Hi New Student,

Welcome to the United States, to California, to Los Altos Hills, and

to Foothill College. We hope you enjoy your stay here and can experience
the richness of life in Silicon Valley.

This booklet, Freshman Compass Fall 2015, is a gift from local

Christians interested in being your friend and helping you to get the most
out of your stay here. We hope it helps you get to know this area and to

find things that will help you in your daily life. There are maps, bus routes,
places to shop and etc. There are also pages on American culture, local
events and holidays.

To help you adjust to life in this area, we have put many events for

you. CCEM offers programs in both Mandarin and Cantonese, you can go

to De Anza /Foothill Facebook page to find out more. Pemuda

Fellowship offers programs in Indonesian. Their Facebook isPemuda Gii
San Jose. Many programs have speakers who talk on career-oriented
topics as well as other topics.

We do encourage you to visit one of the clubs/fellowships that

made this booklet possible. You can read more about the various groups in
the back of the booklet.

Again, Welcome to Los Altos Hills and to our local community.

Sincerely,

Your friends

Popular Banks
Bank of America
Citi Bank
Wells Fargo

Banking

Services Provided
Monthly Bank Statement
Money Transfer (note your routing number)
Student Account (no minmum balance required for students)
Free cheques/checks
ATM daily maximum withdrawal amount (ask your bank)
*Remarks: Bring your passport, I-20, I-94, proof of residence, ~$100 cash*

Common Phone Carriers

AT&T
Verizon
Sprint
T-Mobile

Mobile Carrier

Plans
Prepaid ($25~$50 expired in 1-12 months)
Family Plan ($25~$70/person)
Long Distance Call: Skype/Whatsapp/Phone Card
Individual ($30~120/person)

Homestays

Homestays usually provide a private room with two meals (breakfast

and dinner) per day.
The followings are something that you should be aware of:
Manners

Meals

Noise Level

Shower Time

Laundry

Guest Visiting

Kitchen Usage

Contract

Monthly Fees (prices fluctuate)

~$1000 including 2 meals/day
~$850 without meals
Fees are paid directly to the host family, and pay attention to their
specific payment methods. Your fees should include all utilites such
as water, electricity, trash and the Internet. Ask your host if you feel
unsure.

Housing
Studios / Apartments
Near Foothill College

Eaves Mountain View on Middlefield (Studio)

Village Lake Apartments (Apartment)
Avalon Mountain View (Apartment)
Price Range (prices fluctuate)
Room in a house: $600-$1000
Studio: $1000-$1400
Apartment: $1300-$2600
If utilities are not included, remember to set up:
Electricity (PG&E)
Water
Internet (AT&T/Comcast)
Apartment Insurance

Manners & Etiquette

Greeting

The moment you arrive in the United States of America, some

random stranger was already greeting you with a smile on their faces. Its something really common around here.
Things to pay attention

Americans are used to saying Hi or How are you? to

anyone they meet. Dont feel strange and take it in with delight, and
respond politely with a SMILE too!

Whenever youre leaving a place, be sure to say Thank you

or Have a nice day because its part of the American culture and
courtesy. A tip from us is to be polite and respectful to those who
treat you like a friend, even though he/she is a stranger.
Sneezing

Some Americans will say God bless you or Bless you

whenever you sneeze. There are some origins behind these terms,
but they all share the same meaning of encouraging you to stay
healthy.

Culture
Tipping in restaurants

Giving tips along with your bill is mandatory if you dine in.

The basic calculations for tips: (Cost * Tax * Tips). Sometimes, the
suggested tops are shown on the bill. If not, tips are generally at
least 15% for a party fewer than 6 and 18% for 6 of more people.
Return policy

You are able to return any purchased items within a limited

time period, and with a receipt. In most cases, items can be returned
within 30 days, but electronics have only a 1-2 weeks time limit.
Depending on terms and conditions stated, youre even to allow to
return items after youve opened or used it.

Food Culture

American food culture revolves around a lot of burritos, ta-

cos, burgers, steaks, and pizzas. Many restaurant chains serve

pretty good food like Chipotle, In-N-Out Burger, Outback Steakhouse, and many local pizzerias.

Culture

(contd)

Local Events

There are other events that happen around the Cupertino area and
the locals adore these events, such as:
Farmers Markets: a local retail market featuring foods sold directly by farmers to consumers, there is one located at Mountain
View Caltrain Station on Sundays during 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Garage/Yard Sales: hold by residents and happen randomly
around town, they are usually advertised on signs by roadsides.
Food Truck Festival: an American culture in which people visit
food trucks to buy food, mostly free admission. There is one
named Eat On Monday, get their updated hours on http://
eatonmonday.com/
Visit www.ticketmaster.com for more events and information.

Holidays
Labor Day (Sept. 7th, 2015)
Labor Day in the United States is a federal holiday that falls on every
first Monday of September of each year. It celebrates and recognizes the economic and social contributions of American workers.
Veterans Day (Nov. 11th, 2015)
Veterans Day is also a federal holiday which falls on the 11th of November every year to commemorate those who served in the United
States army.
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26th, 2015)
Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on every fourth Thursday of November, is a national holiday where people give thanks for their blessings
in life. Family and friends get together to feast as part of tradition.
Black Friday follows the next day and its the largest shopping day
in the United States with tons of lucrative deals.

Holidays
Christmas (Dec. 25th, 2015)
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on every
years 25th of December. In the United States, we decorate our
homes with a Christmas tree, beautiful lights, and many more decorations. Greeting cards and gifts are exchanged between family and
friends. Christmas caroling is very common sight around neighborhoods and in shopping malls. Churches also organize special Christmas events to celebrate Jesuss birthday. Most stores are closed on
Christmas Day.

Tips
Useful Websites
Assist assist.org
recommended source on transfer information to California
universities
Rate My Professors ratemyprofessors.com
college professors reviews source based on students feedbacks
Amazon amazon.com
the largest Internet-based retailer in America selling discounted
books/electronics
Half half.com
a subsidiary of eBay selling textbooks, music, movies and games
Kelley Blue Book kbb.com
new and used cars price estimations
Craigslist craigslist.org
website with mostly used goods / lots of used cars
Beepi - beepi.com
an online peer-to-peer marketplace for buying and selling used
cars

EVENTS 7-8