What to do after you receive your admission paperwork

If you are an international student needing a visa to enter the U.S., you will need to make an appointment with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate as soon as possible to get your visa.  There can be unforeseen delays in this process; therefore, it is important to make your appointment immediately.

Make flight reservations.  Classes begin on August 26, 2013.  You will need to be in Bowling Green to attend the International Student Orientation beginning on Monday, August.  You can arrive either into Detroit Metropolitan Airport or Toledo Express.  If you will be arriving into Toledo Express, the International Student Servicescan arrange for pick up.  However, if you are arriving into Detroit Metro Airport, you will need to make your own arrangements to get to Bowling Green.  If you do not have anyone to pick you up from Detroit Metro, contact Nora Cassidy (ncassid@bgsu.edu) who can arrange for pick up.

How to find a place to live

BGSU only provides on-campus housing for undergraduate students.  Therefore, graduate students will need to find a place to live as soon as possible after arrival. However, there are plenty of apartments available in the city of Bowling Green, and students usually don't have any problem finding adequate housing close to campus.

International Student Services (ISS) will provide temporary housing for new international students at a rate of $25/night. However, this housing is only available until the student finds a permanent place to live.

When choosing a place to live, students should consider their preferences and budget. There are three different types of off-campus housing: studios or efficiencies, apartments (with one, two, or three and four bedrooms), and separate houses.  Average monthly rent in Bowling Green ranges from $300 (one-bedroom) up to $600 (two bedroom) plus utilities.

The international student orientation will have a special session on how to find an apartment and things to know before signing a lease.  ISS will usually offer free rides to some of the larger real estate offices and their apartments.

You can also research the availability of off-campus housing on your own. Check out BGSU's Off-Campus Housing Services, which gives new students information on what to know before renting as well as up-to-date listing of available houses, apartments, rooms in private homes, roommates, and subleases (including prices). Below are websites of Bowling Green's apartment rental agencies:

• John Newlove Real Estate
  
• Greenbriar Rentals
  
• Newlove Management Services

Orientation Programs

International Student Orientation:  International Student Services will conduct an orientation for all international students the week before the Graduate Student Orientation (GSO.  This orientation informs international students about everything they need to know to become officially registered as a student.  All international students are required to attend.

Graduate Student Orientation (GSO): GSO is held the week before classes start (August 19-23, 2013) and is required for all students who are receiving an assistantship.   GSO includes special informational seminars as well as the Chemistry Department orientation.

Placement Exams

During the week of Graduate Student Orientation, students will be required to take both an organic chemistry and a physical chemistry exam.  These exams are given to determine the students strength and weakness in these subjects and subsequently place the student in the appropriate level course.  Though it is important that the student does well in these exams, the student will not be removed from the program should he/she do poorly.

International students will also be taking an English exam which will be coordinated through the English Department.

Teaching Assistant Responsibilities

• Assist undergraduate students with their lab experiments
• Proctor examinations
• Read and grade examinations, homework assignments, and papers
• Assist with the general record-keeping for the course
• Help with audio visual equipment, making copies of course material, or other duties related to the course.
  

Course Registration

After reviewing the placement exams, the graduate coordinator will determine the courses to be taken by the student during the first semester.  All students will be required to take the following coursework with additional courses determined by the research advisor:

Fall 2013

CHEM 5660 - Spectroscopic Methods in Organic Chemistry
CHEM 6140 - Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy
PCS 7810 - Seminar in Photochemistry

Spring 2014

CHEM 5420 - Organic Reaction Mechanisms
PCS 7010 - Photochemistry and Photophysics I
PCS 7810 - Seminar in Photochemistry

Summer 2014

PCS 7810 - Special Topics in Photochemical Sciences (Hall Lecture)

Fall 2014

PCS 7020 - Photochemistry and Photophysics II

Advisor Selection

Students are given the opportunity to select their own research advisor.  During the fall semester, faculty from the Center for Photochemical Sciences make individual research presentations to all first-year Ph.D. students.  Also during the fall semester, the Center for Photochemical Sciences hosts its annual advisory board meeting, which includes a poster session by Ph.D. students already in a research group.  In order to assist in the selection process, first-year students are encouraged to meet individually with faculty and/or research groups to discuss ongoing projects.  First-year students will then decide their first, second, or third choice for research advisor.  Though the Center faculty try to accommodate a student's first choice, an important consideration is the successful completion of coursework with a 3.2 minimum grade point average.