Tips for life and work at the University of Idaho

Below is a list of tasks and activities that will help keep your time in grad school on track, and operating smoothly.

Preparing for your grad school at UI

• Be sure to complete ongoing tasks in the Status Portal and save your acceptance letter.
• Complete mandatory trainings on Canvas (TA/RA, Defensive Driving, Lab Safety, Safety Matters, etc.).
  • You should be automatically enrolled, however contact Renee Jensen-Hasfurther in the Department front office or COGS if there are any concerns.
• Graduate students should register for 12 or more credits total, each semester. A minimum of 9 credits each term is necessary to maintain full-time student status, which is key for RA and TA appointments and visa requirements for international students.
  • Work with Tim to build a class schedule/outline.
  • Fall term registration opens in April, see schedule. Registration for classes is through Banner.
  • Keep in mind different classes are worth different amounts of credits and certain courses are necessary for your degree.
  • Remember to contact Renee for permission to adjust credits for your GEOL 500 or 600 Research course with Tim to fulfill remaining credit requirements.
  • A good place to start is with research credits and Geosystems (GEOL 510), which is a broad course aimed at writing NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Prougram (GRFP) grant proposals.
• Once you know your arrival date (in the US if coming from another country or when your contract begins, send an email to health@uidaho.edu to request that your Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP) insurance is activated for the day that you arrive in the United States.
• Before arriving, request your VandalCard/student ID card here. It may take a few days to process. Be sure you have a clear headshot on a blank background.

International students have additional requirements, prior to arrival. Click here for further instructions.

Preparing for life in Moscow

Moscow is an awesome place to live. Below are a few tips for getting your life sorted out in preparation for your arrival.

• Finding housing is achievable, but can sometimes be a challenge. There are on campus and off campus options. Be sure to start your search well in advance, off campus leases are often signed in the spring/early summer for the following fall. Also make sure the move-in date aligns with the start of your assistantship. If you are an international student, management companies may have issues with your application without a credit score & Social Security Number (SSN) or if you are not able to commit in-person, in Moscow. Ensure they are aware of your assistantship with UIdaho, it may be useful to provide your department offer letter as proof of employment and salary. You can also get in touch with current students in the lab/department, who will be happy to give advice or try connect you with potential roommates. For reference, rent for off-campus 1bdrm apartments are often between $500-800/month and 2bdrms are often between $900-1200 (though split between roommates).
• There are various banking branches in Moscow. It is best to open an account before your assistantship begins and transfer enough funds for at least 1 month of living costs and any initial eduation fees in case there is delay with payroll. Keep in mind, bank drafts from international banks may take over a week to process whereas US cash can be deposited immediately. If you are an international student, some branches will require an active Social Security Number in order to open an account, which will not be processed until a few weeks after you arrive in the US. Others (like the Latah Credit Union) may be able to use identification and an address from your home country (ie. SIN from Canada) until you fully move. Whem openning an account, bring your ID (passport or drivers license), visa (if international), and proof of address (ie. lease, bill, ID).
  • Taxes are a fact of life in the US. They are typically due in the spring of each year. For more on taxes, see here.
• Mobile phone plans are offered by various companies in town, such as, AT&T, Verison, and TMobile. Social Security numbers are required to start a long term month-month plan or to add a new cell-phone payment plan. Pre-paid options (available at Target or Walmart) are often the best way to start for international students, remember activation of an american number will be necessary.
• For home internet, Spectrum and Ziply are the two predominant providers in Moscow. They are comparable in price and plans. Ziply will need to check you are located within their service area and then install the modem for you. If internet is not already available at your rental, installation could require adding holes in your walls, which will require a written letter of approval from your landlord/management company. Spectrum can be initiated over the phone and they will send a self-installation kit to your home the following day (if you have issues they will help, but it is easy to activate and only plugs into the cable connection). You can also set up internet plans with cell-phone providers, however, this will require an active Social Security Number (which may take a long time to process).
• Moscow is a very walkable town and many people also love to commute by bike. There is a bike shop downtown selling second-hand bikes. A car may be necessary if you are looking to adventure outside of Moscow, however there are active bus routes to surrounding areas. If you are an international student who wants to drive, you will need to apply for an Idaho driver’s licence within 1 year which could require an additional test (theory and road test). It is also suggested to get an International Driving Permit from your home country before you arrive. The Idaho transportation department website gives a good overview of things to think about and the local DMV is a great resource for any additional questions.
• If flying to Moscow, the Moscow/Pullman airport is very easy and close, but has a relatively limited set of flights which may be expensive. UI will run buses to pick-up students for the start of the semester. Other good options are flying to Spokane, WA, or Lewiston, ID. Spokane has a broad arrange of arrivals and departures from around the US. Buses are available to Moscow, though feel free to get in touch if you need a pick-up.
• As a general rule, get in touch with Tim and/or other students at the lab, everyone will be more than happy to help!

After Arriving to the University of Idaho

All new students:

• Pick up your VandalCard. You should get a notification telling you it is ready for pick-up. If you have questions or do not recieve a notification for pick-up, visit the Teaching and Learning Center Room #128 or reach out to the other grad students/Renee for help.
• Visit Renee Jensen-Hasfurther to get your VandalCard set up for entry after-hours to McClure and a key to your lab office.
• Then, visit the HR office (415 W 6th St, Moscow, ID 83844) to complete your I-9 check-in and iniate your employment. Remember to bring your offer letter, passport/ID, VandalCard, I-20/Visa Docs (if international)!
• You will also be notified to complete various online tax forms for your employment. If you are an international student these can be updated with an SSN once that process is complete.
• Once you have access to the employee section of the MyUI dashboard, add your direct deposit information for payroll. Don’t hesitate to ask Renee if you have problems with this step. Keep in mind payments are held for 2 weeks before deposited into your account.

International students:

• After entering the US, download your I-94 from this website.
• Complete your immigration check-in on iVandal
• Before you start, send Renee a Department Offer Letter template for the Social Security Number Application found as “Letter Template for Social Security Number Process for Internationa Students” under “Recruitment Letter Templates” in HR forms. Pick up the signed document from her office once complete.
• Visit the International Programs Office (Living Learning Community Building #3) with your new department employment offer, passport, I-94, Vandal #, and any other supporting documentation for an new copy of your active I-20 and to get a stamp on your offer letter (this could take weeks). You may need to make an appointment, try visiting their advising tab.
• Once you have the following documents: stamped employment offer, I-94, I-20/Visa, and Passport - submit an application for a Social Security Number using this request form. You can then visit the security administation office in Lewiston (1617 19th Ave, Lewiston, ID 83501) to complete the process. The IPO also has an official visit campus during the beginning of fall semester.
• As you travel in and out of the US, your I-20 becomes an essential travel document. Make sure you always have an up-to-date physical copy with you.
• If you have questions, concerns, or at just generally stressed out during the process, contact Tim, the graduate admissions office or the International Programs Office. All will be more than happy to provide support.

Fun tips for settling into Moscow

• There are various grocery stores in Moscow and Pullman. WinCo is open 24/7 and often offers the most extensive selection at the best price.
• Moscow mountain is a gorgeous area ~15 minute drive out of town for trail running, hiking, and mountain biking.

In April of your first year

• Form a committee to help guide you through your graduate career.
  • For Ph.D. students, the committee will also supervise/contribute to your comprehensive exam.
  • Guidelines and forms for selecting a committee can be found here.
  • If your committee includes any non-UI researchers, they must additionally fill out this form.
• Create a graduate study plan and file it with the graduate school.

Prepare a dissertation/thesis proposal

• By the end of the first year for M.S. students, and by the end of the second year for Ph.D. students.
• The dissertation proposal lays out the complete scope of your Ph.D. or M.S., including each paper/chapter that you will write, describes the methods and analyses you’ll use to address these topics, and demonstrates that you have the skills to do the work or have a plan to develop those skills.
  • We expect that M.S. students will write and publish one paper by the time they graduate.
  • We expect that Ph.D. student will write and publish at least three papers.
• The goal of the dissertation proposal is to demonstrate that you have the scholarly sophistication to do Ph.D. level work.
  • One of the best ways to do this is to have already made significant progress towards your Ph.D. (ideally with a manuscript already complete and submitted to a journal).
  • One of the challenges of preparing a dissertation or thesis proposal is identifying and defining an appropriate scope. Students commonly will attempt to do too much. Prove that you have a sophisticated understanding of the scientific process by proposing work that advances your field and addresses a need for scholarship, but has well-defined boundaries.
• Approximately 1-2 weeks after turning the final version of your proposal to your committee, present this proposal orally to the committee and to the public.
  • The purpose of the oral presentation is to demonstrate your growth and development as an independent scientist, convince your committee and the attending public that you have the capacity to do the work you’ve proposed, and that you’re engaging in the advancement of your discipline.
  • After the oral presentation, you will have a meeting just with your committee to defend your proposal, and discuss the scope and your preparation for the work.

For Ph.D. students, by the end of the second year

• Prepare to take your comprehensive exam.
• Prepare for your dissertation proposal.

Before the end of each year in graduate school

• Hold a committee meeting, to update your committee on your progress, seek feedback on your work to date, and engage your committee in your entire professional development/trajectory.

Graduating

• Apply to graduate.
• Format your thesis carefully.

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Income Taxes

You will be paying both state and federal taxes on your US-based TA and/or RA income. As an international student, you are considered a non-resident for tax purposes. Typically, the university will withhold a percentage of your stipend each pay period which goes towards paying your taxes at the end of the tax year. This withholding is just an estimation, though, and sometimes you will need to pay more on top of that or receive a tax return if too much was withheld. Additionally, depending on the country you come from, you may have specific tax treaties that modify the amount of taxs that you have to pay and your withholding settings. The University of Idaho offers a free subscription to a tax software (SprinTax, similar to TurboTax but for international people). While neither your supervisor, HR, the department administrator, nor this website can legally give you any tax-related advice, the University of Idaho’s School of Law holds a yearly Tax Clinic for international students. Once you are settled in, it is highly recommended that you do the following well in advance before taxes are due (usually mid-April of the next year):

• Check the dates of –and attend– the Tax Clinic (usually held a few months before taxes are due, ask IPO if you can’t find info about this free clinic);
• Check your W-4, i.e. your Withholding Certificate, to ensure that the right amount of money is being withheld from your stipend each month. Use any online tax extimator to estimate how much that will be on your first year, then use your first tax returns info to refine that for all next years. NOTA BENE: tax withholdings do not influence how much tax you owe, it simply allows you to avoid owing thousands of dollars all at once at the end of the year.

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Preparing to join the lab as an international student

While living/studying/working in Moscow is likely to be great experience, moving to the US can be pretty daunting. Below is a list with tips for international students to navigate the visa process, and to getting set up in Idaho. Do be aware that this list is non-comprehensive. The steps may change, and there might be extra (or less) steps depending on your country of origin.

• Make sure you save your letters of acceptance, these are also available later in your status portal.
• If you are going to be working as a graduate and/or teaching assistant, you will get an official offer letter from the Department of Geology. This too is important so make sure you save it as well.
• Graduate admissions will get in touch with you about issuing an I-20. Follow their instructions as quickly as possible.
• Once your I-20/equivalent has been issued, visit the SEVP website and pay the I-901 SEVIS fee (even Canadians who do not have Visas). Remember to copy the record number and print off the proof of payment for when you cross the border and apply for your Visa. Also fill in the DS-160 form online. Make sure you select your country of permanent residence, and not simply the consulate closest to you or wherever you might be studying at the moment.
• Begin your pre-arrival checklist on iVandal. You can submit your passport, visa, emergency contact info, address, etc. before arriving in the US. If you are Canadian, you do not complete the following steps:
• At the end of the DS-160 process, you can go straight to scheduling an appointment for a visa interview at your country’s US consulate. Once again, do this as soon as possible (depending on the consulate, there can be long waiting times.
• Before your appointment, print out all your documents in color. Your consulate will most likely send you a checklist; your passport, I-20, DS-160 confirmation page and 901-sevis fee receipt will definitely be needed. You will probably also need to bring printed ID-photos in a specific US format. Make sure to visit a photographer well in advance and tell them to use the US template.
• Make sure you get to your appointment well before the scheduled time, and be prepared to spend the rest of the day there. Most consulates won’t let you bring in electronics: they usually have a safe there for your phone but they don’t accept laptops, so leave it at home.
• Once issued, your visa allows you to enter the US one month before the date listed on your I-20 and offer letter. Make sure you arrive in the US before that date. However, you are only allowed to start working for the department after the listed date. This includes fieldwork unfortunately.
• Review the Visa requirements (ie. 9-credits, no off-campus employment, etc.) found at the bottom of this website

Before you enter the country as an international student, ensure you have all required documents. These include:

• Passport
• Signed I-20
• Proof of SEVIS payment
• Printed offer letter from UI department
• Proof of additional financials (if applicable for education costs)
• Proof of residence to home country and new address in Moscow (ie. lease) Please keep in mind your home country or program may have additional requirements. For example, if you are crossing from Canada with pets, plants, or personal belongings there are additional forms necessary. Feel free to reach out to current/previous students for questions about that process.