Orientation

• Mailing Address
  
• Climate and Clothing
  
• Useful Items to Bring

Mailing Address

During orientation, you will be assigned a Mail Box Number where you may receive mail while at the University of St. Thomas. If you would like to send some of your belongings before you arrive, you may use the Office of International Student Services as a temporary address until you have your own.

Climate and Clothing

Minnesota has four distinct seasons, all of which require different types of clothing. Summer is typically a pleasant time of the year, although it can get as hot as 90° F (30°C) and humid. Fall days are cool and often rainy. Winter must be taken very seriously as the temperature can drop to –5° to –20° F (-20° to –30° C). After winter, the cool temperature of spring, 32° to 55° F (0° to 10° C), seem almost balmy.

Buying the appropriate clothing for all these temperatures may seem intimidating, but it is really not difficult. Students tend to dress informally but you will probably want to bring some dress clothes and/or ethnic dress for special occasions. Beyond these recommendations, reserve some money to buy clothes after you arrive in the United States. 

You may need to buy (all prices are in US dollars and are approximate):

a warm winter coat ($50.00-$100.00)	mittens ($10.00)
sturdy boots ($25.00-$75.00)	a hat ($10.00)
a scarf ($10.00)	sweaters ($20.00-$80.00)
long underwear ($15.00) for winter	turtlenecks ($10.00-$20.00)
some shorts ($10.00-$15.00)	T-shirts ($10.00) for summer

Useful Items to Bring

Current international students put together the following list of items that may be useful to you during your first few days here at St. Thomas. Some of these items can very easily be bought in the US, if you prefer.

bedding (pillow, bed sheets, pillowcases, blanket, comforter) about $50-$100	towels $7 each
small desk supplies (stationary, pen, address book)	alarm clock $10
bathroom slippers, bathrobe	language dictionaries
photographs of family, friends and/or pets	camera
personal supplies (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo etc., for the first few days)

We also encourage you to bring cassettes of traditional music, traditional costumes, photo albums, native recipes and/or special articles native to your country. There are occasions for you to share information about your culture, and it is helpful to have articles from your home to do so.