Dear new students:

Welcome to Carbondale and Southern Illinois. We are glad to be informed that you have been admitted by Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC) or Center of English as Second Language (CESL)of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC).

SIUC is located in Carbondale, a small town in countryside of Southern Illinois. Carbondale is recently named the best small-town in Illinois. It is widely know as a university town, which has very good condition in public security, a great ambiance for studying, worth-visiting scenery, and reasonable costs of living.

Once again, we --Thai students in Carbondale -- are glad to have you as a part of CESL and/or SIUC. The following information is necessary for you to know before you begin your journey.

1)   Documents that you need to have

1. I-20, passport with valid VISA (and airplane ticket).
2. Transcripts of your diploma or degree from Thailand, letters from bank to approve financial statement, course description for any class beyond high school level, and at least 3 letters of recommendation from instructors or employers for students who are aiming for any graduate program.
3. Health inspection report, Immunization report, and other health records, especially for allergic reactions to any medicines or foods, etc.

        Note:    All documents must be in English. You should have more than one copy of document in-group B.

2)   Information about Carbondale

1. Weather
   The weather in Southern Illinois is considered continental climate, which has characteristics of four seasons: winter from December to February. It is snow season; the temperature could be in the range of -15 C to 10 C. Generally, January is the coldest period in winter.
   
2. Food
   There are varieties of restaurants including Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, Italian, and American restaurants.    Unfortunately, There is no Thai restaurant in Carbondale. However, we can find most things for Thai cooking from the international grocery in this town. Thai cookbooks and Thai food recipes may be necessary in the case.
   
3. Housing
   Many Thai students prefer to live off campus rather than in the school dormitory. Private dorm such as Ambassador Hall or Forest Hall are suitable for those who first come to Carbondale. Both housing are relatively very close to campus and they also provide short-term leasing. However, students with transportation in the likes of car or bicycle will have more choices with mobile homes , houses and apartments around campus area. Still, a car is recommended due to, somewhat, cold temperatures in winter.
   
   Here are some Carbondale Housing websites :
   
   http://www.globalhousing.com (Ambassador Hall and Forest Hall)
   http://www.universityhall.net (University Hall)  
   http://www.dailyegyptian.com/dawghouse.html (some more)
   http://www.midwest.net/homerentals/
   
   
4. University Transportation
   SIUC has its own bus service, Saluki Express that can bring you to most places in Carbondale. SIUC students automatically pay for Saluki Express charge along with registration every semester and are able to use this service by showing their student IDs.
   CESL students need to pay for the service $40 per semester or $0.75 for regular fare.

        Here is the advice page for new students from International Student & Scholar

                http://www.siu.edu/~world/ori/newstu.htm

3)   Basic Preparation.

1. Clothes: Spring jackets, winter coats, sweaters, shirts, T-shirts shorts (for the heat in summer), suits or formal dresses (not required but useful to have some especially for graduate students).
2. Buy in US or bring from home: If you have decided to bring most clothes from home, please make sure that clothes are fit for washer-dryer. If not, they may be shrunk.
3. Season you arrive: Make sure you prepare clothes at least accordingly to the season you arrive.
4. Some students who are under medication should prepare their medicine before coming here.
5. Credit Card: If you can afford to have a major credit car, we suggest you to have one since credit card can be your financial record for several purposes in United States, It can be useful in unexpected events on emergency cases. However, you have to make sure that you will not sue it beyond your clearing ability.
6. Personal Stuff: favorite books, eye glasses, contact lenses, etc. may be personally useful for you here.

4)   Arrange the Journey
Make sure you contact TSA before you departure from Thailand. Our e-mail address is siuc_tsa@hotmail.com or you can also go to TSA home page and check for the member to get a phone list of all Thai student here in Carbondale.

5)   Could not hurt to know

1. CESL system. It could not hurt to know something about CESL where you are going to. CESL is an institution, which can enhance your English proficiency. It is considered the first step for international students who want to study at SIUC but do not have enough TOEFL score. Students who complete CESL program will be recommended for sufficient English proficiency to study in SIUC. CESL program is divided into 7 level: GE1, GE2, AE1, AE2, EAP1, EAP2, and GSE. New students have to take a placement test, which is one of the past TOEFL tests by ETS to decide what level they will be in.
   At the end of each course, students in AE2 and above will have a chance to take the test again to measure the improvement. Students who complete EAP2 will be recommended into undergraduate programs at SIUC while those who complete GSE will be able to waive TOEFL requirement of 550 bysome graduate schools of SIUC. The following list is the placement scale based on Toefl test provided by CESL.

   	GE1:    below 400 
   	GE2:    400-417 
   	AE1:    420-447 
   	AE2:    450-467 
   	EAP1:  470-487 
   	EAP2:  490-519 
   	GSE:    520 up 

   Note: Make sure that you are ready for the placement test to nicely start in CESL. The starting point is very crucial.

2. US holiday. Here are some of the important holidays in the United States.
   

   New Year’s Day	January 1
   Martin Luther King JR’s Birthday	The third Monday of January
   Valentine’s Day	February 14
   St. Patrick’s Day	March 17
   April Fool Day	April 1
   Good Friday	Friday before Easter
   Easter	A given Sunday either the end of March or the beginning of April.
   Memorial Day	May 30
   Independence Day	July 4
   Friendship Day	August 4
   Columbus Day	The second Monday of October
   Sweetest Day	October 14
   Halloween	October 31
   Thanksgiving	The last Thursday of November
   Christmas	December 25

   If you have any question or want further information about SIUC or TSA, please do not be hesitated to contact us

We wish you a safe and smooth trip, we are looking forward to seeing our new friend.

Thai Student Association.