The International Student Handbook
Table of Contents
1. Banks and Opening a Bank Account ........................................................................................................ 2
2. Health Services & Emergency ................................................................................................................... 3
3. Public Transportation ................................................................................................................................ 4
4. Getting a Bike & Bike Laws....................................................................................................................... 5
5. Obtaining a California Driver’s License................................................................................................... 6
6. Getting a Phone? ......................................................................................................................................... 6
7. Markets, Groceries and Department Stores ............................................................................................. 6
8. Buying, Selling & Donation........................................................................................................................ 7
9. Academics .................................................................................................................................................... 7
10. Tutoring & Study Materials .................................................................................................................... 7
11. Study Spots ................................................................................................................................................ 8
12. Recreation and Activities ......................................................................................................................... 9
13. How to Get Involved in Davis ................................................................................................................ 10
14. Websites to Know .................................................................................................................................... 10
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1. Banks and Opening a Bank Account
You should open an account at a bank as soon as you
get to Davis. There are ATMs across campus, and it is
much safer and more convenient to deposit your money
in an account than to carry it around on your person.
After an account is opened, wire transfers can be made
and money will be available in after a few days, but wire transfers can become very expensive at most
American banks.
ATM Withdrawals and Money Exchange:
• Exchanging money can become very expensive with interest rates or fees. Our advice is to directly
withdraw money from any United States ATM as to avoid excessive fees.
• PLEASE talk first with your home bank about withdrawing from a foreign ATM to see if they allow
it and also to find out if your bank charges high fees for foreign ATM withdrawals.
• Let your bank know that you will be using your ATM card in the United States.
• Not all U.S. banks accept foreign ATM cards.
Opening a U.S. Checking and Savings Account:
• When living off-campus in apartments, it is usually required that you pay your manager with a
written check. If you prefer, you may still be able to open a U.S. account while still banking with
your home account. Here are a few examples of how you can choose to write a check to your
manager. For information on how to write a check: http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Check.
Situation 1: Opening and regularly using a U.S. Checking and Savings account.
1) Open a free student checking account with any of the banks listed below.
2) Transfer or deposit money in this account and use this account as your regular bank.
3) Write a check to your manager.
Pros: This way can be complicated with funds, but is easier overall to pay in California and you
won’t always have to carry around cash.
Cons: You will have to make sure you have enough money in your checking account to cover
your check, otherwise your check will bounce and you will have to pay a large fee!
Situation 2: Using a U.S. bank only for rent money.
1) Open a free student checking account with any of the banks listed below.
2) Transfer or deposit your rent money into the checking account.
3) Write a check to your manager.
4) Continue using your home bank for everyday use.
Pros: This way is easier to separate personal expenses from rent money.
Cons: Not all places may accept your foreign ATM card and you will probably have to carry
around large sums of money in cash form.
The banks in Davis have experience in working with international students, so the process is usually fairly
easy. International students will need their passport and a lease agreement or utility bill. Examples of bank
options in Davis are: Bank of America, U.S. Bank and below are two examples of some basic information
from Chase and Wells Fargo. A list of banks and in Davis and their hours are on the Davis Wiki page:
http://daviswiki.org.
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Chase
• In order to open a bank account at Chase, students will need their passport. They will also need an
address, which could be a lease agreement or their most recent utility bill. They could also use their
J-1, I-20 or visa paper.
• There are different types of bank accounts that students can open. The most commonly opened
account for students is the college account, which is for students ages 17-24. The college account is
completely free as long as there is no negative balance.
• Sometimes banks have beginning of the year promotions, like with Chase. They have promotions
such as free $25 gift cards for student when they open an account. All you have to do is ask about
the promotion when opening the account.
• Getting a credit card can be more difficult than opening a college account. In order to acquire a
credit card, the student must have a social security number.
Wells Fargo
• College Combo (checking and savings):
https://www.wellsfargo.com/assets/pdf/personal/checking/fees/college-combo-CA.pdf
• The minimum to open an account is $75. The monthly service fee is $3.
2. Health Services & Emergency
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Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) → As a UC Davis student, you are automatically
enrolled in the UC Davis Student Health Insurance Plan, or Davis SHIP.
o Already have an existing private health insurance plan? There is a Davis SHIP waiver form
online that you can submit before the waiver deadline. Students who have waived the Davis
SHIP are still eligible for services at the (SHCS) at lowered student rates.
The SHCS provides 3 types of services: Medical Services, Mental Health Services and Wellness
Services. You can find more about the Davis SHIP benefits and the available resources on this link:
http://shcs.ucdavis.edu/services/
Medical Services: All medical services (pharmacy, primary care, nutrition, optometry, meetings
with an advice nurse and specialty care) will be located at the Student Health and Wellness Center.
You can call the appointment desk located at the Student Health and Wellness Center or schedule an
appointment online on Health-e-messaging: https://webauth.shcs.ucdavis.edu/hem/
Mental Health Services: It is quite common for students to seek the benefits of UC Davis’s mental
health services. If you ever feel stressed and overwhelmed from anything, including things
university-related, or perhaps you just need someone to talk to, the Counseling and Psychological
Services (CAPS) is located in North Hall on campus. At CAPS, you can find individual counseling,
stress and wellness services that can help you relax, as well as group counseling that allows you to
meet with others who can relate to you. Individual counseling appointments may be scheduled by
telephone or through drop-in visits. If seeking a mental health professional outside of CAPS, an
appointment with a CAPS counselor must first be scheduled to obtain a Community Referral.
Note: Your information is never released without your consent.
CAPS also provides The House, a peer counseling center: http://caps.ucdavis.edu/thehouse/
Wellness Services: acupuncture, the mind spa, massage therapy, and Sexually Transmitted Infection
testing (STI)) are located at various locations on campus.
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Sutter Hospital → Your UC Davis SHIP insurance should cover an appointment at Sutter Hospital
if the Student Health and Wellness Center is not open:
http://www.sutterdavis.org/about/directions.html.
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CVS/Pharmacy → Most people buy medicine, household items, toiletries and dry
foods here. There are two locations in Davis: 1550 East Covell Blvd. and 1471 West
Covell Blvd. that are open 24 hours a day.
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Rite-Aid → Like CVS, you can find here medicine, common household items,
toiletries and dry foods. There are two locations in Davis: 2135 Cowell Blvd.
and 655 Russell Blvd.
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Campus Violence Prevention Center → All services here are CONFIDENTIAL.
You may get assistance for housing, a restraining order or referrals to other resources:
http://cvpp.ucdavis.edu/services.
Student Disability Center (SDC) → If you need any accommodations at school such
as more time to take a test, a note taker for you or anything else, come schedule an
appointment with a specialist who can talk with you about your concerns. Here is a
link to SDC’s frequently asked questions: http://sdc.ucdavis.edu/app-q_a.html.
Numbers to Keep at All Times
• Davis Police Department → If you ever have to go to the police, it is located on the corner of 5th St
and Cantrill Dr, along the A line of Unitrans.
Business hours:
Monday-Friday
9:00am to 5:30pm
o Davis Emergency: (530) 758-3600 (from a cell phone)
o U.S. Emergency Number: dial 911 (from any phone)
o Non-Emergency: (530) 747-5400
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3. Public Transportation
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Unitrans → With your UC Davis Undergraduate Student ID, Unitrans can take you almost
anywhere in Davis: http://www.unitrans.com/.
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Yolobus → Public transportation is free with a UC Davis Undergraduate Student ID. The Yolobus
goes to West Sacramento, the Sacramento International Airport (SMF), and Woodland. The Yolobus
works late on weekends while Unitrans does not.
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Zimride → Want to go somewhere, but have no idea how to get there? Zimride allows you to
carpool with people from your local area heading in the same direction: http://www.zimride.com/.
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Amtrak → Take the train to another city or another state! (See
USA Rail Pass): http://www.amtrak.com/home.
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Bart → This is a convenient way to travel around the Bay area:
http://www.bart.gov/.
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UC Davis to UC Berkeley Shuttle → Reserve a seat for an
$11.00, one-way ticket that will arrive directly on the UC Berkeley
campus: http://fleet.ucdavis.edu/bus/schedule.
Tipsy Taxi → In need of a ride home Thursday, Friday or Saturday night? For $3 (or $2 for tickets
in advance) call anytime between 10:00pm and 2:00am at (530) 752-6666 or fill out an online ride
request form to make a pick-up reservation at: http://tipsytaxi.ucdavis.edu/.
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Davis Airporter → The Davis Airporter is a shuttle service that takes you to and from San
Francisco International Airport (SFO) or directly to the Sacramento International Airport (SMF).
You can either make a reservation by calling (530) 756-6715 or complete an online form at:
https://www.davisairporter.com/index2.html.
4. Getting a Bike & Bike Laws
New? Used? Rental? Which bike to buy?
A bike will get you to class and across Davis much faster than
driving or public transportation. If you are not sure which bike
you are looking for, this link:
http://daviswiki.org/Bicycle_Shops will explain the different
types of bikes. It also has a list of bike shops in Davis where
you can buy used or new bikes. You can also find a list of
places where you can rent a bike instead:
http://daviswiki.org/Renting_a_Bike.
Search for the Facebook group “Bikes For Sale” and you will find bikes within Davis. For online used and
new bikes some people use: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/.
Where to Get Your Bike Fixed
All across Davis, you will find self-service bicycle repair stations. Here is a list of them:
http://daviswiki.org/Bicycle_Repair_Stations. The Bike Garage http://bikebarn.ucdavis.edu/bike-garage has
free repair services for anyone with a valid UC Davis ID. The Bike Barn also provides repairs at low costs:
http://bikebarn.ucdavis.edu/bike-barn/repairs. They have the “Aggie Bike Buy,” so you can purchase your
bike before arriving in Davis! http://bikebarn.ucdavis.edu/news-and-events/aggie-bike-buy/1537.
Bike Laws
Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates has a detailed explanation of the bike laws: http://sacbike.org/forbike-riders/rules-of-the-road/.
Here are the hand signals you should know:
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5. Obtaining a California Driver’s License
After entry into California, you may decide that you want a driver’s license. You cannot drive in California
with an International Driving Permit and you must obtain a drivers license before operating any vehicle. To
acquire a California driver’s license, you must pass a written and driving exam at the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV). You may also go to the DMV for a California ID. The Davis DMV is located at the
intersection of 5th St & Pole Line Rd. The A, P, Q, or the O (on weekends) lines of the Unitrans will get you
there. Ask the DMV if or how long your foreign driver’s license will be valid for.
Davis DMV office contact information:
Address
Office Hours
505 Pole Line Road Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday:
Davis, 95616
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
(800) 777-0133
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/fo/offices/appl/fo_data_read.jsp?foNumb=598
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Here is a link concerning everything regarding your driver’s license and California ID, such as:
driving schools in California, DMV practice permit tests, replacing a lost or stolen driver’s license or
ID and applying for a new driver’s license: http://www.dmv.com/ca/california/all-about/driverslicense.
You may also purchase practice tests on the DMV website, but there are many free or inexpensive
phone or tablet applications that you can download.
Here is a link regarding different driver’s manuals, such as the California Driver’s License manual:
Driver’s handbooks: http://www.dmv.com/ca/california/resources/manuals-handbooks
California Driver’s handbook: http://www.dmv.org/ca-california/driver-handbook.php
For those of you who wish to own your own vehicle while living in Davis, you must first register
your vehicle’s VIN number with the DMV. It is state LAW to have auto insurance for all
vehicles. You can see different auto insurance quotes for the Davis area here:
http://www.dmv.com/auto-insurance-quotes.
6. Getting a Phone?
Having a phone number in Davis will be best through obtaining a cell phone. There
are the AT&T, Sprint and Verizon stores downtown and a T-Mobile store at the UCD
Bookstore in Memorial Union. You can find other retailers that sell phones on Davis
Wiki, such as The Used Phone Store on 2nd and B Street.
7. Markets, Groceries and Department Stores
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Whole Foods → Organic food, spices, and a coffee and food bar!
Trader Joe’s → Find prepared food as well as organic meat, vegetables,
fruits, eggs, coffee and teas.
Safeway → Fresh produce, meats, cheese and some household items.
Davis Food Co-op → Has organic, natural and local foods and goods.
Kim’s Market → You can find most of the ingredients and Asian dry foods.
Grocery Outlet → Here, many food items can be found at a lower price:
groceries, deli meats, frozen food, fresh meat and vegetables, they just might
have a sooner expiration date!
Target → Sells everything from food, furniture, appliances,
tableware, and clothes to pet supplies.
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International Market → Frozen Halal meat, spices and teas.
Dollar Tree → Everything here is $1. Sells household items,
cleaning supplies and snacks.
Ikea → located in West Sacramento, a 20 minute drive from Davis, where home furnishings can be
bought.
Farmer’s Market → Occurs on Wednesdays and Saturdays in downtown Davis and provides fresh
fruits, vegetables and meat from local farms.
UC Davis Meat Lab →
http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/facilities/MeatLab/Meat_Lab_Pamphlet.pdf
The Inconvenient Store → Craving Asian snacks and drinks?
https://www.facebook.com/TheInconvenientStore
The Pantry → If you are in need of financial assistance, the pantry has canned foods, pasta, and
personal items that are free, but in limited supply: http://thepantry.ucdavis.edu/.
L Street Furniture → This used furniture store can help you find any good, used furnishings at a
low price.
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8. Buying, Selling & Donation
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Davis Flea Market→ Occurring once a month, listen to live music, find handmade, unique items
from Davis locals, sign up to sell your own items or come buy other people’s goods! ($0-$40):
http://davisfleamarket.org/.
UC Davis Uloop→ buy and sell textbooks, find roommates or items for sale:
http://ucdavis.uloop.com/main/.
Yolo County SPCA Thrift Store → Utensils, household items, and other used items are found here.
Facebook Groups:
o “Textbook Exchange” → Buy, sell, or trade textbooks with other students on campus.
o “Free & For Sale” → See what others in Davis or selling.
o “Housing” → Find places to live, or roommates
9. Academics
Your major falls into 1 of the 4 colleges. Which College do you belong to?
Colleges
• College of Letters and Sciences – http://www.ls.ucdavis.edu/
• College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences – http://caes.ucdavis.edu/
• College of Biological Sciences – http://biosci.ucdavis.edu/index_js.html
• College of Engineering – http://engineering.ucdavis.edu/
Plagiarism
DO NOT PLAGIARIZE ANYTHING. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT PLAGIARISING, THE STUDENT
JUDICIAL AFFAIRS WILL EXPELL YOU AND YOU WILL BE DEPORTED. To learn more about
plagiarism, go to: http://sja.ucdavis.edu/files/plagiarism-001.html.
10. Tutoring & Study Materials
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Student Academic Success Center → Stop in for a same-day appointment and have someone edit
your writing for you. Make sure to sign up early in the morning because availability is limited. For
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drop-in tutoring, workshops for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Calculus, small group tutoring and
helpful writing & ESL resources, see the schedule of available classes: http://lsc.ucdavis.edu/.
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Classical Notes → Ask if the class you are currently enrolled in has a copy of the lecture notes.
Some professors allow paid note-takers to copy lecture notes and submit them to Classical Notes. It
may be helpful to compare your notes with someone else’s or just have a neater written copy. You
can search for class notes availability on this link: http://classicalnotes.ucdavis.edu/shop.
Need to improve your English skills?
• Partners in Acquiring Language (PAL) Program → This is one popular program offered to
students who are learning English at UC Davis. Students are paired with native English speakers for
an informal, 1-hour minimum weekly conversation. You and your partner can set up a meeting
anywhere in Davis. The form is provided in this link: http://linguistics.ucdavis.edu/eslinstruction/palprogram-intnl.
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International House Davis → Sign up for the Friendship Program and get partnered up with
someone. You will go on fun trips and attend special events where you will meet people. Take an
English Conversation/Writing Class (first class is free and there is a $20 whole-year membership fee
for students). Meet other international students at Club International and attend all the social
activities: http://www.internationalhousedavis.org/programs/.
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Davis Adult School → At the Davis Adult School, there are a range of interesting courses that can
help you improve your English skills. Check out their online catalogue to see what classes they offer,
and register online: http://www.djusd.k12.ca.us/AdultSchool/index.html.
11. Study Spots
On Campus
• The Shields Library → It has a 24 Hour Study Room, as well as many other places to study in.
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Study Lounges → Check out all the study lounges on campus listed here:
http://studentlife.ucdavis.edu/learn/places.html.
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The Silo → Eat and study! http://dining.ucdavis.edu/ret-silo.html.
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Student Community Center → Lots of space to study! On a
Nice day, the balcony upstairs is a nice spot:
http://cru.ucdavis.edu/content.cfm?contentID=336.
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Olson Hall → Studying and rushing to grab last-minute test
items? The basement floor contains a microwave and several
vending machines filled with anything from snacks and drinks to scantrons and bluebooks.
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Wellman Hall → The study room is conveniently located on the ground floor.
Off Campus
• Mishka’s → wifi accessible Come early for studying because it gets crowded fast! Closes at 11pm.
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Let Them Eat Cake → wifi accessible Eat yummy moist cupcakes and scones made from scratch.
The coffee and tea are also delicious. It is very spacious and cozy for studying. See what’s new on
the menu here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Let-Them-Eat-Cake/191028438808.
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Crepeville → wifi accessible A nice place to eat and study, but can be busy during the day. Amazing
tea! Closes at 11pm.
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Delta of Venus → wifi accessible Study-friendly. The Delta of Venus is known for its Caribbean
menu (on certain days of the week) and live music on its outdoor patio. Be sure to check out the
events here: www.facebook.com/deltaofvenus
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Cloud Forest Café → wifi accessible Sandwiches, salads and much more! Try the grilled Panini’s
and fresh squeezed juices.
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Posh Bagel → wifi accessible There is a lot of space for studying here, but it closes at 5pm.
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Peet’s Coffee and Tea → wifi accessible (with access code from cashier) there are two locations:
E Street and W. Covell Blvd.
12. Recreation and Activities
You can find all upcoming events and updates on recreation and activities offered here: Campus
Recreation and Unions (CRU) http://cru.ucdavis.edu/
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Activities And Recreation Center (ARC) → Every quarter
the ARC offers Group Exercises. By purchasing the Group
Exercise Membership online, you will have unlimited access to
all group classes offered, such as zumba, yoga, cycling and
many more. The ARC has an indoor climbing wall, indoor
track, a martial arts studio, volleyball court, places to play
badminton and more.
Add the Facebook Group: “UC Davis ARC”
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Outdoor Adventures → If you are interested in hiking, backpacking, whitewater rafting and sea
kayaking, check out the list of classes offered at Outdoor Adventures. Experience is not necessary.
You can rent all of the necessary equipment there. Add the Facebook Group: “UC Davis Outdoor
Adventures”
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Craft Center → Studios provided at the Craft Center include: ceramics, woodworking, glass, flame
working, printing, textiles, screen painting, photography and more. Add the Facebook Group: “UC
Davis Craft Center”
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Aquatics → Hickey Pool is our heated, year-round pool that is designed for swimming laps, and the
Recreation Pool is open from late April to September.
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Games Area → If you are looking to bowl or play billiards, the Games Area is opened 7 days a
week. Add the Facebook Group: “UC Davis MU Games Area”
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Intramural Sports (Campus Recreation and Unions) → Participate in a range of sports such as
ultimate Frisbee, basketball, inner tube water polo and more. Intramural Sports has over 27 different
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sports to choose from. For more information on how to join, check out the CRU link above. Add the
Facebook Group: “UC Davis Intramural Sports”
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Pepper Peddler → Get coffee delivered to your door. The coffee is ground from a bicycle powered
coffee roaster: http://www.thepepperpeddler.com/.
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$5 Movie Tuesday → The film has to be at least two weeks old. Go early to buy tickets. Regal
Cinemas Davis Stadium 5 and Regal Cinemas Davis Holiday
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$1 Scoop Ice Cream Tuesdays at Baskin Robbins → Be sure to arrive early!
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Sugar Daddies → Check out the daily specials on cupcakes and ice cream:
https://www.facebook.com/SugarDaddiesDavis.
13. How to Get Involved in Davis
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Internship and Career Center (ICC) → Stop by and grab a Career Resource Manual (has
examples of resumes, cover letters, job search strategies and interview tips) and get your resume
reviewed. Attend a workshop on interview basics, read about careers at the ICC Library and find
information on internships and community service: http://iccweb.ucdavis.edu/.
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Volunteer → Find ways to help out the Davis and Sacramento community:
http://davisvolunteernetwork.org/.
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Aggie Job Link → Create an account and find internships and jobs that are frequently posted:
https://iccweb.ucdavis.edu/students/ajl.htm.
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Associated Students University of California Davis (ASUCD) → Find out how to get involved in
the official student body government: http://asucd.ucdavis.edu/.
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Center for Student Involvement → Join a campus student organization: http://csi.ucdavis.edu/finda-student-org/.
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Greek Life → Fraternities and sororities are a great ways to network and meet new people of
different majors and personalities. They can range from being social, professional or academic
groups: http://greeklife.ucdavis.edu.
14. Websites to Know
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http://daviswiki.org → Get all the information you need about anything in Davis!
http://craigslist.org → Contact local residents for anything from services to furniture.
http://www.yelp.com/ → Reviews of local restaurants, beauty salons, doctors – you name it!
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