Stuff to do during the first days

Once you arrived there are many things you have to take care of before classes start. On this page, we try to list some of the things that you should do, and which will help you getting settled in. If something on this list does not appear clear right now, you can always ask somebody when you get here. Students of the previous year can give many additional and helpful tips. More hints can also be found on the website of the Office of International Education (OIE).

• Get a bank account. The easiest accessible banks are Wachovia across from the Student Center, and Bank of America on Peachtree Street (Bank of America tower, not far from the Bobby Dodd football stadium), Twelfth Street (closer from GLC and Tenth & Home apartments) and Howell Mill Rd. (only one open at Saturday, reachable by bus). Both banks have an automatic teller machine (ATM), the machine that gives you your money, in the Student Center, which is a big plus. See our banking section for more information.
• Go to the OIE located in the Savant Building (Suite 211) and introduce yourself (this is mandatory!): OIE Check-In. You'll get more useful information and have the chance to ask questions concerning Tech or anything. Take your I-20/DS-2019 and your I-94 with you since they want to have photocopies for their files in case of loss or an emergency.
• In case you have a hold on your registration because you have not taken the tuberculosis test, go to the Student Health Center (map) and take that test. It is free, and don't worry, it does not hurt. You may also have to show some proof that you have health insurance.
• If you have other holds, go to the Registrar's Office, located in the basement of the Tech Tower aka "Administration Building". They will tell you what to do about your holds or otherwise just take your hold off so that you can register.
• Maybe most important: Register! Registration happens online with the student web access system (also known as OSCAR) in the first few days of the semester. To enter the system, you have to enter your student identification number as login (you got that together with your admission or otherwise you can ask at the graduate admission office). As password you enter your birth date (Note the format: MMDDYY; M=month, D=Day, Y=year. So the 8th of July 1982 would be written as 070882). During registration, you choose the classes you want to attend during your first semester at Tech. So, some thought beforehand might be well spent. You might want to look at the course critiques from the years before.
• Go to the BuzzCard Center in the Student Center Commons (next to the Student Center) and get your student ID card. Sometimes, it is possible to get your student ID already before registration. Just try it!
• Go to the Office of Information Technology (OIT, Rich building) and get your computer account and your email address. Check if you college/faculty has its own addiotional IT Service and get a 2nd account there.
• Go to the Ticket office on the north side of the Bobby Dodd football stadium and get your set of vouchers for football tickets. Take care that you get Graduate vouchers and not Undergradute (only if appropriate)! You can get your vouchers from the first week of classes on. They are unlimited, so there is no need for a hurry. Football games are mostly on Thursdays or Saturdays. You can exchange your voucher for a ticket in the week of the game (i.e. at most 5 or 6 days beforehand). Because there are more student and vouchers than ticket, tickets are limited and you should pay attention to get to the ticket office right on Monday. You don't have to camp before the ticket office the night before it opens like some Undergraduates do because Graduates have better chances to get a ticket. As soon you have tickets, you should learn the Ramblin' Wreck song and the rules of the game as well as make plans for tailgaiting.
• In the first weeks, watch out for the Fall Break Trip to Washington, organized by the OIE which is highly recommendable.
• If you want to have look into GaTech's history and customs, have a look into the T-Book by the Ramblin Wreck Club.

While you do all this, keep on looking for a place to live (see Housing) and get familiar with everything Georgia Tech and Atlanta has to offer.