chinesecourseand6 credits if you takea4thyearChinese course. Includea copyof your transcriptwithyourpetition(TranscriptcanbeorderedonlinewithyourCmoreaccount).

PhysicalEducation

o All undergraduate students entering the University are required to complete threecreditsofPhysicalEducationcoursework.AtleastoneofthesethreecreditsmustbeinadesignatedPersonalFitnesscourse.


o ThiscourseworkshouldbestartedintheAutumnQuarterofthefirstyearandtakeninconsecutive quarters until the requirement is completed. All courses are graded on apass/failbasis.

o All entering students are given the opportunity to place out of all or a portion of therequirement during Orientation Week. Classification is based on performance on aPhysicalFitnessTestandaSwimmingTest.Ifyoudonotpassthetwotests,youwillberequired to complete one to threequarters of PhysicalEducation, dependingonyourperformance.

o PhysicalFitnessTest:1. Steptest–Step‐upsataconstantratefor5minutes.Scoregivenbasedonyour

heartratebeforeandafterthetest.2. Griptest–Scorebasedonyourgripstrength.3. Upperbodyflexibility–Lieinprone/”superman”positionandlifthandsashigh

aspossible,witharmsstraight andshoulderwidthapart. Scorebasedonhowhighyouliftyourhands.

4. Lowerbodyflexibility–Sit‐and‐reach5. Upperbodystrength–Benchpress6. Sit‐ups

o A studentmay gain amaximum of one elective credit in Physical Education throughmembership on a University of Chicago varsity athletic team. The Personal Fitnessrequirement and Swimming requirement may not be satisfied through varsityparticipation.

(iii)Placement/AccreditationTests Placementtestsdeterminewhatcoursesyoucan/shouldstartofftaking.Accreditationtests grantyoucreditforcourses. BesidesMath,mostplacementtestscanbetakenonlinebeforeyouarriveattheUniversityof Chicago.OfparticularimportancearetheLanguageplacementtests. AlmostallSingaporeansplaceinto4thyearChinese.Withthisplacement,youcanpetitionto waiveyourforeignlanguagerequirement,meaningthatyouwillnothavetostudyaforeign languagetograduate.However,thisdoesnotgrantyouanycredit.Forthepetitionyouare requiredtohavecopiesofyour‘A’Leveland/or‘O’Levelcertificates Itisnothardtogetfullcredit(2credits)inthePhysicalSciencesAccreditationTest.Even peoplewhodidnottakescienceinJuniorCollegehavemanagedthiswithminorpreparation. Thesecreditscanonlybeusedifyouareanon‐sciencemajor. IfthereisanychancethatyoumaybeaSciencemajor(includingMathandComputerScience), taketheotheroptionalaccreditationtestsforPhysicsandChemistry.‘A’levelknowledgeis

usuallyenoughtosecureyoutwocreditsfortheChemistrytest.ThecreditgainedherecanbeusedifyouareaSciencemajor.

ThemathplacementexamisofferedinO‐week,withtheresultsout2/3daysafter.o Theexamis3‐4hourslong,andthefirstsectionconsistsof100MCQquestionsandcovers

basic computations, similar to theA‐levelH2/IBHL syllabuswith some additional topics(Taylorpolynomials,variousconvergenceofsequencesandseries).

o The second section consists of 5‐6"open‐ended" questions, ranging from definitions (e.g.define a differentiable function from the real numbers to the real numbers), to "rigorouscomputations" (e.g. prove that the limit of 1/x as x goes to infinity is 0), to "standard"problems in advanced calculus (prove that the rational numbers are dense in the reals,provethattherealnumbersisArchimedean).


o Success in theplacement testdetermines the level ofmathematics that one is allowed totake.

o GivenanIBSL/A‐levelH1background,oneshouldeasilyplaceintothe150ssequence.o Studentswithstrongerpreparationinmathematicswillplaceintothe160ssequence,and

few others 199s. A background in rigorous mathematics (i.e. students comfortable with"least upper bound" type proofs, and estimations with epsilons) or prior preparation inmathematical Olympiads may place into the infamous 207‐208‐209 Honors Analysissequence.

o IfyougetplacedintoMATH152or153,youcanchoosetostartthe150scalculussequenceat whichever level you get placed into and receive credits for the earlier courses in thesequence.Forexample,ifyoubeginwithMATH153,youwillreceive1creditforMATH151and1credit forMATH152. Ifyouchooseto takeMATH161(HonorsCalculus),however,youforfeitthosecredits.

(iv)ChoosingClasses LessonFormat

o Discussion Smallgroupofstudentsengagingindiscussionfacilitatedbyinstructor. Fruitfulness of the class depends greatly on quality of class (how active your

classmates are in discussions, how good their comments and questions are) andinstructor(howgoodheorsheisatleadingdiscussionsandexplainingconcepts).

FormatforHumanities,SocialSciences.o Lecture

Instructorteachingwithminimalparticipationbystudents. FormatforMath,Sciences.

o Lab FormatforSciences.

Professors

o Professorsaregivensignificantautonomyindesigningtheircourses,rangingfromthecontent,teachingstyleandgrading/evaluationcriteria.

o Beforeregistering fora course,youshouldaskpeoplewhohave takencoursesundertheprofessor,orrefertoevaluations.uchicago.edutofindoutmoreabouttheprofessor.

o Things to takenote include: difficulty/harshnessof tests/papers/grading (note that aprofessormaysetdifficulttestsandmarkstrictlybutstillgiveoutareasonablenumberofA’s.EasytestsmaymeanthatitiseasytodropdownfromanAtoA‐orfromanA‐toB+), ability to explain concepts/facilitate discussions, number of papers/exams perquarter,etc.

Miscellaneous

o Somecoursesareonlyoffered in1or2quartersayear.Take this intoaccountwhenplanningyourcourses.Alsotakenotethatsomecoursesarebestdoneconsecutivelyasasequence.

o The same course can differ greatly in difficulty not only depending on professor, butalsoonquarter.Forexample,ECON200isreputedtobeharderinSpringquarterthanFallquarter.

o Note that even if you remain in the same section and sequence, your professormaychange from quarter to quarter. Be sure to check time schedules(timeschedules.uchicago.edu)duringcourseregistration.

o Formorecourseinformation,visithttp://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu


(v)RegisteringforClasses Youwill select your courses for your very first quarterwhen youmeetwith your academic

adviser during Orientation Week. For subsequent quarters, course selection follows thisprocess:

o Inweek7ofthepreviousquarter,informationregardingthenextquarter’scourseswillbeuploadedtoTimeSchedules.

o InWeek8,youwillbeabletobidforthenextquarter’scoursesonline.ForcoursessuchasSocialScienceorMathematics,youwilloftenbeautomaticallyregisteredforthenextcourseinthesequence.Youcan,however,dropthecourse,andaddanewoneorchangesection.

o InWeek10,theresultofyourbiddingwillbemadeknowntoyouonline.o InWeek11,theonlineadd/dropsystemopens,inwhichyoucandropanycourseyou

have,and/oraddanycourseyouwantsolongastherearestillvacancies intheclass.Thesystemisrealtimesoyoucanevenifacourseisfullatthestartoftheweek,youmaybeabletoadditifsomeonedropsitlaterintheweek.

o DuringWeeks 1 to 3 of the next quarter, you can drop any course you have, and/or“pinkslip”intoanewone.To“pinkslip”intoacourseistogettheinstructorinchargetosignaslipofpaperadmittingyouintotheclass.Itiscompletelyuptohisdiscretiontodecidewhetherornottoadmityou.

You can also audit courses, i.e. take a course without being officially enrolled in it. Manyinstructorswillallowyoutodothisaslongasyouaskthempolitelyandthereisstillspaceintheclass.Somemayexpectyoutofulfillalltheobligationsofaregisteredstudentwhileotherswillallowyoutojustsitintoclasses.

Somepeople choose to sit into additional courses for the first 3weeks of the quarterbeforedecidingwhichonetoeventuallyregisterfor.

Typically in your first 1 or 2 quarters you will take one course each in the Humanities(compulsory),Mathematics,SocialScience,andoneothersubject,dependingonyourmajor.

(vi)CoreCurriculum Humanities

o ReadingsinWorldLiterature Fallquarter:epics,booksincludeGilgamesh,Homer’sTheOdyssey, Winterquarter:autobiographies,booksincludeAugustine’sConfessions,Nabokov’s

Speak,Memory. Literature course that focuses on close reading of texts without reliance on

backgroundknowledge. Mixofdiscussionofcontentandtheuseoflanguageinthetexts.

o PhilosophicalPerspectives

1. Philosophycoursewithnon‐philosophicaltextsintegrated.2. Texts include: Homer’s Iliad, Plato’s Republic, Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Hume’s

TreatiseonHumanNature.3. Courseseekstoanswerquestionssuchas:Whatislove?Dowehavefreewill?What

isthemind?Wheredoourmoralscomefrom?Istherealwaysarightthingtodo?

o GreekThoughtandLiterature OffersanintroductiontoGreekthoughtandculture.


Texts include: Homer’s Iliad, Sophocles' Philoctetes, Euripides' Helen, andThucydides’HistoryofthePeloponnesianWar.

Focusondiscussionofbroaderthemesratherthanliteraryclose‐readingoftexts.

o HumanBeingandCitizen Questionsthedifferencebetweenbeingahumanbeingandacitizen. Texts include: Plato’s Apology and Symposium, Genesis, Aristotle’s Nicomachean

Ethics;Augustine’sConfessions,Dante’sInferno,Shakespeare’sMeasureforMeasure,Kant’sFoundationsoftheMetaphysicsofMoralsandHardy,TheReturnoftheNative.

Discussionsfocusonidentifyingandunderstandingmajorthemesinthetexts,whileatthesametimeanalyzingaboutrhetoricalstylesandallegories.

o IntroductiontotheHumanities

Onlyofferedto12studentseveryotheryear. Emphasislessonthecontentofthebooks,moreonwhatlanguageandwordusage

does,i.e.theeffectithasonreaders,andhowtobemoremindfulofyouraudience. Bookschange,butmainstaysareThePeloponnesianWarsandPlato'sApology.

o ReadingCultures

Mixofclassics(e.g.Ovid’sMetamorphosis,ArabianNights),movies(e.g.YTuMamaTambien),graphicnovels(e.g.Sandman),autobiographies,etc.

Notpurelyaboutreadingaboutculturesintext. Morevarietyintextsbutlesstimespentoneachtext(nomorethantwoweeks).

o MediaAesthetics

LessreadingthanotherHumanitiesclasses. Fallquarter:Image–paintings,photographs,earlyfilms,etcandreadrelatedessays

(conceptssuchasmimesis,simulacrum,auraofanartwork),booksincludePortraitofDorianGray.

Winterquarter:Text‐writing,speech,poetry,etc,exploring translation,hierarchyoftext,speechandimage,signifier‐signifiedrelationship,textinmodernart,booksincludeHamlet.

Springquarter:Sound‐noise,music,voice,singing,howsoundsaffecttheindividualand create a community, films including Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, TheConversation, Passage de l'Acte; listening include recordings of poetry, Berio’sSequenzaforVoice.

o LanguageandHuman

Watered‐downlinguistics. PapersinvolvedGooglingforlinguisticsresearchandnotalotoftextualanalysis. Topics included the alleged degeneration of English, the Eskimos' 47 words for

snow,perfectlanguages,Ebonics. Takethisifyoulikeinternetresearchanddon'twanttoreadanyrealbooks.

SocialSciences

o Power,Identity,andResistance Fall quarter: focus on how capitalism is good/bad for society. Readings include

Marx,SmithandDurkheim.


Winterquarter:understandingliberalismanditscritics.Whydoweneedapoliticalauthorityandwhatmakesonelegitimate?ReadingsincludeHobbes,RousseauandLocke.

Springquarter:understandinghowthemes in first twoquartersplayedout in thetwentieth and twenty‐first centuries. Readings include Freud, Nietzsche (humannature's violence), Malcolm X, Gandhi, Martin Luther King (racial violence) andSontag(spectacleofviolence).

o Self,Culture,andSociety

Fallquarter:focusondevelopmentofsocietythroughcapitalism.ReadingsincludeMarx,WeberandHarvey.

Winter quarter: study culture, relationship between the individual and society.ReadingsincludeDurkheim,Levi‐StraussandFoucault.

Springquarter: studyhow the individual is shapedby various social, cultural andhistorical factors including race, gender and sexuality. Readings include Freud,Fanon and Beauvoir. Less focus on Economics and more varied approach toproblems,particularlyfromanAnthropologicalviewpoint.

o SocialScienceInquiry PrimarilyonStatistics.TheonlySocialSciencecoursewithproblemsets. OnlybookstobereadareIntroductiontothePracticeofStatisticsandSlim’sTable. Course focuses on collecting data, conducting experiments and interpreting

statistics. Studentsexpectedtoproduceoriginalresearchpaperbasedonempiricalresearch.

o Mind

PrimarilyaPsychologycourse. Onelecturefollowedbyonediscussioneachweek. ReadingsconsistofPsychologypapers. Weeklyresponsepapersfollowedby1‐2longerpapers.

o ClassicsofSocialandPoliticalThought

Focusonformationofstate/societyanddifferentformsofgovernment(whatistherole of government, etc). Third quarter concentrates on the ends of society andhumanflourishing.

Overlaps with Power, Identity and Resistance. Additional texts include Plato’sRepublic and Aristotle's Politics in Fall quarter, as well as Aquinas, Machiavelli,Hobbes,Locke,MandevilleandRousseau.

Contextualizeswriters’motivesinsteadofpurelycritiquingarguments.

Mathematicso MATH160s(HonorsCalculus)differsfromMATH150s(Calculus)inthatMATH160sis

almostcompletelyproof‐based.o EventhoughyoudocoverproofsinMATH150s,theunderstandingexpectedisless

deepthaninMATH160s.MATH150sstillrequiressubstantialcomputationalwork.o YouarealsomorelikelytobetaughtbyagraduatestudentifyoutakeMATH150sas

comparedtoMATH160s.o Detaileddescriptionof160sHonorsCalculus:


The160sisaproof‐basedmathematicscourse MATH161coversbasictechniquesofproofs,thedefinitionoflimits,and

differentiation MATH162coversintegrationandtaylorpolynomials. MATH163coverssequencesandseries,andsomelinearalgebra,similartowhatis

coveredinMATH199.Itisabasicrequirementsforotherhigher‐levelmathcourses. StudentswithbackgroundsinIBandAlevelsmayfindtheproof‐basedconcepts

difficultduringthebeginningofthiscoursebecauseitisdifferentfrommathematicsinhighschool.

However,manystudentshavefoundthecoursebothhighlyenlightening,anduseful.Thetechniqueofproofsenforcescriticalthinkingandreasoningwhichtranslatesintosuccessinotheracademicdisciplinesrequiringrigorousarguments(e.g.SOSC,Philosophy,Economics,ComputerScienceandtheSciences).Oneshouldexpecttospendaround10‐15hoursaweekatthebeginningofthiscourse,butthisnumbershoulddropsignificantlyasoneprogressesthroughthecourse.Resourcessuchastheinstructor'sofficehours,andthehelpofupperclassmenare

oftenindispensableforsuccess. AnanalysisSequenceishighlyrecommendedforthoseconsideringgraduateschool

inEconomics.o MathematicsisapopularmajoramongSingaporeansattheUniversityofChicago.It

pavesthewayforamyriadofcareersfromquantitativefinancetoacademia.TheMath majorinUniversityofChicagotakesthefollowingpath:

1stYear:161‐162‐163Honorscalculussequence 2ndYear:AnalysisorHonorsAnalysis 3rdYear:Algebra+electives 4thYear:electives

o Mostmathmajorswillagreethattheyhavehadanintellectuallyrewardingexperienceinthemathprogram.Themathprogramhasalsobolsteredtheiracademicandcareerprospects.Singaporeanalumshavegoneontojobsinconsulting,trading,aswellasplacingintotopgraduateprogramsincomputerscienceandmathematics.

SpecialthankstoEldenElmantoforprovidinginformationonthemathsection


(vii)Textbooks Textbooks in theUSareexpensive.Science textbookscancostoverUS$100, texts forwriting

coursesmaynotcostasmuchindividuallybutadduptoprettyheftysumstoo. TheUniversityBarnesandNoblesBookstore is themainplace topurchaseScienceandMath

books. TheSeminaryCo‐opBookstoreisthemainplacetopurchasebooksforreadingcoursessuchas

HumanitiesorSocialSciencecourses.Youcanbecomeamemberandreceivea10%discountonallpurchases.

TextbookscanalsobeloanedfromincludeCBooks,astudent‐runtextbookrentalservice.Pricerangesfrom$13‐$22/qtr.Website:http://www.cBooks.theilc.com

University of Chicago Marketplace (marketplace.uchicago.edu) contains advertisements frommanypeoplesellingusedbooks(amongotheritems).

TheinternationaleditionofsomebookscanbepurchasedinSingaporeformuchcheaperthantheUSeditions.

SAMSU Amazon Prime offers free 2‐day shipping on any books (or items) sold fromAmazon.com. Books sold by 3rd parties on Amazon.com are not eligible. Many books can befound at discounts on Amazon.com. To utilize this service, simply e‐mail your year’srepresentative with the link to the book as well as your name and shipping address. Therepresentativewillthenorderthebookforyouandyoucantransferthemoneyforthebooktohimorher.Itwillbedeliveredwithin2workingdays.

(viii)SummerSchool Coursesofferedarethree,five,six,ornineweeksinlength.Eachsummercourse,regardlessof

length,istheequivalentofafullquarter‐longcourse. Eventhoughcoursestendtobemoreintensive,theyareshorterandhenceusefulifyouwantto

getoveracoursequickly.PeoplealsochoosetodoSummerSchooliftheyhavetroublefindingatimeslotforthecourseduringregulartermtime.Summerschoolisagoodoptionforstudentswhorequireadditionalcreditsorwhohavedifficultyfindingasummerinternship.

FeesareUS$2,800percourse,ontopofaUS$285studentlifefee. Formoreinformation,visithttps://summer.uchicago.edu/index.cfm

(ix)StudyAbroad You can spend between one quarter to one year abroad in another university or in the

UniversityofChicago’sCentersinParisorBeijing. Application deadlines can be over a year before the program, so if you are interested, start

planningearly.Alsoensurethatthetimingfitsinwiththerestofyouracademicschedule. Checkforpre‐requisites.Notallprogramshavelanguagepre‐requisites. ProgramsinplacessuchasBarcelona,SouthAfricaandJerusalemareparticularlycompetitive.

ItisnotdifficulttogetaplacetostudyinParis. Whenapplying,trytofocusonyourlanguageskills. Formoreinformation,visithttp://study‐abroad.uchicago.edu/


(i)On‐campushousingBy now, youwould have already been allocated your residential halls by the university housingsystem.Thisallocationisbasedonyourpreferencesandtheyusuallytrytoaccommodateallyourneeds.Assuch,mostofthetime,youwouldfindthatthedormyouhavebeenallocatedtosuitsyoujustfine.Thatsaid,anumberofushavemetwitha fewunexpected,andsometimesunpleasant, surprisesupon arrival at our dorms. This short section about on‐campushousingwill thus provide a run‐downonwhattopotentiallyexpectfromthedormsthatyouwillbestayinginforyourfirstyearatUChicago.(Contributionsfromupperclassmen)

Blackstone Blackstone Hall is a small dormwith only one house, and houses an average of 79 student

residents(ascomparedtoMaxP’s700).Notmanyfirst‐yearsareallocatedtothishouse,mainlybecausetherearelimitedvacancies.

Breckinridge Breckinridge Hall is another small dorm that is similar to Blackstone, in terms of size and

location.It isalsooneofthefewdormswithsinglesexfloors.Locatedtothesoutheastofthemaincampus,Breckinridgeisagood20to25minutesonfootawayfromcampus,andfromanydininghall. Its inconvenient location is thusoneof themaingripesofBreckinridgeresidents,whohavetotakeabustogettoclasses,ordininghalls.

Breckinridgealsohasaninfamousreputationforhavingaparticularlyuniquehouseculture,inthesense that its residentsmakeupan interestingcommunity thatwillnever fail to intrigueyou.

Broadview In some sense, Broadview can be considered an enlarged version of Blackstone and

Breckinridge.Therearethreehousesinthisdorm,eachhousingabout70to80students. UponarrivalatBroadview,thefirstthingthatmightstrikeyouaboutthisdormisitsdistance

from campus. Broadview is the furthest hall away from campus, and it takes a good 20‐25minutes to get anywhere on campus. While this might not be a problem during autumn orspring,itgetsunbearableduringwinter,asyouwouldhavetotrekthroughsnowandbravethestrong winds to get to class (or just to eat).While taking a bus does alleviate the problem,travelling can be considerably time‐consuming. As a result Broadview hall has a tradition ofprovidingdailydinnersforitsresidentsduringfinalsweek.

Despitebeingrelatively faraway fromcampus,Broadview is close to restaurants (whichyouwillhaveto frequentwhendininghallsclose), thebusstopthatbringsyoudowntownandtoChinatown,andtothesupermarket(called“TreasureIsland”).

One thing you will have to keep in mind is that Broadview is an old building. As such, itsfacilitiesaremostlyoldandrundown.Dependingonyourluck,theroomsandtoiletscanbealittle dirty, and the heating systemmay not always work. Our advice is thus to buy a goodcomfortertokeepyourselfwarmduringwinter.

HOUSING


Burton‐JudsonCourts Burton‐Judson,orBJ forshort, is locatedsouthof themaincampus,directlybesidetheSouth

CampusDiningHall.With7housesandanaverageof300residents, thehouses inBJare thesmallestoncampus.Asoneformerresidentputit,“BJtypicallyhassmallhouses,whichmeansthat people really get to bond. So if the incoming freshman wants to experience and reallyminglewithAmericans,BJisoneofthebesthousestooptfor.”Ifyouenjoybeingpartofaclose‐knitstudentcommunity,thisisit.

JustlikeBroadview,BJisoneoftheolderdormsoncampus.Theroomsmightsmellmustyonthe firstday,butopening thewindowsandairing the roomshoulddo the trick.Theremightalsobeinstanceswhenhousecentipedesorinsectsentertheroom.Inthesecasesyouwillhavetogetridofthesepestsbyyourself.Theradiatorsalsotendtomakealotofnoise(e.g.clanging).

Despitetheseshortcomings,BJhasitsredeemingpoints.ResidentspointtoBJ’suniquegothicarchitectureasoneofthethingsthattheylikemostaboutthedorm,andthecourtyardcanbebeautifulatnight.Itslocationalsomeansthatyouarenevertoofarofffromcampus,andthatyoudonothavetotravelfarforfood.However,thewalkacrosstheMidwayduringwinter(atripyouhavetomaketogettocampusfromBJ)canbeapainintheass.

MacleanHall Situated to the north of campus, Maclean is one of the few dorms with single‐rooms only

(there’sonlyonedouble).Itshousecultureisgenerallyquitequiet,althoughthisdoesnotmeanyouwillnothaveafuntimethere!

A 10‐minutewalk away from campus,Maclean is just next to a dining hall (Pierce) and theschoolgym (Ratner). It is alsonear thebus stop thatbringsyou to theGarfieldRed lineandGreenlinetrainstations.Theroomsaregenerallyquitecomfortable,andwehavenotheardanycomplaintsfrompreviousresidentsyet!

MaxPalevskyResidentialCommons MaxPisoneofthelargestdormsoncampus,

and possibly one of the loudest: its orange‐blue exterior will surely catch your eye themoment you step on campus.With 8 housesand an average of 700 residents, Max P alsohousesthelargesthousesoncampus.

LivinginMaxPmeansthatyouwillbestayingin a suite with an attached bathroom andtoilet.Youwillhavetocleanyourowntoiletsand provide your own toilet paper, unlikestudents staying in dorms with commonbathrooms(e.g.BJ).

MaxPhasarguablythebestlocationamongstallthedorms,beingclosetomaincampusandadininghallat thesametime. Itshouseculturecanalsobesaid tobe the friendliestandmostboisterous,withhousematesknockingonyourdoorsorpoppinginrandomlytochat.Whilethismight soundgreat for someof you, othershave complained about the lackof privacy andofquiet.Youmightalsobepressurizedtojoininthehouseactivities,butthesecanbereallyfun,dependingonyourinterests.

Another plus point: air‐conditioning, which can be a lifesaver when the weather getsunbearablyhot(e.g.inspring).


PierceTower Pierceistheonlydormoncampuswhereyoudon’tevenneedtoleavethebuildingtogettothe

dininghall.Thiswillbewelcomenewswhenit’s‐20degreesoutside.Inaddition,thereisalate‐nightsnackbarknownasTANSTAAFL(“thereain’tnosuchthingasafreelunch”).

TheroomsinPierceareknowntobesmallerthanthoseinotherdorms.

Snell‐HitchcockHall Snell‐HitchcockHall,alsoknown

as Snitchcock,houses,well, twohouses: Snell and Hitchcock.Locateddirectlyoncampus,thisdorm is the closest youwill getto “rolling‐out‐of‐bed‐and‐into‐class”.Itisalsoa5‐minutewalkaway from the Bartlett dininghall,whichmeansyouarenevertoofarawayfromfood.

As is the case with BroadviewandBJ, Snitchcock is one of theolder dorms on campus, whichmeans that its facilities are notas new as some of the otherdorms(e.g.MaxP),anditsroomsarealittlerundown.

OneofthethingsthatresidentstendtoappreciateaboutSnitchcockisitsquirkyhouseculture.Asoneupperclassmanputit,“you’llneverfailtofitinbecauseeveryone’sjustsofriendlyandacceptingofeveryoneelse(unlessyouhappentobesomejock,you’lldefinitelyappreciateandgrow to love the culture)”. Snitchcock is also THEmost enthusiastic dorm about ScavengerHunt,anannualschooleventthatisexactlywhatitsoundslike.TakingpartinthiseventwouldtrulybeoneofthemostunforgettablethingsaboutstayinginSnitchcock.

SouthCampusResidenceHall The newest and largest dorm on campus, South already has a reputation for housing a

community that loves to party. Located just south of theMidway, it is directly opposite theSouthCampusDiningHallandjusta5‐minutewalkawayfromthemainquads.

AsSouthopenedjustayearago,itsfacilitiesarealmostcompletelybrand‐new,andtheheatingand air‐conditioning systems are in good condition. In contrast tomost of the other dorms,which aremuch older, this is awelcome change (for all) indeed. Apart from this, the houseculture is also another aspect of South that residents appreciate. In particular, oneupperclassman liked “the sense of community that the House system fostered whereby[students]wereencouragedtoparticipateinoccasionaloutingsandstudybreaks.”

SouthCampusresidentsalsoknowhowtohavefun.Youwillhavetogetusedtothepartyingthatgoesonalmosteveryweekend.Thismeansthat,afteranightofrevelry,drunkresidentsmight come knocking on your door, ormight simplymake a lot of noise tumbling down thecorridorat2am.Youwillalsohavetogetusedtothesmellofweed(whichchangesfrequently)thatfillsupthehallways.

Ifyouhaveeverworriedaboutthecleanlinessofthecommontoilets,don’tbother.Toiletsarecleanedoften,andeventhougheachtoiletonlyhas3showeringcubiclesyouwillrarelyhavetowait.Onewordofcautionthough:theshoweringcubicleshaveshowercurtainsfor“doors”.


ThebiggestpluspointaboutSouthCampusisthatyoucanstayinthisdormoverbreaks!Thisisthe only dorm on campus thatwill open for students overwinter and spring breaks, whichmeansyouwillnothavetomovefromyourroomwhentermsends,unlikethemajorityofyourfriends.

StonyIslandHall GenerallySingaporeansdon’ttendtostayasecondyearinhousing,butifyoudo,StonyIsland

wouldbeoneextraoption.Opentoupperclassmen,thisdormhousesanaverageof80residentsandconstitutesasinglehouse.

Stonyisoneofthefewdormsoncampustoofferapartment‐stylerooms.Thelivingroomthatyousharewithyourroommateswouldbespaciousandwelllit,whichmeansyouhaveplentyofspace for friends to stay over. The toilets are also shared between just two people,which isanotherpluspoint.However,Stonyissomedistanceawayfromthemaincampus,andyouwillhavetowalkabout20minutestogettoclass.

(ii)Generaladviceaboutroomandhousemates Beforthrightwhendealingwithyourroommates.Ifyou'velegitimatelytriedtosortitoutand

it'sjustnotworking,there'snoshameinaskingtoswitchrooms‐andtheearlierthebetter. Socializewith your dormmates! Everyone is trying tomake friends, especially at the start of

freshmanyear‐you'llbeamusedbythejunkthey'lldo. Ifyouareunhappywithyourdormforwhateverreason,goaheadandapplyforatransfer.Just

doitassoonaspossible. Ultimately, takethesecommentswithapinchofsalt.Whilesomeupperclassmenhaveindeed

experiencedtheabove,thesamethingsmaynothappenforyou.Yourhousingexperiencecanbeagreatone,butonlyifyoutaketheefforttomakeitso!

Special thanks to: Severine Cao, Sze Han Ong, Adrian Low, Ruth Chew, Paul Ho, Darren Leow,MelissaTan,RyotaSekine,FengPingGan,CandiceLuo,YanShuoTan(innoorder)


WhiletheUniversityofChicagoisknownastheplacewhere“funcomestodie”orwhere“theonlythingthatgoesdownonyouisyourGPA”,studentsintheUofCarepassionateaboutbothworkingandplayinghard.Chicago,thelargestcity intheAmericanmid‐West,andthethirdlargestcity inAmerica,certainlyhasmanyavenuesforstudentsattheUniversitytodoso.Besidesthecityitself,therearealsomanyactivitiestodowithinschoolaswell,withnumerousstudentorganizationstojoinandmanyrandomeventsheldthroughouttheschoolyear.(i) RecognizedStudentOrganizationsThere are literally hundreds of student organizations (called RSOs, or Recognized StudentOrganizations)attheUniversity,rangingfromcommunityservicegroups,tosportsclubs,religiousgroups and Greek organizations (fraternities and sororities). A full list can be found online(studentactivities.uchicago.edu/involved/search.shtml)andtherewoulddefinitelybeanRSOthatcaterstoanyofyourinterests.Studentsarealsofreetostarttheirownorganizations.As Singaporean students, you would be registered as members of SAMSU Singaporean Society(samsu.uchicago.edu).However,mostSingaporeansaremembersofotherRSOsaswell.Generally,studentsareactivemembersin1or2RSOsbutcouldalsobemembersofafewothers.Forinstance,somestudentsareactivemembersofBlueChips(abusinessclub)andSAMSUbutarealsopartofthemailing listofCUSA (ChineseUndergraduateStudentAssociation)and theZombieReadinessTaskForce(forreal),turninguponlyforsomeoftheiractivities.DifferentRSOshavedifferenttimecommitmentsandstudentsareadvisedtocheckwhatthetimecommitments are before signing up. For example, many sports RSOs have practice and games,whichcanmeanhavingtocommitatleast2hoursaday,3daysoftheweek.AnotherexampleistheChicagoMaroon,wherephotographersandwritersaresentonvariousassignmentsthroughouttheweek.Ontheotherhand,culturalRSOs likeSAMSUdonothaveregularmeetingsandthere isnomajortimecommitment.TohelpyoudecidewhichRSOtojoin,theStudentGovernmentalsoorganizestwoRSOfairsduringtheyear.OnewouldbeheldatthestartoftheacademicyearandtheotherwouldbeheldsometimeinFebruary.During these fairs,RSOswouldsetupstallsandbooths toshowcase theiractivities.ThiswouldbethebesttimetoaskmembersoftheRSOquestionsabouttheirorganizationsuchastimecommitmentsandwhatexactlytheydo.(ii)StudentEventsTherearealwaysactivitiesinschoolthatwouldinterestyou,nomatterwhatyourinterestsmightbe. Some suchevents areplannedbyRSOs and areopen to the entire schoolpopulation.On theother hand, some events are planned by student groups that are specially created to plan andexecutesuchevents.Many cultural RSOs, such as CUSA, KSO and SAMSU organize annual events to showcase theirculture(oftenintheformofplays).Theseplaysareputupbystudentsintheseorganizationsandaticket to theseplays entitles the audience to a freemeal (especiallyuseful on Saturday evenings

SCHOOL/CITY LIFE


whenthedininghallsareclosed).RSOsalsoholdstudybreakstoshowcasetheiractivitiesandgainpublicity.For instance,thetenniscluborganizedastudybreak,wheretheyprovidedcookiesandmilkandscreenedtheAustralianOpen.Also,witharound50RSOsdedicatedtothearts,thereareoftentheater,danceormusicperformancesaroundschool.

Studentgroupsthatspecialize inplanningmassschoolevents includetheMajorActivitiesBoard,the Council on University Programming and the Student Government. These groups plan eventsthat cater to the entire school population, usually offering free food and entertainment and areoftenverywellattended.SucheventsincludeSummerBreezewhichisacarnivalontheMainQuadwithfreefood,gamesandalargeconcertfeaturingperformerssuchasNasandDamianMarley.

Withsuchawiderangeofeventsoncampus,itisoftenhardtokeeptrackofthem.Manyeventsarewellpublicized,withbanners,flyersandposters.Often,theseeventswouldhaveFacebookpagestoremind you of the event and update those attending of any changes.However, themost reliableresource is the UofC events page (event.uchicago.edu) which lists all the events happening oncampus.


(iii)PartiesYes,therearepartiesattheUniversityofChicago.Infact,therearepartiesreallyoften.Generally,there are 2 types of parties that can be found in school, apartment parties and frat (fraternity)parties.Apartment parties are often privateevents between friends in privateapartments. Some parties are also heldincollegedormitories.There are frat partiesheld in fraternityhouses almost every weekend. Theseevents are open to all students in thecollegeandthereisoftenacoverchargeto attend these events. As these partiesare open to anyone in the University,theyaregoodplacestomeetnewpeopleand interact with others in a non‐academic environment. Often, to drawpeople to such events, many of theseparties have themes, such as 7 DeadlySinsandBeachParty.Sincesuchpartiesare only open to students of theUniversity,thereyouneedtobringyourUCID along. The standard cover chargefortheseeventsis$5.

(iv)ReligionTheCollegeandHydeParkishometonumerousreligiousgroupsandplacesofworship.WithintheCollege,therearenumerousreligiousRSOsrepresentingmostmajorreligions.Theseofferagreatchancetomeetpeoplewiththesamereligiousinterests.TherearealsomanyreligiousinstitutionswithinHydePark,includingchurches,synagoguesandmosques.Chicagocontainssomemega‐churchessuchasWillowCreekCommunityChurchandisthecenterfor other religious organizations such as the Nation of Islam. For those interested in religiousarchitecture,theBaha'iTempleinWilmetteisnotsomethingthatshouldbemissed.

Alcohol

The legal drinking age in the United States is 21 andstores are not allowed to sell alcohol tominors (this,unlikeinSingapore,isenforcedstrictly).Ifyouareover21, remember to bring an official ID with you whenpurchasingalcohol.

TherearealsomanyalcoholrelatedlawsintheUnitedStates that are unheard of in Singapore. For example,open alcohol is not allowed in public. Also, someonebelow the age of 21 cannot transport alcohol in avehicle.

TheUniversity's alcohol policy is in linewith the lawand there are certain rules on campus that highlightthis.Forexample,alcoholisnotallowedinthecommonareasof dormitories. The alcoholpolicy in full canbefoundonline(studentmanual.uchicago.edu/university).


(v)UChicagoArtsPassTheUniversity, incollaborationwithnumerousorganizationsinChicago,hasmadeitpossibleforyourUCIDtobeusedtogetdiscountsorfreeentryatvariousartsestablishmentsinChicago.Forexample, it provides students free admission to the Art Institute of Chicago and theMuseum ofContemporaryArt.Also,studentscangetdiscountsattheaterssuchasSteppenwolfTheater.Moreinformationcanbefoundonlineatartspass.uchicago.edu.(vi)TheaterUniversityTheater(ut.uchicago.edu)isanorganizationwherestudentsdirect,designandactinallof its productions. It produces more than 30 shows annually and its shows are open to theUniversity community at $6 for admission. It is advised by Theater Studies instructors in theCollegewhohaveextensivetheaterexperience.WithinHydePark, there is Court Theater (courtheater.org),which is the professional theater oncampusattheUniversity.Ithaswonnumerousaccoladesandwonravereviewsfromtheatercriticsand has been named “themost consistently excellent theater company in America” by theWallStreetJournal.Chicago is also home to well known theater companies such as Steppenwolf Theater(steppenwolf.org) and the Goodman Theater (goodmantheatre.org). Famous actors can often beseen returning to their stage roots in theseChicago theaters. For instance,WilliamPeterson (heplayedGilGrissomfromtheoriginalCSI)actedinaproductionofEndgameatSteppenwolfTheater.There are also numerous improvisational comedy acts that canbe found in Chicago, such as thefamousIO(previously,ImprovOlympic,ioimprov.com)andSecondCity(secondcity.com).Ofcoursetherearealsomoreprestigious(andexpensive) theaters locateddowntown, suchas theChicagoTheater(www.chicagotheater.com).(vii)MuseumsChicagoishometosomeofthebestmuseumsintheworld,however,unlikeLondon,entrytothesemuseumsisnotfree.Therefore,manystudentschoosetovisitthesemuseumsondayswheretheyhavefreeadmissionorvisitonlythemuseumsthatarecoveredundertheUChicagoArtsPass.ThreeofthemuseumsarelocatedinanareaknownastheMuseumCampus.ThereyoucanfindtheAlder Planetarium (adlerplanetarium.org), the Field Museum (fieldmuseum.org) and the SheddAquarium(sheddaquarium.org).ClosertoHydePark,thereistheMuseumofScienceandIndustry(msichicago.org),which is the largest sciencemuseum in theWesternHemisphereanddefinitelyworthavisit.TherearealsoothermuseumsinChicagosuchastheMuseumofContemporaryArt(mcachicago.org)andtheArtInstituteofChicago(artic.edu).(viii)MusicChicagohasavibrantmusicsceneandit isreflected inthewidevarietyofmusicalperformancesavailableinthecity.AsthehomeofthedistinctiveChicagoblues,therearenumerousfamousbluesbarsallaroundthecity,mostnotabletheoriginalHouseofBlues(houseofblues.com).Ifbluesisnotyourcupoftea,therearemanyothervenueswhereyoucanseeliveactsalloverthecity.BeingoneofAmerica's largestcities,Chicago isacommonstop for touringbands.Acts thathavevisitedChicagowithinthelastyearincludeU2andJohnMayer.Forlargeracts,theirconcertsare


usuallyheldatSoldierFieldorUnitedCenter,whilesmalleractscanbefoundatvenuesallaroundChicago.Listsofconcertscanbefoundonline.Ifyouareafanofclassicalmusic,therearemanyoptionsaswell.TheChicagoSymphonyOrchestra(cso.org)isoneofthefiveAmericanorchestrascommonlyreferredtoasthe“BigFive”.Thereareoften concerts where students can get discounted tickets. The Lyric Opera of Chicago(http://www.lyricopera.org) isoneof the leadingoperacompanies intheUnitedStates.WiththeUChicagoArtsPass,studentscangetdiscountedticketsthere.(ix)FilmCatchingamovieinChicagoismoreexpensivethancomparedtoSingapore.However,ifthereisahugeblockbuster thatyouwant tocatch,watching it inacinema(sincedownloading is illegal,ofcourse)providesanunparalleledviewingexperience.OneofthedowntowncinemasfrequentedbyUofCstudentsisAMCRiverEast(amcentertainment.com).PricingstructureisdifferentcomparedtoSingapore,whereticketsonthesamedaycanvaryincost,dependingonthetimeoftheshow.Expecttopay$11foraneveningshowandanadditional$3‐4ifthemovieisin3D.For peoplewho do notwish to travel downtown, the College has its own in‐house theater. DocFilms(docfilms.org)screensmovieseverydayduringacademicquartersandfromWednesdaystoSaturdaysoversummer.Ticketsare$5foreachmoviescreening.Aquarterlypass,whichcost$30,willenableyoutogainentryintoanyDocFilmsmoviescreeningforthatquarter.Duringacademicquarters,more recent releaseswill be screenedonFriday andSaturdaynights andoldermovieswill be screened during the rest of the week, usually following a theme (for example, youngAmericandirectors).InOctober,ChicagohostsoftheChicagoInternationalFilmFestival(chicagofilmfestival.com),NorthAmerica'soldestcompetitivefilmfestival.Thereisoftenahugerangeofentriesfromallcountriesaroundtheworld.(x)ProfessionalSportsChicagoishometosportsteamsplayinginthefourlargeAmericanleagues.Currently the pride of Chicago, the Chicago Blackhawks(chicagoblackhawks.com) are the current National Hockey Leaguechampions.TheregularseasonrunsfromOctobertoAprilandtheplayatthe United Center. Sharing the United Center with the Blackhawks isarguably Chicago'smost internationallywell‐known sports franchise, theChicagoBulls(bulls.com)fromtheNationalBasketballAssociation.Withayoungteamcapableofmakingtheplay‐offs,therearehighexpectationsfortheteamtodowellinthecomingyears.TheregularseasonlastsfromFalltoSpring.Thereare twoMajorLeaguebaseball teams fromChicago.AllegianceamongstChicagoans issplitalongNorth‐Southlines,withthosefromtheSouthsupportingtheWhiteSox(whitesox.com)whoplayat theUSCellularField and those in theNorth supporting theCubs (cubs.com)whoplayatWrigleyField.ThebaseballregularseasonrunsfromApriltoSeptember.Finally,theChicagoBears(chicagobears.com)playintheNationalFootballLeague.TheyarethesecondmostsuccessfulteaminNFLhistorywith9titlesandplayatSoldierField.


Ticketsareprofessionalsportingeventsareusuallyprettypricey,especiallyiftheyareobtainedontheopenmarket.However,theCollegeandindividualHousesinthehousingsystemoftenorganizeoutingstogameswhereticketscanbeobtainedatmuchlowerprices.(xi)ShoppingMagnificentMileindowntownChicagoisthemainshoppingareainChicago,withnumerousstoresliningthestreet.There,youcanfindmanybigbrands,departmentstores,designerboutiquesandrestaurants.Mostof theshopsarealongtheMile itself,which isactuallyNorthMichiganAvenue,withrestaurantsmostlyablockortwoofftheMile.Nearby,therearealsomanyshopsalongStateStreetintheLoop,makingdowntownChicagoaone‐stopshoppingdestinationforfansofbignamebrands.Foramoreinterestingshoppingexperiencewithindividualshopsandlessbignames,youcanvisitsomeof themanyof theneighborhoods inChicago. There aremany small boutiques around theNorthSide,givingtheareamoreofabohemianvibe.Naturally,forethnicgoods,itisbesttoheadtothevariousethnicenclavesaroundChicago,suchasChinatown.Furtherafield,ChicagoPremiumOutlets(premiumoutlets.com/chicago)isanoutletmallinAurorawithmorethanahundredshops,sellingbrandedgoodsatreasonableprices.A littlecloser,FordCity, near Midway Airport, has a range of discount chains such as Walmart. Head there for aquintessentialAmericanshoppingexperience.Chicago has a 10.25% sales tax onmost purchases and it is not reflected on the listed price soremembertofactorthatintoyourpricecalculations.(xii)FoodChicagohasoneof thegreatestnumberofrestaurantspercapita inAmerica,and itshows.Greatfood isavailableeverywhereand ifyouarewilling tomakeaneffort to look,youcanget foodatgreat prices as well. Chicago boasts some unique dishes, including the Chicago pizza and theChicagohotdog.TheChicagopizza isalsoreferredtoasadeep‐dishpizza,which isessentiallyapizzapie.Everyonehas theirown favoritesbut famous locations tohaveaChicagopizza includeUno Chicago Grill (unos.com) andGiordano's (giordanos.com). The Chicago hot dog is a hot dogservedwithavarietyofvegetablesonitandfamously,strictlywithoutketchup.ForaninterestingChicagohotdogexperience,headdownto theWienersCircle (itdoesnothaveawebsite,butgoWikipediaorYouTubeit).On the high end, Chicago has numerous world‐class restaurants. Most famously, there is Alinea(alinea‐restaurant.com),runbychefGrantAchatz.Itwasrecentlyvotedtheseventhbestrestaurantintheworld,andthebestinNorthAmerica.AchatzisalsoopeninganotherrestaurantcalledNext(nextrestaurant.com)whichisexpectedtobelesspriceythanhisflagshiprestaurant.Otherworld‐class restaurants inChicago include theworld famousCharlieTrotter's (charlietrotters.com)andEverest(everestrestaurant.com).Manyof thebetterChicagorestaurantsmightcostabit toomuch for regular students.However,their food can be enjoyed for more reasonable prices during Restaurant Week(choosechicago.com/eatitup/pages/restaurant.aspx).ForaweekeveryFebruary,restaurantsservea fixed‐price, set‐mealwhichprovides very good value andwould costmuch less than a normalpricedmealatthesamerestaurantanyothertimeoftheyear.


Aswithmanyotherbigcities,forethnicfood,theethnicenclavesaretheplacestoheadto.Thereare neighborhoods where you can find Chinese (Chinatown), Indian (Devon), Mexican (Pilsen),Polish (Belmont), Vietnamese (Argyle) andmany other types of ethnic cuisine.With immigrantsfrommanyof thesecountriesowning therestaurantandserving the food,patronscanexpectanauthenticdiningexperience.ThankstotheStudentGovernment,allUniversityofChicagostudentsareentitledtodiscountsatvarious dining establishments in Hyde Park. A list of such establishments can be found online(facebook.com/group.php?gid=218838602872). In addition, SAMSU members are entitled todiscountsatvariousrestaurantsinChinatowniftheyproducetheirSAMSUmembershipcards.Thefulllistofrestaurantswithdiscountscanalsobefoundonline(samsu.uchicago.edu/shopping.html).(xiii)SAMSU/SchoolTraditionsBeingmembersofboththeUniversityofChicagoandSAMSUSingaporeanSociety,youcanexpecttobefullyimmersedinbothcommunities,takingpartinvarioustraditionsandeventsthathappenthroughouttheschoolyear.Beingacollege,nakedness,especiallyinthedeadofwinter,doestendtobeinvolvedina fewtraditions.Onesuchtraditionisthetrackteamstreak,wheremembersofthe track team streak through the Regenstein Library the Sunday before finals week of Winterquarter.AnotheristhePolarBearRun,wheremembersofthecollegecommunityrunnakedfromone end of the Main Quad to the other. The Polar Bear Run is actually the finale ofKuviasungnerk/Kangeiko (or simply called, Kuvia). Kuvia is a week‐long festival in the dead ofwinter,wherestudentsgetupearlyinthemorningandtakepartinmassexercisesat5:30am.Another tradition is Midnight Breakfast, which is held late on Sunday night before finals week.Manystudentstakeabreakfromstudyingtograbafreesupperofbreakfastfood.AlsorelatedtofoodisDollarShakeDayatReynoldsClub.TheEinsteinBros.Bagelfranchisesellsmilkshakesfor$1everyWednesdayandwasonlyallowedtoopenoncampusifitadheredtothetradition.AlsointheReynoldsClub,isasealontheground,bearingthecrestoftheUniversityofChicago.Rumorhasitthatstudentswhosteponthesealwouldnotbeabletograduatewithinfouryears.The annual Latke‐Hamantash Debate has been a fixture of the University calendar since 1946,wherefacultydebateabouttherelativemeritsof latkeandhamantash,twoJewishholidaytreats.Facultydebate inamockserious tone,usingexpertise in theirrespective fields toadvocate theirpositions. By far the largest and most unique tradition to the University is the annual Scav Hunt(scavhunt.uchicago.edu).Itissometimescalledthelargestscavengerhuntintheworldandteamsarerequiredtoacquireitemsfromalistofapproximately 300items,witheachitemgivenapointsvalue.Itemsinthelistareoftenchallengingtoacquireandextremelyrandom.Previousyears'listscanbefoundattheScavwebsite.


SAMSUalsohasvariousannualtraditions,mostofwhichhappeninspring.TheseincludetheSpringBarbecueforgraduatingseniors,whereabarbecueisheldatPromontoryPoint,byLakeMichigan,inhonorof thegraduatingseniors.TheSpringBarbecue isalsoanoccasiontogiveoutprizes forSAMSUAssassins.Assassinsisalive‐actiongamewhereplayerstrytoeliminateeachotherfromthegameusingmockweaponsinanefforttobethelastsurvivingplayer.Besides these events in spring, there are also other events throughout the year, like Pub Night,whereSAMSUmembersover‐21headtotheUniversityPubinthebasementofIdaNoyesHalleveryMondayforwings,andGamesNight,wheremembersmeettoplayallkindsofgamesrangingfrommahjongtoGuitarHero.Also,thereisanannualThanksgivingdinnerandChineseNewYearstudybreak.Finally,SAMSU'sbiggesteventoftheyearisCitylights,whereacertainaspectofSingaporeancultureisshowcasedtotheUniversitycommunity.PreviousCitylightspresentationshaveincludedaplayaboutarmy,amockwedding,astagingofDickLee'sBeautyWorldandaplayaboutjuniorcollegelife.

(xiv)DistrictsChicagoisalargecitywithnumerousdistrictsradiatingfromdowntown.AsdowntownisborderedontheeastbyLakeMichigan,therearethreedistinctareas,namelytheNorth,SouthandWestsides,split into variousdistricts. There is a rivalrybetween theNorth andSouth sides, especiallywithrespect to baseball. Chicago is easy to navigate, with “streets” running east‐west and “avenues”runningnorth‐southingeneralandtheirnumberingbasedonthedistancefromthezeropointoftheaddresssystem,theintersectionofStateStreet(north‐south)andMadisonStreet(east‐west).Therefore,sincetheRegensteinLibraryisat1100E57thStreet,itis11blockseastofStateStreetand57blockssouthofMadisonStreet.Belowisanoutlineofvariousdistricts inChicagoandthesuburbsthatSingaporeansfrequent.HydePark HydePark is theneighborhood inwhich theUniversityofChicagoandwherestudentsof the

Collegespendmostoftheirtime.However,theUniversityisnotallthatHydeParkisabout.Ithas a richhistory, havingplayedhost to theWorld's Fair in 1893 andhasbeen thehomeofmanyfamouspeople,includingsomenotaffiliatedtotheUniversity,likeMuhammadAli,AmeliaEarhartandHughHefner.

The district is bordered by Washington Park on the west, Lake Michigan on the east, theMidwayontheSouthand(officially)51stStreetonthenorth.Themajorityofthesouth‐westofthedistrict is takenupby theUniversityofChicago and its affiliatedhospital and the east is


occupiedby a park on the shore of the lake.Oddnumbered streets are home to commercialestablishments, including offices, shops and restaurants, especially 53rd Street,whichhas thehighestnumberofsuchestablishments.

Besidesactivitiesoncampus,therearenumerousthingstodo,seeandeatinHydePark.Therearemanysmallcafesintheareathatservebakedgoodsandcoffee.Goodbakedgoodscanbefound at establishments like Medici (medici57.com), while probably the best coffee in HydePark can be found at Istria Cafe (istriacafe.com). Interestingly, there is a cluster of Asianrestaurantson55thStreetthatservereliableThaiandKoreanfood.ForgreatSouthSidefriedchicken, head to Harold's Chicken Shack, reportedly Obama's favorite fried chicken.With itsstaffworkingbehindbulletproofglass,itisdefinitelyauniqueexperience,withgreatchickentoboot.

Since the University has a large say in landzoning in Hyde Park, they have managed topreventmanylargechainstoresfromsettingupshop in the area. However, there are stillconvenience stores like CVS and Walgreens afew blocks from school. There are however, anumberofsmallbookstoreson57thStreetneartheMetra tracks selling an interesting array ofbooks. For something different, there is afarmer's market on 61st Street betweenDorchester and Blackstone Avenues everySaturday from May to October, sellingagriculturalproduce.

TherearethingstodoinHydePark.Forastart,theMidwayPlaisanceborderstheCollegetothesouth and hasmany fieldswhere people can often be seen playing soccer, frisbee and othersports.AlsoontheMidwayisaniceskatingrinkwhichisinoperationinwinter.TherearesomedaysinwinterwhenstudentsfromtheCollegecanskateforfree.TheMuseumofScienceandIndustry, as mentioned earlier, is also worth visiting. Since it borders Lake Michigan, manystudentsalsoheadtothelakeduringthewarmermonths.StudentscanbeseenatbarbecuesatthepitsnearPromontoryPointorheadfurthersouthtorelaxatthebeach.

Downtown DowntownChicagoiswherealltheactionhappens.Forpurposesofconvenience,itcanbesplit

intotheLoop,theMagnificentMileandtwoparksonthelakefrontcalledMillenniumParkandGrantPark.TheLoopisliterallythedowntownloopthattheL(forelevated)trainstakewhengoing through themain financialarea.MagnificentMile is themainshoppingareaofChicagoandisastretchofNorthMichiganAvenuenorthoftheChicagoRiver.

Being the main commercial area, the Loop does not offer much for a tourist to do. In fact,besidesvisiting some famous sights anda littlebitof shopping, there isnotmuchelse there.ShopscanbefoundalongStateStreetandMichiganAvenue,facingtheparksandincludeH&M,OldNavy and a fewdepartment stores. There are a few interesting sights in theLoop. For astart, there are many buildings that are famous and beautifully designed, including severalbuildingsthatcanbeseenintheDarkKnight.ThetopoftheWillisTower(formerlytheSearsTowerandthetallestbuildingintheworld),isworthavisitaswell.

GrantandMillenniumParksare theareas inChicagowheremajoreventsareheldandmanyhistoric Chicago events have happened there, including a huge gathering of people the nightObamagotelectedintooffice.Thereareoftenmanyconcertsheldintheparkaswell,especiallyduringsummer,whichbeginsaftertheMemorialDayweekend.GrantandMillenniumParksare


home to a few famous landmarks. This includes Buckingham Fountain, the Bean (literally apolished,stainlesssteelbeanbutofficiallycalledCloudGate)andthePritzkerPavilion.

IfyoulikeshoppingyouwouldlovetheMagnificentMile,withahugerangeofshopsavailabletosatisfyeventhemosthardcoreshopper.ShopsrangefromdepartmentstoreslikeNordstromto internationallywell‐knownretailerssuchasEddieBauerandApple.For thosewhodonotenjoy shopping as much, the architecture is worth a visit to the Magnificent Mile as well.FamousbuildingsincludetheWaterTower,WrigleyBuildingandtheTribuneTower.VisitorscanalsoheadtotheobservatoryatthetopoftheJohnHancockCenterforanamazingviewofChicago.

Chinatown Chicago’s Chinatown is the third‐largest Chinatown in the United States but do not go there

expecting a truly authenticChinese experience.Despite this, Chinatowndoesprovide aplacewhere you can find Chinese food, bubble tea and shop at an Asian supermarket. To get toChinatown from College, most students typically take the Red line and stop at Cermak‐Chinatown.

Chinatown is split into “Old” and “New” Chinatown. When Singaporeans speak of OldChinatown, they are referring to a stretch ofWentworth Avenue, which is an older and theoriginalpartofChicago’sChinatown.ThereisawidevarietyofshopstherethatsellallkindsofChinese products, from trinkets to baked goods. Generally, in Old Chinatown, the shops areolderandwhatsomemightregardas“moreauthentic”.NewChinatownisbasicallyamallalongArcher Avenue, a block away fromOld Chinatown. This is wheremost of the restaurants inChinatown are and you will be spoilt for choice. There is a variety of cuisine from variousChinese regions, a variety of settings from traditional Chinese to modern and somehow, allaroundthesameprice.


It is important toknow that theareaaroundChinatown isnot consideredsafe, sowhile it isinterestingtoexploreChinatownonfoot,trynottostraytoofarawayfromthemainChinatownstrip.

Argyle Sticking to theAsian theme, there is a smallAsiandistrict locateduptownaround theArgyle

stationontheRedLineandthisareaisoftenreferredtoas“LittleVietnam”foritsconcentrationofVietnameseeateries.Besideeateries,thereisalsoanAsiansupermarketthatstocksallthingsSouthEastAsianincludingfreshfishanddurians.

WhilethedistrictisnotasbustlingasChinatownandactuallylooksrun‐downandseedy,itisstillworthvisiting.Generally,areasnorthoftheLooparesaferthanareassouth,andArgyleisnoexception.YoucanwalkaroundArgylefeelingrelativelysafe.

For Singaporeans, the draws here would undoubtedly be the eateries. One of the betterVietnamesejointsisPhoXeTang(orjustcalledTankRestaurant).Thefoodistastyandcomesinlargeportions,atpricesthatcannotbefoundelsewhereinChicago.Theirphoisreallygood.SunWahBBQspecializesinroastmeatsandisworthtryingoutaswell.Theyarewellknownfortheirroastduckbuthaveothergoodmeatsaswell.ThereisalsoalargeAsiansupermarket2blockssouthofArgyle,alongBroadwaySt.ItisVietnameserunbuthasallthingsAsian.Thisisa goodplace to get awhole rangeofAsian goods, including some things fromSingapore likeYeo’sdrinks.

LincolnPark OneofthemoreaffluentneighborhoodsinChicago,LincolnParkhasawiderangeofoptionsfor

visitors, even if you are on a budget. Lincoln Park is situated directly north of Downtown,borderedontheeastbyLakeMichigan.Fromcollege,thebestwaytogetthereisviatheRedLine.LincolnParkZooisthemainzooinChicagoandoneofitsmaintouristattractions.WhileSingaporeansmightcompareitunfavorablywiththeSingaporeZoo,thezooinLincolnParkisconsidered one of the best in America and, best of all, it’s free. One can also visit theNorthAvenueBeachfromlate‐springtoearly‐fall.ItisoneofChicago’smainbeachesandcanbesaidtobethebeachvolleyballcapitaloftheMidwest.

Steppenwolf Theater and Second City, among others, are some theaters that are located inLincolnPark.Theyputonhigh‐quality,world‐classproductions,andareworthcheckingout.Asmentioned earlier, the UChicago Arts Pass can be used at some of the theaters to obtaindiscounts. It is no accident that two of the best restaurants in Chicago are found in itsmostfashionable district. Alinea and Charlie Trotters can be found near Steppenwolf Theater andserve expensive but impressively executed food. The two restaurants are definitely worth avisitinyourtimeinChicago.

Iffurthereducationismoreyourthing,theGooseIslandBrewPuboffersanMBA,orMastersofBeerAppreciation.LiketheUofC,youneedtofinish42credits(orbeers)tograduateandyouwillbegivenacertificateandhaveyournameonaplaqueonthewall.Besidesaneducation,Goose Island,oneofChicago’sbetterbreweries, also servesgood foodand is agoodplace toheadtofordinnerbeforeaplayatSteppenwolf.

Boystown BoystownandtheareaarounditisoneofthebestplacestogotoexperienceChicago'snightlife.

NotonlyisitsafebutthisareahasmanyofChicago'sbetterbarsandrestaurants.ThisareaiscalledBoystownbecauseit isthehomeoftheGLBTQcommunityinChicagoandisoneofthelargestGBLTQcommunities in theUnitedStates.Wrigleyfield, thehomeof theChicagoWhiteSox,isalsointhisdistrict.


Honestly, one cannot go wrong with most of the bars or restaurants in the area. The barsgenerally have a more laid back atmosphere than the more up‐market and classy barsdowntown,andthoseinBoystownaremoreplayfulandinteresting.Theareadoesnothaveanylargebrandnamestoresbuthasmanysmallershopssellingclothesandaccessories.

BeingthehomeoftheGLBTQcommunityinChicago,therearesomeeventsinBoystownthatcannotbemissed.OnehappenseveryyearinHalloweenandistheHalloweenparade.PeoplefromalloverChicagogotothearea intheircostumestoeitherparticipate inortowatchtheparade.Theatmosphereisrelaxedandfriendly,withnooneobjectingtophotosbeingtakenofthemselves.There isalsoa largepridefestival the lastweekendof June. It isalwayscrowdedandlivelybutalsogood‐naturedandalittlerisqué.DefinitelynotaneventtobringyourvisitingparentstoinChicagobutonetoseewithfriendsjustfortheexperience.


(i)AdministrationCMore(http://cmore.uchicago.edu) Effectively the university's 'admin' portal, where you can update important personal

information,viewcurrentcourseschedule, accessyouracademichistory,andsoon. (CNetIDloginrequired)

OfficeoftheRegistrar(http://registrar.uchicago.edu/main/index.shtml) Theplacetogoforanysortofacademicinformation.Somenotablesitesinclude:

o TimeSchedules(http://timeschedules.uchicago.edu/)1. Thecompletetimetablesofthecurrent,nextandpastacademicquarters,sortedby

department.2. EffectivelyyourpersonalhomepageduringWeek8ofeveryquarter,whenyoustart

choosingyournextbunchofclasses.o AcademicCalendar(http://academic‐calendar.uchicago.edu/)

1. This page lists important dates such as start / end of quarter, as well as anyupcomingholidays.

2. Absolutelyessentialforplanningflights/vacationsoutoftown.o FinalExams(http://registrar.uchicago.edu/courses/final‐exams.shtml

1. Here you can find the date and location of every final exam in the College; thepublishing of the current quarter's schedule heralds the approach of the dreadedFinalsWeek.

(ii)AcademicsChalk(http://chalk.uchicago.edu) Chalkistheportalwhereyoucanaccessassignments/readings/discussionboardsthatyour

professors have uploaded. Quite probably the most visited university webpage during theschoolterm,andjustifiablyso.(CNetIDloginrequired)

CollegeCatalog(http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/) HereyoucanfindthedetailedGeneralEducationcurriculum,aswellassyllabiforeverysingle

major / department in the College (all in PDF format). Especially crucial for navigating themazeofrequirementsthatdefinetheCoreCurriculum.

UniversityLibrarywebsite(http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/index.html) A central portal for all the University libraries, from the imposing Regenstein (undoubtedly,

everyone'sfavorite...right?)toinfamousCrerar(theSciencelibrary). Containslinkstoallinformationyoumighteverneedtoknow,especiallythedetailedopening

hoursofeachlibrary(andinsomecasesthecafe!),whichareupdatedonaweeklybasis.(iii)Buying/RentingUChicagoMarketplace(http://marketplace.uchicago.edu/) The Craigslist of theUniversity,Marketplace contains classified ads offering almost anything

RESOURCES


underthesun,rangingfromusedbookstofurnituretobicycles. Also auseful place toput itemsup for sale. Thiswebsite comes inparticularlyhandy if you

choosetomoveoutofcampushousingafterfirstyear,inwhichcaseyouwouldprobablyneedtobuyatonofrandomhouseholdappliances.

UChicagoApartments(http://www.uchicagoapartments.com/) Whether you're looking for an apartment / room, or for people to stay in your place over

summer, this is the second‐best place to start looking (the first being, obviously, the SAMSUListhost).

Thesearchfunctioncanbecustomizedtonarrowdownthelistingsbasedonprice,amenities,etc,andthereisalsoapageforrenterscontainingdetailedlinkstomanyusefulwebsites(e.g.utilitycompanies).

(iv) OverseasSingaporeanUnit(OSU)TheOverseasSingaporeanUnit(OSU), in thePrimeMinister’sOffice,was set up to coordinateeffortstoconnectOverseasSingaporeansbacktoSingaporeandwitheachother.SomeofOSU’skeyinitiativesinclude:

DistinguishedBusinessLeader Series – high‐profileengagementsessionsthatfeatureleadingbusinesspersonalities.ThisistoenableOverseasSingaporeanstostayabreastofdevelopmentsinthe various sectors of the Singapore economy.TheDBLserieswouldbeofparticularinteresttothose wishing to find out more about job andbusiness opportunities in Singapore and theregion.

PhilipJeyaratnam,SeniorCounselandPresidentoftheLawSocietyofSingapore

SGBuzz–aninformaleventwhereSingaporeluminariesfromdiversebackgroundssuchasthearts,medicineandculinaryworldsharewithOverseasSingaporeansthedevelopmentsbackinSingapore.

SgDay2011inShanghaiwith6,000attendees

SingaporeDay – an annual signature one‐day event thatengages Overseas Singaporeans through food,performancesanddynamicshowcases,heldinamajorcityeveryyearsince2007.PreviousSingaporeDayswereheldinNewYork,Melbourne,LondonandShanghai.

OverseasSingaporean (OS)Club –OSClubmembership card connects youwith Singapore‐owned/Singapore‐managedbusinesses,allowingyoumemberprivilegesanddiscountsonF&Bandlifestylearoundtheworld.


OS Funding and theOS‐Young ChangeMakers (OS‐YCM)Grant – funding mechanisms toprovideseedfundingtotheOSCommunitytoorganiseactivitiesthatbringSingaporeansclosertogetherandconnectthembacktoSingapore.TheOS‐YCMGrant,inparticular,isadministeredby theNational Youth Council and provides funding for projects initiated by youngOverseasSingaporeansthatbenefittheircommunities(OSandothers)inthehostcountry.

OverseasSingaporeanLiaison–anOSUofficer,MrJasonLeong, isstationedinNewYorktoimplementOSU’sprogrammesandserveasakeypointofcontactforSingaporeans.JasoncoversNorthAmericaandcanbecontactedatjason_leong@nptd.gov.sg

(v)OthersCareerAdvising&PlanningServices(CAPS)(https://caps.uchicago.edu/) WhiletargetedprimarilyatUSstudents(unlessyou're intendingtopursueyourcareerinthe

States), CAPS is a convenient place to begin your search for any sort of internship(https://caps.uchicago.edu/undergrads/internships/).

The site (https://caps.uchicago.edu/resourcecenter/internationalstudents.html) providesinformation specifically for international students, such as any special considerations to takenoteofforyourvisatype(F1,J1,etc).

OfficeofInternationalAffairs(OIA)(https://internationalaffairs.uchicago.edu/) Thiswebsiteprovidesinformationpertainingspecificallytointernationalstudents(duh).Most

importantly, it contains a detailed breakdown of the visa application process(https://internationalaffairs.uchicago.edu/students/admitted/), aswell as how tomaintain itwhile you're a student here (https://internationalaffairs.uchicago.edu/students/current_students/f1/index.shtml),e.g.whenandhowtogetanewsignatureonyourI‐20formtomakesureit'suptodate.

Sign up at Overseas Singaporean Portal!

– a one‐stop platform for Overseas Singaporeans

(www.overseassingaporean.sg) to get relevant

information about living abroad and news updates

from home.

Join us on Facebook to get bite‐sized updates

on home news, events in and outside Singapore,

participate in wall discussions on current issues,