Checklist for Newly Arrived Students at UMBC

Check in with your department – (this is for graduate students)  Let them know you are here. If you have an advisor, try to meet with her or him. See if you can get someone to tell you if there is a preference for which classes you should sign up for.

Computer accounts – Each registered UMBC student is eligible for a computer account. These can be obtained from the Office of Instructional Technology in the bottom floor of the Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) Building, in room 020.  You can also apply online at https://webadmin2.umbc.edu/admin2

Register for classes – This should be done over the web. If you don’t know what classes your department recommends that you take, you can always register for the ones you’d like and change them later if necessary. Undergraduates should check with the Advisement Center, if you have not done so already, before registering.  This is an important early step as you will not be eligible for an ID card and computer account until you are a registered student.

Get an ID card – You will need to go to the University Center, on the first floor.   Follow the signs for Food Services/Campus Card - it's in the Comm Shop, room 124. They will check first to see if you are registered for the coming semester. If you are not registered, they will not issue you a card. If you are registered, they will take your picture, make the card on the spot, and give it to you right away.

Housing – Information on off-campus housing can be found in the Office of Off-Campus Housing in room 309 of the Commons. There you can find listings for local apartment complexes as well as individuals looking for roommates.

Banking – Most banks will require that you have a social security number (SSN) before they will allow you to open a new account. There are three banks that will allow you to use your student ID number until you obtain an SSN. Chevy Chase Bank has a branch on campus, located in the Commons next to the Bookstore, and is the most convenient for students.  Additionally, State Employees Credit Union of Maryland (SECU) has an ATM on campus. Their nearest branch office is the UMB office downtown at 11 S. Paca Street which can be reached via the UMB - UMBC shuttle.  Membership in SECU is open to all UMBC students.   M&T Bank has a branch in Catonsville, at 705 Frederick Road, that is easily reached on the UMBC shuttle. They do not have an ATM on campus although you can access an M&T Bank account through another bank’s ATM for a fee.

Change your address –  It is VERY important to report your local address to the IES office as soon as you can, even if it is only a temporary one until you find an apartment. We are required to report to the DHS where you are living and if you are registered for classes. We cannot register you in the SEVIS system unless we have a local address. You can email us the address at ies@umbc.edu. We will update the information from there.

    Once you have a local address, be sure to update it on myUMBC. Your bill will be sent to whichever address is listed on the computer system. If it is an address in Australia (for example), it will be mailed there, and if that causes you to pay the bill late, you will be responsible for the late charge. 

Get a Social Security number – If you are a graduate assistant, you will be required to have a Social Security Number (SSN). If you are not working, an SSN is not required while you are a student. If you have transportation and wish to get a number on your own, we advise that you go to the Social Security Administration office in Columbia. Directions to that office are available in the International Education Services office, or can be found here .
 
    Please note that F-1 and J-1 students will only be issued Social Security numbers by the Social Security Administration if they can demonstrate that they either have a job or an offer of a job. Please contact the IES office for more information.