INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE.

Transcription

1 INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE

2 grettings from the principal AGUAS CLARAS CAMPUS ACCOUNTING - LAW SCHOOL - Civil ENGINEERING PsYCHOLOGY - INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS It is a cause of profound Joy to welcome you to our Saint Thomas University, Villavicencio headquarters. We hope that this new international mobility experience that you are about to embark, is one of the most enlightening of your life. For us it is a cause of great satisfaction that you are now part of our academic community. Carrera 22 con calle 1 Vía Puerto López loma linda CAMPUS ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION welcome! P. José Arturo Restrepo, O.P. Principal Saint Thomas University Villavicencio Headquarters Carrera 48 # Sur Vía Acacías

3 S N Contents 1 Migratory Information 2 Arriving to Colombia 3 Housing W E 4 Enrollment Aspects to consider Reasons to study at Saint Thomas University Villavicencio Headquarters contact

4 Migratory Information 01 For your permanency as an academic International exchange student in Colombia, you can choose between the following two options: If you wish to enter the country without a student visa TP-3 you can do so by presenting your acceptance letter from Saint Thomas University to the migration Officer at El Dorado airport. The Officer must give you a PIP-2 entering and permanency permit which will allow you to stay in the country for 90 days with a student status. Before it expires, you must go to the Colombian migration office in Villavicencio to renew it for another 90 days. This mandatory renewal process has a 30 USD price. If you wish to enter the country with a student visa, you must go to the closest Colombian embassy in your country and begin the process. Once you arrive to Villavicencio, you will have 10 days to begin the process of obtaining your foreign ID (Cédula de extranjería) which will have a cost of approximately 60 UDS. We strongly recommend doing this so you can be granted almost the same rights as a Colombian citizen and you won t have to carry your passport at all times. NOTE: BEWARE THAT ANY OPTION YOU CHOOSE MUST BE NOTIFIED TO THIS OFFICE BEFORE TRAVELLING TO COLOMBIA.

5 arriving to colombia 02 You have two options: You can buy your flight ticket in your country all the way to Vanguardia Airport in Villavicencio with a stop in Bogotá. We will pick you up at the airport and take you to your house. You can buy your flight ticket in your country all the way to El Dorado Airport in Bogota. If you pick this option you must travel by bus to the city of Villavicencio (takes about 3 hours) and we will pick you up at the bus station and take you to your house.

6 We strongly recommend that you change some US Dollars to Colombian pesos (60 USD approx.) at El Dorado airport. Beware of your arrival time, if it s too late or too early you won t be able to find any open exchange houses. From the exit door at El Dorado International Airport you must take an authorized taxi cab to the bus station located in El Salitre neighborhood (15 minute ride approx.) You must ask the driver to leave you at Module 2 were the buses going to Villavicencio depart. The cost of the taxi ride is around $ Colombian Pesos ($6USD), but this fare can vary with the night extra charge. Once you arrive to the bus terminal we recommend buying your ticket to Villavicencio at Expreso Bolivariano Company. It has a cost of approximately $ Colombian pesos ($9 USD approx.) Most of the stores at the terminal sell cellphone calls that you can buy in order to contact us. This will allow us to calculate you arrival time and pick you up once you arrive to Villavicencio. You can also use the bus terminal Wi-Fi signal in order to communicate with us.

7 S P I H S R A L O SC h i ps s r a l o h c s d e exonerated W i d e ly c o v e r rship, you will be is type of schola will receive financial aid th d te n ra g re a If you es and also you er your housing and food fe ic m e d a c a y n of a that will cov ) th n o m r e p P O ( C fees. a rs h i p s l o h c s d e r e v Pa rt i a l ly c o will f scholarship you d this type o If you are grante ny academic fees only. fa be exonerated o

8 HOUSING 03 Previously to your arrival, we will send you by the different housing options that the University offers. These housing options are usually located near the campus and you will be able to pick the option that suits you best. Usually these housing options will have an individual or shared room with a private bathroom, a bed, sheets, closet, fan, etc. You will also be able to use the common areas of the house such as the kitchen, living room, dining room, backyard, laundry room, etc. If you are granted a widely covered scholarship, you will be given a $ COP financial aid during the dates established in your acceptance letter. Additional housing day costs must be paid on your own if needed.

9 Feeding costs If you are granted a widely covered scholarship, you will be able to use the remaining $ COP of your financial aid to cover your monthly feeding expenses. You can either cook your own meals, use the cafeterias of the University or go to the nearby restaurants. Transportation Saint Thomas University has a bus stop that holds different bus routes around the city. The cost of a bus ride is around $1.600 COP each way. Usually the housing options offered by the University are nearby the campus where you will be able to walk. If you need to use a taxi cab it will have a minimum cost of $ 4600 COP. You can download and use phone apps like easy taxi or tappsi to call for a cab with a $500 Cop extra charge.

10 ENROLLMENT 04 Enrollment to your classes and university life process. When you arrive for the first time to the University you will be given your classes schedule with the classes that you previously registered in our forms. If for any reason any of your classes weren t able to be registered due to a schedule conflict, or if the class you chose wasn t offered, you will have the first 2 class weeks to add any other class or make any changes you wish. Beware that you must first consult your home Universtity in order to properly validate the endorsement process.

11 During the first week we will start your University ID carding process which will grant you permission to access areas like the library, computer rooms, the university itself, etc. During the first weeks after your arrival, you will be invited to join a thrilling welcome activity programmed by the international Office along with other international exchange students.

12 Student life The Student life department designs cultural, recreational, sports and integration activities, with the entire Saint Thomas community. It offers support to students by providing psychological and spiritual assessment. International students can participate and make use of the following areas and activities free of charge: Gym - Swimming pool - Modern Dancing classes, Joropo classes - Guitar workshops - acting workshops tale telling

13 COLOMBIA and VILLAVICENCIO 05 Colombia is located in the north of South America and has an approximate population of distributed along 32 states which are divided in 5 major and diverse regions: Caribe Region, Pacific Region, Andina Region, Amazon Region and Orinoquía Region. The capital city of Colombia is Bogotá and is located in the Cundinamarca State in the Andina Region. It s located at MASL and has a population of about 8 million citizens. Catedral -Villavicencio Villavicencio it s located 86km from Bogotá and it is the capital city of Meta state. The city is called the gate to the eastern Llanos (flat lands) of Colombia and it has a population of approximately citizens. It s located at 467 MASL and has a tropical climate, hot and with high degrees of humidity. Its average temperature ranges from 25 C to 30 C. Villavicencio s culture is mainly focused on agriculture and cattle work.

14 Popular cultural activities Joropódromo Catama Fair Coleo World Championship International Joropo Competition in Villavicencio Retorno Festival International Festival of Cachama Concurso Mundial de la Mujer Vaquera Festival Llanero

15 r e b m e m e to r 06 e r a c l a c i d e M Remember that before your trip to Colombia, you must send us a copy of your international medical insurance with minimum coverage of medical expenses, medicine expenses, and repatriation of remains. We suggest you to get Assist Card and download the app on your mobile at your arrival to Colombia. Safety Villavicencio is an intermediate city with strong social inequity, so you must be aware and be precautious with your personal safety particularly at night. Avoid carrying with you valuable things, big amounts of cash, and also avoid to use your Cellphone while you are walking around the city. Save the Colombian Police emergency number on your phone, 112. Electricity Electricity in Villavicencio and in Colombia ranges from 110 to 120 volts. The electrical outlets are American type, with two flat pins and a round third for ground. We recommend to bring your own converter.

16 living costs Housing Meals Furnished room in a family home or a student residency with all services included: $ $ One person apartment/flat without services: $ $ In campus $6000 Regular meals off campus $ $8.500 Menu meals $ $ Entertainment Movies $ $ Parks $ $ Tours $ $

17 Colombian currency: Colombian peso COP 1 USD: $3.400 COP* aprox subject to exchange rates Coins: 100, 200, 500 and pesos 1 Euro: $3.600 COP* aprox subject to exchange rates Bills: 1.000, 2.000, 5.000, , and pesos

18 Holydays Enero 1: Año nuevo Enero 12: Reyes Magos Marzo 23: San José Marzo 24: Jueves Santo Marzo 25: Viernes Santo Mayo 1: Día del Trabajo Mayo 18: Ascensión Junio 8: Día del Corpus Junio 15: Sagrado Corazón Junio 29: San Pedro y San Pablo Julio 20: Grito de la Independencia Agosto 7: Batalla de Boyacá Agosto 17: Asunción de la Virgen Octubre 12: Día de la Raza Noviembre 2: Todos los Santos Noviembre 16: Independencia de Cartagena Diciembre 8: Inmaculada Concepción Diciembre 25: Navidad In Colombia there are two types of holidays: Religious festivities and Civic festivities A group of them are patriotic festivities. All these festivities are nonworking days, therefore those days there will be no classes.

19 Reasons to study... Reasons to study at Saint Thomas University Villavicencio Headquarters USTA Villavicencio is located 86 km south of Bogotá D.c (3 Hours ride). It s the most recognized private university in the region due to its high quality certification and modern infrastructure. location From the moment you enter Colombian territory you will notice that green is the color around the landscapes. Villavicencio is located on the Llanos foothill where the eastern Andes mountain range ends and the flat lands begin. Here, you will find many rivers and forests ready for you to enjoy. The city and its surroundings offer ecological paths on which you can hike and mountain bike. In Villavicencio you have the possibility to know a great deal of the Llanera culture, characterized by its cattle work activities and its exquisite culinary. The university also offers you a great variety of cultural, sport and recreational activities. Villavicencio is a city with comfortable living prices, usually below prices found in the capital city Bogotá. Villavicencio offers a great amount of neighborhood stores where you will be able to find whatever you need without going too far from home. In our university and Villavicencio, foreigners are always welcome and people are always willing to help with anything you possibly need. One of the main reasons foreigners like being in Colombia is because they get surprised by the kindness of the people which makes them feel at home. Natural richness CULTURe ECONOMy hospitality

20 CONTACT Viviana Dlaikan C Coordinator Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales e Interinstitucionales Campus Aguas Claras, 3 Piso vivianadlaikan@usantotomas.edu.co oriivillavicencio@usantotomas.edu.co Profesional de Apoyo a la Movilidad oriiapoyo@ustavillavicencio.edu.co Teléfonos: Ext Whatsapp: