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If you are an International student choosing to study in one of the American universities, you must be dying to know all about the campus and services you can find there. It is not possible to visit the campus before you arrive to start your course. In order to facilitate showing students their campuses and providing information on facilities there, many universities and colleges take students on virtual tours.

Virtual tours usually found on the website of the universities give students a feel of the campus and the space they will be considering their home for quite some time. It is also possible for international students to meet university staff members and other fellow students through the message boards and chat rooms.

As an international student, you could clarify a few points and doubts with them familiarizing yourself with the lifestyle and education system before you depart to America to enjoy your college life.

As you contact the campus international student service team member, you will receive a host of literature describing the campus, facilities and way of life. Go through it and make a list of items you want to clarify before you talk to the representative in charge of your admission.

For instance, if you are staying in the campus and are concerned with the type of housing on offer, you could ask them to provide you with details on the dorms or residence halls. You may want to know how big they are, the distance from your housing to the campus, distance to the surrounding marketplace or town, whether the area is noisy or quiet, whether accommodation is single or twin sharing and details on public transportation available in and around the campus. 

If you have all the necessary information even before you land on the campus, it will be easier for you to adjust to your campus faster. You can clear all your doubts regarding your personal safety on the campus with your fellow students or staff members before you arrive at the campus. They will be more than willing to help clear your doubts. For example, you could ask them about the department of public safety in the campus and how effective it is in dealing with emergency situations.

Be sure to find out details about the number of officers patrolling the campus and location of emergency call buttons and telephones in the campus. You could also ask for a map from your point of contact to have a clearer picture. Find out if there are any telephone numbers to contact in case you come across any suspicious activities around the campus.

You can also find out details about the health centre in the campus and their way of operation in case you fall ill. Fellow students will also be able to give you information on the system of education, the quality of teachers and rating methods. Most importantly, do not forget to find out off-campus details too regarding what students do during the weekends, shops around the campus which sell cheap groceries and other local entertainment options.

Establish a casual communication network with both fellow students and instructors much before you actually depart to the US. They will be more than happy to help you get familiar with your campus and look forward to a rewarding experience.