University of Wyoming
Fact Sheet
Fall 2015 – Spring 2016
Fall Semester:
Residence Halls Officially Open: Aug. 27, 2015**
Mandatory Orientation: August 27-28, 2015
Classes Begin: August 31, 2015
Thanksgiving Break: November 25-27, 2015
Last Day of Classes: December 11, 2015
Finals: December 14-18, 2015
Spring Semester:
Residence Halls Officially Open: Jan. 22, 2016**
Mandatory Orientation: January 21-22, 2016
Classes Begin: January 25, 2016
Spring Break: March 14-18, 2016
Last Day of Classes: May 6, 2016
Finals: May 9-13, 2016
**This date indicates the official opening date of the residence halls/student apartments. Residence halls
will be open early for international students required to attend orientation. Early arrivals can check into the
residence halls/apartments prior to August 27, 2015 or January 22, 2016 (if you arrive in Laramie from
Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.). Otherwise you need to make other arrangements
for your overnight stay.
International Student Orientation is mandatory;
there is no fee, and no reservation is required.
International Programs Office • Dept. 3707 • 1000 E. University Avenue • Laramie, WY 82071
E-mail: studyabd@uwyo.edu • Telephone: (307) 766-3677 • Fax: (307) 766-3679
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Hello!
We look forward to welcoming you to our campus community! Wyoming is a state in the Rocky Mountain West. We
are well known for our wide-open spaces, wildlife, and recreational opportunities. Wyoming is home to numerous
national and state parks and forests: Yellowstone and Teton are the most famous:
 Yellowstone National Park http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm
 Grand Teton National Park http://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm
 The world’s largest hot spring is in Thermopolis http://thermopolis.com/attractions/hot-springs-state-park/
 Devils Tower (made famous in the Steven Spielberg movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”) is
in the northeast corner of the state, close to the Black Hills of South Dakota.
http://www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm
Wyoming has the lowest population of any state in the US and offers ample opportunities for downhill and crosscountry skiing, rock-climbing, mountain biking, and hiking. For state tourist information, please visit:
http://www.wyomingtourism.org
The Outdoor Adventure Program organizes inexpensive trips throughout both semesters. This same office also rents
out inexpensive gear, including bicycles, to students. Please visit their website at http://www.uwyo.edu/rec/outdoorprogram/index.html for more information. The International Programs Office (IPO) also organizes a fall trip to
Yellowstone and Teton National Parks. Not available through IPO during the spring as the Parks do not open until
May. An alternative trip to the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore and Devil’s Tower is offered during the spring.
Laramie has around 32,000 people. We are located in the southeast portion of the state at an altitude of 7,200 feet
(about 2.200 m) above sea level. The Snowy Range Mountain Ski Area and Medicine Bow National Forest are a 40minute drive to the west. Ft. Collins, CO is an hour and 15 minutes south. Denver, CO is 2.5 hours away. Steamboat
Ski area is 1.5 hours southwest of Laramie.
Finances
Totals program costs will depend on your exchange agreement rate and your room/board choice. In general, Laramie is
quite inexpensive. Students can shop at traditional American grocery stores or at the organic stores, downtown, 15minute walk. Stores downtown carry international foods, spices, and snacks, sushi-quality fish, wonderful loose-leaf
teas, and vegetarian items. In the fall, you can obtain fresh produce at the farmers market, held downtown, every
Friday afternoon.
Books will probably be your largest one-time expense after your arrival. The cost of books is a constant source of
complaint in the United States. Students in Business and the Sciences can, in general, expect to pay the most. You
should plan as much as $600.00 per semester to cover the cost of textbooks, though it may be less. Used or rented
books will be cheaper so the sooner you can reserve or purchase books, the better chance you will have of finding used
copies. Lists of required books can be found on the University Store website (http://www.uwyostore.com/). Many
students in the U.S. also use Amazon.com and Bookspicker.com to purchase books. You can buy the books when you
arrive, save the receipt, order on-line right away if you find cheaper items and, as long as you do so within 2 weeks of
purchase, receive a full refund for your purchased textbooks (as long as you have not removed the wrapper or dropped
them in a tub of water, of course!)
Students who wish to open a bank account can do so using the UniWyo Credit Union, located in McWhinnie Hall,
located next to the College of Education. Other banks throughout Laramie are also available for this service.
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Arrival and Survival Notes
The United States is not known for its public transportation, and Laramie is no exception. The university does offer the
Safe Ride service Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights, 9:00 pm-2:00 am. This service is free to all university students.
The campus shuttle bus service can be used to get you from one side of the campus to another, and is also free. The
free city bus has stops on campus and arrives approximately every 30 minutes. This bus service provides
transportation to several stops in town. If you choose to buy a car when you arrive, you will need to take a driving test
for a license, purchase insurance, and a parking permit in order to keep the car in any university parking lot.
Many students choose to purchase bicycles after their arrival. Laramie is small and bikes are an efficient, healthy, and
inexpensive way to get around town. It is also possible to rent a bicycle very cheaply from the UW Outdoor Program.
Remember that you are at 7,200 feet (2200m) above sea level. You should give yourself time to adjust to the altitude
before you begin strenuous exercise (in other words, there is a relative lack of oxygen!).
The air is Wyoming is quite dry. This dryness combined with the altitude may cause some discomfort – usually in the
form of dry skin and/or nosebleeds. The intensity of the sun at 7,200 feet burns the skin quickly. It is a good idea to
bring a hat for the sun and a hat for the cold! Our air is very clean and the night skies are great for stargazing! Nights
tend to be cool, even in summer, so be sure to bring a light jacket with you even for August arrivals. If you are
arriving in January, you must bring warm clothing! Our winters can be quite cold but are generally sunny. We
experience very few cloudy days: spring, summer, fall, or winter.
Things to Do
Our campus is relatively self-contained and easy to navigate once you are here. The Wyoming Union is in the center
and offers: televisions, computers with internet access, several restaurants, a convenience store, a game room, and the
University Store with books, clothing, supplies, and a Clinique counter.
Every Friday is International Coffee Hour. This is a wonderful way to meet other international students, and it’s free!
Though Laramie is a larger urban area for Wyoming, our town is quite small compared to the urban areas to which you
may be accustomed. People that live in Laramie enjoy the outdoor activities and open spaces that the area provides:
shopping and malls are not on the top of most “Laramites” list of fun things to do with free time and the town is
fashioned accordingly. We do not have a mall, and although our downtown area has great specialty stores, most
shopping is done online or in Colorado. Even Denver, the largest metropolitan center in the Rocky Mountain region,
can seem quite small and provincial for many incoming students. The open space in the Rocky Mountain West can be
a shock; we are quite accustomed to driving for 3-4 hours to get to an airport, shopping, or museums. Laramie,
however, is a quaint Western town with coffee shops, good independent bookstores, regional-food restaurants where
you can try good Mexican cuisine or bison burgers, and a farmers’ market that runs through October. Other Laramie
attractions are:
American Heritage Center (http://ahc.uwyo.edu/)
University Art Museum (http://www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum/)
Geology Museum (http://www.uwyo.edu/GeoMuseum/)
Rocky Mountain Herbarium (http://www.rmh.uwyo.edu/)
Planetarium (http://www.uwyo.edu/physics/_files/docs/planetarium.html)
Snowy Range (http://www.snowyrangeski.com/)
Vedauwoo - In addition to being a world class crack climbing site, Vedauwoo has wonderful hiking trails as well.
Vedauwoo is 20 minutes east of Laramie. (www.wyomingtourism.org)
For more information and photos, please visit the Laramie Chamber of Commerce (tourist information)
www.visitlaramie.org
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Despite geographical distance, our campus was recently judged one of the most “wired” campuses in the United States.
Large computer labs with printers are stationed all over campus: this includes the dormitories. All dormitory rooms are
wired for internet access. The campus organizes literally hundreds of events every week and the majority is provided
at no cost to students. Students can join the campus International Student’s Club, Anime (Japanese animation) club, a
Native American interest group, Ceramic Guild, or Swing Club (just to name a few!), watch new release, foreign, and
cult films for free, take part in casino nights or join a number of intramural sports teams. Our campus traditionally
hosts two film festivals per year: the Amnesty International Film Festival, and the Banff Mountain Film festival.
As a UW student, you have unrestricted access to our two campus gyms, Half Acre and Corbett
(http://www.uwyo.edu/rec/), and all sporting events.
Our student population is approximately 14,000 students.
In 2014, we had more than 850 international students from more than 40 different countries.
Most of our classes have low student/teacher ratios. Students have direct access to faculty.
Dining Out
Please remember that the legal drinking age in the United States is 21.
If you need a comfortable chair, coffee and a great sandwich or salad, walk across the street from the Classroom
Building to the Turtle Rock Café (named after one of the hikes at Vedauwoo).
Want great Mexican food? You can go downtown to El Conquistador or to Corona Village.
Want great homemade desserts and coffee? Go to Sweet Melissa’s or Jeffrey’s Bistro, downtown.
Both restaurants also offer fantastic vegetarian options!
Want to eat Sushi? Downtown Laramie has a wonderful Sushi restaurant called Mizu Sushi. They also serve great
Japanese cuisine. Or, try Niko Sushi and Steak, right across the street from the Residence Halls.
Need great pizza? Grand Avenue Pizza has traditional toppings and choices like Thai Pie, spicy chicken with cilantro,
green onions.
Want to buy boots and a cowboy hat? Head downtown to Martingales or the Boot Barn and you will find everything
you could possibly want.
Welcome to Wyoming!
Ruth Shepherd, International Coordinator
Sara Robinson, Study Abroad Advisor
Chaz Cook, Study Abroad Advisor
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