Gustavus Adolphus College

Things to Bring	Things to Leave at Home
Minnesota Weather	Airport Pick-Up
Money Matters	Communication
Vacations

Things to Bring:

Cultural Items from Your Country: Having some items from your country can help you overcome the initial awkwardness of meeting new people by providing you with something to share and talk about with your host family, your roommate, and your new friends. Posters, colorful calendars, books, slides, videos, pictures are all things to think about bringing. There also will be opportunities for you to share information about your culture and country with International Cultures Club and the Gustavus community.
A Variety of Clothing: Students wear a variety of clothes on campus, but most wear comfortable clothes such as jeans, slacks, etc. However, in the spring and summer most everyone wears shorts. Boots are needed for snowy days and a quilted or warmly lined jacket or coat, sweater, cap, mittens or gloves are also necessary. There are some more formal occasions where dressy clothes may be worn. You may want to bring clothes from your country to wear on special occasions.

Things to Leave at Home:

Electrical Equipment: Appliances in the U.S. operate on 110-112 volts, 60 cycles and the plug size is probably different than in your country. Even with an adapter and electrical converter, your appliances may not operate well. Plan to buy electrical devices when you arrive.
Linen: Sheets, pillows and blankets are provided. We do suggest that you bring a bed cover to personalize your room. Beds are approximately 36'' x 80'' (76.2cm x 203.2cm).

Minnesota Weather

The climate in Minnesota ranges from extremely hot in the summer to very cold in the winter. The average snowfall per year is 41'' (104 cm). Every five years or so the snowfall exceeds 60''. It usually begins in mid-November and can continue into mid-April. Precipitation during the summer months is about 28'' (74 cm). Temperatures in the summer usually range from 70F - 90F (20-30C). The winter temperature can reach as low as -25F (-30C) for a few days, but is usually between 0F and 40F (-15 to 4C). Minnesota is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," so humidity can be high. Some temperature data is listed below:

	Average High	Average Low	Lowest
January	28F (-2.2C)	2F (-16.7C)	-34F(-36.7C)
February	27F (-2.8C)	7F (-13.9C)	-29F (-33.3C)
March	41F (5.0C)	21F (-6.1C)	-24F (-30.6C)
April	56F (13.3C)	35F (1.7C)	7F (-13.9C)
May	74F (23.3C)	48F (8.9C)	22F (-5.6C)
June	80F (26.7C)	56F (13.3C)	36F (2.2C)
July	87F (30.6C)	63F (17.2C)	44F (6.7C)
August	85F (29.4C)	61F (16.1C)	40F (4.4C)
September	73F (22.8C)	49F(9.4C)	25F (-3.9C)
October	64F (17.8C)	40F (4.4C)	14F(-10.0C)
November	42F (5.6C)	24F (-4.4C)	-15F (-26.1C)
December	28F (-2.2C)	10F (-12.2C)	-24F (-30.6C)

*The weather section is from the Handbook for International Students and Scholars, International Student Office, Minnesota State University, Mankato, and is used with permission

Winter
Although it may be difficult to walk and/or travel at this time, Minnesota has very good snow removal services so the time of confinement due to storms is minimal. If you drive a car, you must be aware of snow removal from the streets and not park where town plows may be clearing the streets. If your car is in a removal area, it will be towed away and you will pay a penalty plus tow-away fees for the recovery of your vehicle.

Blizzards are heavy snows, very cold temperatures and high winds. They may come very suddenly or be forecasted on the news. It is very dangerous to be on the highways in this kind of storm. The radio announces travel warnings at times of severe storm. It is best to seek shelter in the nearest home, if possible, if you think that roads will become impassable. If you are caught in a storm, listen to instructions on the radio and do not leave your car if you become stalled. The wind-chill factor can be as low as -70 degrees F (-56.66 Celsius) in some storms!

Summer
Rainstorms can be heavy at times with hailstones (frozen raindrops), but the most serious summer storm in Minnesota is the tornado. A tornado is a strong wind in the shape of a funnel that destroys everything in its path as it hits the ground. Warnings alert people to take shelter in an inner hall or basement.

Airport Pick-Up

In an effort to relieve some of the stress of international travel, the Center for International and Cultural Education offers an airport pick-up service for students attending International Student Orientation. A Gustavus representative will meet you at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport (65 miles north of St. Peter). We hope that you are able to arrive on the suggested day, as we will provide transportation to the campus on that day only.
If this is not convenient, Mankato Land To Air Express service can take you from the airport at 10:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Saturday, Sunday and holidays Land to Air leaves the airport at 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The cost is $27.00. The Mankato Land To Air ticket counter is located one level below the baggage claim. Phone: (507) 625-3977. Greyhound Bus Service also reaches St. Peter from other areas of the country (Minneapolis to St. Peter costs a little over $20). The bus leaves from the downtown Minneapolis bus depot everyday at 7:00 a.m. Please keep in mind that the Greyhound bus leaves from downtown and not from the airport. (507) 625-5071

Gustavus also provides transportation to River Hills Mall in Mankato and the Mall of America every other weekend at a reasonable cost.

Money Matters

You may want to bring some funds with you in the form of traveler’s checks or a credit card for immediate expenses. There are several banks in the city and there are automated teller machines (ATMs) on campus as well. During the pre-orientation you may decide which service to use, savings or checking, and at what bank you would like to keep your funds.

Communication

Telephone
Each room has a telephone that serves the student for local telephone calls as well as long distance. Each student receives a long distance access code number so monthly bills may be sent to students individually for long distance charges. There is no charge for local use. Please keep in mind that overseas calls can be expensive. All phones have a voice mail system to take messages.

Computer
Students do not usually need to purchase their own personal computer since the campus has excellent state-of-the-art machines in several computer labs on campus. Most machines are Pentium PCs or Macintosh and they are available for student use in each residence hall and academic building. Every student room has a computer hook-up so you can access the colleges network if you own your own computer. The Computer Science Department in Olin Hall also has SGI and NeXT Linux work stations. Each student has a personal e-mail account and unlimited Internet use 24 hours a day.

Vacations

Residence halls are officially closed during all breaks. During these periods all students are encouraged to leave campus. However, provisions for housing on campus are made for students when necessary.

For more information on academic events, please see the academic calendar.