<p>Hi, I'm from Singapore, and I will be studying at UW (Seattle) this coming fall.</p>
<p>(a) I would like to know more about college life in the USA.
(b) I would also like to know the "dress code" in Seattle, so that I can prepare my clothing (heard it's cloudy/wet for most of the days).
(c) Are the things there affordable (food, transportation, clothing, electronic devices, general cost of living, etc.), if they are, it'll be much easier for me to buy things when i reach there rather than bringing from home.
(d) Which bank is best for me, i'm looking at the Big 4 (Citibank, Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo) as well as the US Bank. They all have atms/banks located either within or near my campus. Are there any more recommendable banks that I can consider too?
(e) Lastly, is living off-campus or on-campus a better option for me (fyi, i'm 21 years old)? Where is accommodation on-campus found?</p>
<p>b) No dress code here. Wear whatever you want and whatever is comfortable for you in a particular weather. It’s cloudy most days, but it isn’t wet very often. 70% of rain is shower, not the actual rain. Just get something with a hood. No need for an umbrella.
c) Depends on your definition of “affordable”. But it certainly will be easier for you just to buy everything here. Clothes are very affordable.
d) We don’t really have Citi here. Go with any of them - big banks are all the same. However, US Bank is right on campus.</p>
<p>I’ll try to post a more thorough answer later, but really quick on rain gear - mostly it’s somewhat of a drizzle. You’ll also learn that there are a ton of ways we describe precipitation! </p>
<p>Anyway, you should look into something like a windbreaker or ‘shell’ which is a very thin, waterproof jacket. You can still wear nice clothes if you’re one of the more fashionable type, a simple, thin shell over, and then just take that off when you’re indoors. Wool and leather jacket as your primary overcoat is not optimal. </p>
<p>You can look for one of those jackets when you fly into the area. Check out sales and clearances for really brands like REI, Marmot, and Northface. They tend to run on the more expensive side, but are very comfortable and durable.</p>
<p>I’ve only used an umbrella when I had really short hair and was trying to figure out what coat with a hood to invest with - I had to keep my hair nicely styled with wax when it rained! :)</p>
<p>Source: (Western) Washingtonian for 21 years.</p>
<p>Thanks guys! I’ve got a general clue of what I was looking for. Hope everything goes well during my years there! </p>
<p>Any tips that I should know to excel during Uni? (i’m taking a pre-major in social science, planning on taking economics in future) </p>
<p>And what are my chances of doing a double degree? (in the field of business/accounting/banking/finance on top of economics.) I understand that i’ll have to complete a minimum of 225 credits at the end of it all. But what are the constraints of declaring a double degree? (Is it given to a small percentage of students with exceptionally well results or can anyone that fulfills the minimum credits be entitled to do so?) When do I declare a double degree? According to UW: “To earn two UW degrees, simultaneous or sequential, a student must complete at least 90 UW credits as a matriculated student.” what does this mean?</p>