University of Michigan International Center

One of the best parts about living in Ann Arbor is visiting the various museums scattered around campus. Even better, the University of Michigan museums have free admission! The UM Museum of Natural History, on 1109 Geddes Ave, is my personal favorite. It boasts a planetarium on the 4 th floor, where you can listen to live star talks and see exploding stars and galaxies swirl overhead. You can also see what UM researchers are currently working on, like the Bristle mammoth discovered only 25 miles away in nearby Chelsea, Michigan. The 2 nd floor has Michigan’s largest display of prehistoric artifacts, including huge dinosaur fossils and exhibits. There are free dinosaur tours and hands on demonstrations for children, though in my experience, even kids-at-heart are welcome to join in the fun! The Museum of Natural History also has annual events like a Family Halloween Party in the fall, where everyone can wear costumes and enjoy themed activities. Earlier this year, I was able...

I will say congratulations as you got admitted in the University of Michigan, a world class University in one of the best towns in the United States of America.  Maybe you also got admitted to some other universities, but your choice to study at U-M will be a great investment for your career and life in the future.  Also, if you have family, this is a moment that can be a good opportunity for you and family to gain living experiences outside your home country together.  But, you need to be aware that if you fail to manage both your life and your family life, it may jeopardize your academic achievement - which is not good.  Here are two things that I will share to you as a brief picture of living with family in Ann Arbor. First of all, as an international student, it is important for you to prove a certain amount of money to obtain a visa.  To me, that amount of money is adequate enough to shop for groceries for cooking and purchase some fast foods or han...

“Stress relief” is perhaps one of the most common terms I have heard while studying in University of Michigan. Indeed, learning to manage one’s stress is essential in maintaining your mental and physical health during your studies. Furthermore, the stress management skills you acquired will benefit you beyond graduation. Everyone may have different ways in managing stress but I am going to write about the few things I like to do in Ann Arbor to unwind.   Going to the movies is always a nice way to take your mind off things. Michigan Theatre on East Liberty Street is a good choice for viewing independent and artistic films. The theatre also hosts concerts and plays which are also good for a distraction from students’ stressful academic life. Rave Cinema in Ypsilanti shows a variety of films and it has larger movie halls than Michigan Theatre. They also have more show times, thus making it a popular choice among students. One of the easiest methods to unwind is to have a w...

Photo Resource Have you ever thought about the portion of your budget that might go toward having access to the textbooks you need? Well, there might be a couple of saving options like buying used books, borrowing from a friend who had the course before, or renting a book. However, none of them are free and in many cases, they might be relatively expensive in a way that even buying the used ones or renting them may not be so different from the new books. But, you may not need to pay for your textbooks. All you need is some patience, planning, and knowing where to look for them! I want to share how I utilize a combination of library resources to have free access to the textbooks I need. These resources are the University of Michigan Libraries , the Interlibrary-loan (ILL) system through the university library, and the Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) . The University of Michigan has an extensive catalogue of all types of materials including textbooks. You can easily search th...