#DearWorld,
Congratulations to those who chose the University of Denver! As an international student ambassador here at DU, I’m so excited for you all to come to our wonderful campus from all over the world. I believe you will have a great time here. Many of you may wonder what should bring to the States, especially what kind of technology you may need for school. I am a first-year student, so I went through the same situation just a few months ago. I figured it out and I can’t wait to share my findings with you. These are the things that you may need:
Laptop
Laptops are required for DU students. Before you start college, remember to bring your laptop or buy a new one in the States. It doesn’t have to be too fancy, but it should run the browser and basic Office apps. Here is a link to the Laptop requirements from the university: https://www.du.edu/it/support/how-to/students/laptops
Both Mac and Windows are fine. As a student at Daniel’s College of Business, my professor recommended that we get a Windows computer because some applications are a little bit different on a Mac and some software may not be applicable to the MacOS system. However, if you chose a Mac, you can go to the technology center at DU to get a free installation of the VMware, which is a software that can virtually run Windows on your computer.
All the students can get the Microsoft Office 2016 for Windows and Mac installed for free, please visit go.du.edu/office365,
Charger
In China -my home country- our outlets are different than the ones in the U.S. I wasn’t able to charge my laptop and phone upon arrival at the states.
Outlets in the United States
Many of you may face the same problem depending on where you are from. No worries! All you need is a plug-in adapter. Don’t forget to bring it from your home country in case you need to charge your device along the way. After arriving on campus, you can purchase the American standard charger/power adapter at the DU bookstore or online at:
https://www.bkstr.com/denverstore/shop/cables-and-connectors
The standard voltage is 120 V and the frequency is 60 Hz in the United States. You can use your electric appliances here in the US if the standard voltage in your country is in between 110 – 127 V.
Voltage comparison in the world
Phone
How are you going to use your phone in the United States? Most of the international students here at DU get their American Sim cards after arriving in the US. All you need to do is to find a good phone service provider. Go there and look for a plan that suits you. Here are some of my suggestions:
Good phone service providers: At&t international student plan https://www.att.com/offers/discount-program/international-students.html
Verizon international student program
https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/international-student/
Besides the things I mentioned above, there are so many more IT resources you can find at DU you can find them at: https://www.du.edu/it/contact
If you have more questions, go to this website and look it up at: https://univofdenver.service-now.com/sp/
These are the basic technology items that you will need. There are so many more tech items you may have questions about bringing. Please comment below what you want to hear from us! Hope to see you at DU!
Sincerely,
International Student
Author: Chris Chen from China
#DearWorld is a blog series that our international student ambassadors at the University of Denver share their experience, tips, and advice to other students at DU and around the world.
Learn more about other international student experiences at the University of Denver:
THE WORLD ON ONE CAMPUS 