Soheils- best of luck at Harvard!
Dont hesitate to come back on CC to ask any questions of us while you are in college.
What are some things that you think an international student must know to live and thrive in the US?
If you’re going to Harvard, you can tell people that you think the “Great Satan” is Yale.
@menloparkmom thank you! I owe the posters of this forum a lot, since I got very valuable advice from them.
@Hunt nah. Yale is just a cute little Satanlet.
LOL re post 21!!
Soheils, I suggest you dont actually say that unless you know it will be received well…
On another subject entirely, are you aware you can cross register at MIT for some classes?
@menloparkmom haha, why would it be badly received?
Yes I am aware, but I was told that it is very hard to commute between the two, and not worth it for courses other than advanced level engineering ones. Is it really that bad?
As I have never been to either campus I cant say.
It looks like its short commute down Mass ave.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3662201,-71.1140461,15z
Or there is the Redlne trolley
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Harvard+University,+Cambridge,+MA+02138/Massachusetts+Institute+of+Technology,+77+Massachusetts+Avenue,+Cambridge,+MA+02139/@42.3685625,-71.1113425,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e377427d7f0199:0x5937c65cee2427f0!2m2!1d-71.1166601!2d42.3770029!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e370aaf51a6a87:0xd0e08ea5b308203c!2m2!1d-71.09416!2d42.360091!3e3
Surely someone with a bike can commute between both campuses.
At Stanford, which has a very spread out campus, all students move between classes on bikes.
@menloparkmom thanks. I guess I will have to see for myself!
Massachusetts is very big on our sports teams. You’ll see a ton of people wearing Patriots (football), Red Sox (baseball), Bruins (hockey), and/or Celtics (basketball) gear. I guess that’s a minor cultural point, but it might be good to know.
Public transportation in Boston and Cambridge is kind of awful and confusing. The MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) has come under a lot of fire because of how frequent delays are, especially in the winter. But you’ll likely end up taking it sooner rather than later, so I recommend always having a map on you.
I would also suggest keeping up with US politics, just because you’ll be starting school during a presidential election. People will be very opinionated, and it might help to know a bit about the candidates.
Good luck, and congrats on Harvard!
@SpringAwake15 thank you for responding. Your advice was very valuable.
Based on my research and what I have been told , Boston seems like a city that I can love.
It seems that I need to learn about your sports ! Of the sports you cited, I can only play/understand basketball, LOL.
Why is it confusing? Are the maps inaccurate? How is the subway system?
Our (non-governmental) media does a good job of keeping us informed about us politics. I am definitely happy that Massachusetts is a deeply blue state. But I have to learn more.
And thank you for the congratulations.
Any other tips?
Buy yourself a north face down jacket – you’ll need them on cold Boston mornings.
You will also need boots, gloves (and not flimsy ones either - real gloves, lined, preferably with some kind of waterproof outer layer), and probably a hat. We’re having an unusually warm December this year but that is emphatically Not Normal, and it is usually very cold in New England in the winter. I’m also a big fan of wool socks.
One important thing I would add is be aware of racial and religious sensitivities.
I’ve witnessed internationals, when among themselves and speaking in their own language, say things which would definitely be considered racist here. I understand there’s usually no malice intended, but they need to keep in mind that a wrong choice of words can easily land them in big trouble. I would recommend internationals apply this awareness of sensitivities even when using their native language which “none of the Americans will understand anyway”.
@Soheils, In all honesty, I couldn’t explain why the subway system in Boston is confusing – it’s just something I’ve heard from people from other cities (mainly New York, for some reason). That, and there are often weather-related delays in the winter, which can throw off the timing of the trains. If you can understand the maps, you should be fine 
@“aunt bea” is absolutely correct about cleanliness standards not being the same in every country. In the U.S. every citizen is expected to bathe at least every other day, and preferably every day, and use an unscented (or very mildly scented) anti-perspirant. There is no greater rudeness than to assault someone with really bad body odor and/or super-loud perfume. This isn’t a problem for most people, but when it’s a problem, it’s a problem.
Back when I was a student, about a dozen students threatened to quit their job because they were having to work near a really smelly student. So some staff member had to take her aside and explain to her about soap and water.
@menloparkmom @FireflyLights Thank you for that advice! I will definitely bring warm clothes, though I think I should mention that my home city of Mashhad is only 2-3 degrees warmer than Boston, but much much drier.
@Unaffiliated Thank you for the advice! That is actually one of my worries, since I do not know what Americans consider offensive. I would never be intentionally insensitive, but I do not want to unwittingly offend others. Can you give examples of such remarks?
@SpringAwake15 Thanks. I guess I have to see for myself!
@EarlVanDorn I do not think that hygiene would be a problem, at least for most Iranians I know.
This tends to be true at residential schools, but many schools serve mainly the local population who commutes from where they were living before they started university studies.
However, the academic calendars may not begin and end on the same day, and the final exam schedules may conflict. Check carefully if you cross-register.
One other thing to consider is housing during winter break if you do not intend to return home during winter break. Many universities close the dorms completely during winter break; Harvard allows only a limited number of students to stay in the dorms during that time (and students have to apply for that ahead of time).
In the US, everything is assumed to be legal unless there are explicit laws that state it’s illegal.
In many countries, nothing is consider legal unless there are explicit laws that state it’s legal.
@ucbalumnus Thanks, I will definitely think about my winter plans. I will most likely spend my freshman winter break in Iran though.
I will also be careful with MIT cross registration. I have heard that advisers often help with issues like this.
@GMTplus7 LOL, that’s good to know, thanks. In my country, everything is legal unless there are laws against it that the government actually cares enough about to enforce.