Surviving Your First

Few Days in Raleigh

2014-2015

328 Daniels Hall

Raleigh, NC 27695
SURVIVING YOUR FIRST FEW DAYS IN RALEIGH - 2014-2015

p. (919) 513-0105

gti@ncsu.edu
www.ncsu.edu/gti
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Welcome to Raleigh
We are excited to have you join us at North Carolina State
University this semester. This guide provides you with a quick
overview of what you will need to know during your first few
days in Raleigh and on campus. We will provide you with more
details and maps on orientation day. Were looking forward to
meeting you then.

REMINDER: Orientation will take place on Monday,

August 18. You will receive more information about what
to expect during your semester and other important
information about NC State and its surroundings.

Checklist once you arrive in Raleigh

Get your NC State student ID card*

Open a US bank account

Look for cell phone plans

Learn to navigate the transportation systems

Explore the NC State campus

*Note: Make sure you bring your passport or some other official
identification document with a photo ID to the card office
located in the West Dunn Building on main campus.

Table of Contents
Welcome to Raleigh ....................................................... 2
Transportation ............................................................... 3
Food & Dining ............................................................... 5
Safety .............................................................................. 6
Money Matters ............................................................... 6
Communications............................................................ 6

SURVIVING YOUR FIRST FEW DAYS IN RALEIGH - 2014-2015

Transportation
NC State University operates the Wolfline buses that transport you around Main and Centennial Campuses. The City of Raleigh operates
the Capital Area Transit or CAT buses that transport you around the city. The Triangle Transit is a regional bus system that provides
transportation to and from the Raleigh-Durham International (RDU) airport and cities close to Raleigh, such as Durham and Chapel Hill.

AIRPORT CAMPUS/HOUSING
Triangle Transit Route 100
This route takes you to and from the airport. You can download a PDF of the bus route and schedule from the Triangle Transits website.
It costs $2.00 ($2.25 starting Fall 2014) to ride the Triangle Transit, and Route 100 will take you to NC States main campus.

Taxi Service
Taxi dispatchers are located outside the terminals at RDU. The Terminal 1 Taxi Dispatch Booth is located outside Bag Claim 3. At
Terminal 2, the booth is located on the lower level outside Bag Claim 1. The distance from RDU to Raleigh is about 14 miles, so you can
expect the taxi fare to cost around $30.
There are many taxi service companies in Raleigh, which you can locate by doing a Google
search for Raleigh taxi. Unlike major cities like New York and Los Angeles, there are not
many empty taxis driving around Raleigh. Most of them require that you call ahead to
arrange a pickup from your location. Taxi companies are regulated by the state of North
Carolina as well as the City of Raleigh.
Here is a short list of taxi companies in Raleigh (we do not endorse any of them):

Taxi Taxi (919) 333-3333

Green Taxi (919) 835-3545

Amigo Taxi (919) 862-6262

Note: Tipping taxi drivers 15-20% of the fare for good service is customary.

SURVIVING YOUR FIRST FEW DAYS IN RALEIGH - 2014-2015

AROUND CAMPUS
WOLFLINE
Wolfline buses operate every day classes are in session, serving all three campuses, three park &
ride lots, official NCSU housing and privately-owned apartment complexes located on city streets
traveled by Wolfline buses on the way to or from these areas.
Note: You do not need to show any kind of ID to ride the Wolfline buses.
Look for the Wolfline bus stop sign around campus. Each Wolfline
bus is equipped with a GPS tracking device, so you can see where
your bus is by downloading the Transloc app onto your smartphone
or by tracking the bus online.
Note: The Transloc app can also be used to track the city and regional buses.

CAMPUS MAP
NC States campus spans 2,200 acres of land. The main campus is home to the D.H. Hill Library, the Talley Student Union, the Student
Health Center, and the Carmichael Recreation Complex. Centennial Campus includes the Wolf Ridge dorms and the Hunt Library. You
can find a map of NC State buildings online.
When you first arrive on campus, you should get your NC State
student ID card from the office located in the West Dunn building
(corner of Thurman and Dan Allen Dr.). Make sure you bring your
passport or another official photo ID.
As an urban campus, NC State University is very walkable with short
distances to off-campus locations such as shopping and restaurants, as
well as between campus destinations. Many students and staff choose to
walk to school or work, and/or combine walking with another
alternative mode to get around campus. Download the NC State Walk
Times Map to help you plan ahead and time your next walk trip.

AROUND TOWN
CAPITAL AREA TRANSIT (CAT)
Capital Area Transit provides bus service throughout Raleigh as well as R-LINE buses that
serve Downtown Raleigh. You can download a PDF of the CAT System Map. Routes 4 and
11/11L run around the NC State campus area. You can locate individual route maps and
schedules online. It costs $1 ($1.25 starting Fall 2014) to ride a CAT bus each time or a local day
pass is $2 ($2.50 starting Fall 2014). The R-LINE downtown circulator is free. You can request
to receive a GoPass and ride CAT buses for free.

SURVIVING YOUR FIRST FEW DAYS IN RALEIGH - 2014-2015

Food & Dining

There are many grocery stores, restaurants, and fast food options located on or near NC States campus. There can also be a range in prices
when it comes to shopping at grocery stores or dining out.

GROCERIES
Grocery stores aka supermarkets can be quite large and will also sell household necessities and other items. Some large retails stores, such
as Wal-mart and Target, will also have a grocery section.
Some of the closest supermarkets around campus include:

Food Lion (multiple locations)

Harris Teeter (multiple locations)

Whole Foods (3540 Wade Ave)

Fresh Market (400 Woodburn Rd)

Note: The North Carolina State Farmers Market is also located on Centennial Campus. Local fruits and vegetables are sold throughout the
growing season. CAT bus Route 21 takes you to the closest stop near the farmers market, but its probably much easier to share a taxi with
several other people.
NC States Office of International Services (OIS) also lists on their website the contact information for specialty grocery stores located
around the Triangle. These stores will often sell the types and brands of food not typically found in an American supermarket.

DINING OUT
NC State has several dining halls (where the food is served buffet-style) as well as restaurants, cafes, and food trucks located around
campus. You can visit the University Dining website for more information about their locations and hours of operation.
There are also numerous fast food dining options near the university as well as several restaurants. The OIS website also lists some ethnic
restaurants located throughout the Triangle. Many restaurants are able to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free diets, and its always
a good idea to check the restaurants website or call them in advance if you have certain dietary needs or restrictions.
Many restaurants are located within close proximity to each other in major shopping centers:

Mission Valley dining options (Avent Ferry & Western Blvd.)

Cameron Village dining options (Oberlin Rd. north of Hillsborough St.)

Downtown Raleigh restaurants

TIPPING: You typically do not have to tip at fast food restaurants, but if
you are dining somewhere they provide table service (bring your drinks,
food, and clear your plates), a tip of 15-20% is customary. You can tip
more if you feel like youve received exceptional service, and you can tip
less if you feel like service was poor.
If you have your food delivered to you, its customary to tip the delivery
person.

SURVIVING YOUR FIRST FEW DAYS IN RALEIGH - 2014-2015

Safety
Raleigh is a safe city and NC State is a very safe campus, but there are always steps you can take to ensure your safety and security:

Walk around in pairs or groups of people, especially at night. While many

downtown restaurants and bars are open late, many other parts of downtown
Raleigh close when the work day ends at 5 p.m.

Keep your valuable belongings with you at all times.

Do not carry large amounts of cash with you.

Make sure you look both ways before crossing the streets and stay in the
crosswalks drivers are not always used to looking out for pedestrians.

Call 911 in case of an emergency.

Money Matters
Before you leave home, its important to check and alert your bank or credit card company that you will be traveling to the United States.
Otherwise, some foreign bank and/or credit cards may not work in the United States. You will find that most Americans prefer to use their
credit and/or debit (bank) cards to make purchases and very few carry much cash on them. Most vendors and merchants can accept card
purchases in addition to cash or checks.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind when making a purchase:

Sales tax: the price you see on an item or on the menu is not the final price on your bill. Sales tax gets added to the total,
depending on the type of item you purchase as well as where youre located. The sales tax in Raleigh is 6.75% for most items, 2%
for unprepared food you would purchase in a grocery store, and 7.75% for prepared food (i.e. what you buy in a restaurant).

Tipping: not only do you tip taxi drivers and restaurant workers, many people also tip for other services such as getting your
haircut or valet parking.

Businesses around college campuses are usually very student friendly. Dont be afraid to ask if there is a college student discount
on your food and/or entertainment purchases. You can often save some money by showing your NC State student ID card.

Communications
There are multiple companies in the U.S. that provide cell phone plans. The major carriers, such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint,
typically offer monthly plans that tie you to a 2-year contract (those include discounted or free phones but have very pricey early
termination fees). However, they also have prepaid plans and monthly plans that do not make you sign a contract. Make sure you read and
understand all the fine print if you choose to sign up with a wireless carrier that includes a contract. Some wireless carriers may also require
a Social Security number and/or credit history checks in order to sign up for their service. Below is a short list of companies that offer
cheaper monthly and/or prepaid plans (we do not endorse any of these carriers):

Republic Wireless (they have a kiosk in the NC State

bookstore, so you can purchase phones there)

TracFone

Cricket Wireless

Boost Mobile

GoSmart Mobile

SURVIVING YOUR FIRST FEW DAYS IN RALEIGH - 2014-2015

NOTE: Most phones that are purchased in the US are

locked to only work for a specific wireless carrier. Many
international students prefer to bring their unlocked cell
phones from home and simply purchase a SIM card in the
U.S. Most carriers in the U.S. also utilize CDMA technology,
and only a few are GSM. See this guide for more information.
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