Frequently Asked Questions About Superior

Welcome to the United States and the University of Wisconsin-Superior! Each year, students from around the world come to Superior to earn a high-quality education.

This is a list of questions that international students frequently ask about UW-Superior. If your questions aren't answered here, contact our International Student Services Office.

Where is UW-Superior?
UW-Superior is located in the city of Superior in the state of Wisconsin.
The easiest way to find us on the map is to locate the state of Wisconsin in the Midwestern United States. Then look at the northwestern tip of the state. Or, you can find Lake Superior on the map, then go to its westernmost tip.

How do I get to Superior?
Northwest Airlines serves Duluth International Airport in Duluth, Minnesota. You first fly to Minneapolis, Minnesota, then board a different airplane for the short flight to Duluth.
Duluth International Airport is located about 20 miles from UW-Superior. We will provide transportation from the airport to UW-Superior if you notify our International Student Services Office in advance of your planned arrival time. If you prefer, you can hire a taxicab to take you from the airport to UW-Superior.

What is the city like?
Superior is home to 27,000 people. It is separated from Duluth, Minnesota by the St. Louis River. Together, these two cities form a metro area of about 150,000 people.
Superior and Duluth, often called "the Twin Ports," are a regional center for transportation, government, health care and education. Superior is home to several industries, such as an oil refinery. It also has several small manufacturing companies. Ships from all over the world sail to Superior to load grain cargoes. UW-Superior also is an important contributor to the city's economy.

What are your students like?
We have about 2,800 students enrolled each year. About 60 percent come from Wisconsin and about 35 percent come from Minnesota. The remainder come from other states and other countries.
Each year we have about 100 international students on campus. Many come from Sri Lanka, Japan and Canada, but you'll also find students here from countries such as Argentina, Bosnia, China, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom.

What about faculty?
We have 174 faculty and instructional staff members who teach all classes. Nearly 90 percent of them hold the highest degree available in their field.

Are professors available for individual appointments?
All faculty members are required to hold office hours each week. Students are welcome to drop by during those office hours. They also can make an individual appointment directly with their advisor or professor.

What is the campus like?
Our campus has 16 major buildings on 230 acres. It includes four major classroom buildings, fine arts center, library, athletic building and five residence halls.

What about campus safety?
UW-Superior is located in a quiet residential neighborhood. Walkways and parking lots are well-lighted and equipped with emergency telephones linked directly to the campus safety office. Campus safety officers are on duty around the clock and will escort students when requested.
Residence Hall entry doors are locked at night and guests must be escorted. A professional hall manager supervises each building. All rooms have smoke detectors.

How is the food in the cafeteria?
Our food service offers many different types of food at each meal. You can eat anything that's available, and you can eat whenever you like during the day.
Our food service workers will work with you to meet special dietary needs or to provide vegetarian meals. They also will work with you to include spices and native foods from your homeland.

Where should I live?
We recommend international students live in one of the UW-Superior residence halls.
Our residence halls are located on campus and close to classrooms, the library and the cafeteria. Living in a residence hall helps you meet people and get involved in campus activities. It also means you don't have to worry about transportation or renting an apartment.

Where do I go during school vacations?
UW-Superior classes run from late August to mid-December. Then there is a one-month winter break during which you can take classes as part of our J-Term. Classes start again in mid-January and run to mid-May. Classes also are held during May and much of the summer.
International students may remain on campus during the winter break. Many students like to use this time to travel around the United States.

What clothes should I bring?
Once you apply to UW-Superior, our International Student Services Office will help you decide what clothes to bring.
Generally, you will want to bring nice but informal clothing for attending classes. Many students bring native costumes to wear during student fashion shows and other fun campus activities.
If you are from a region with a cold climate, you already know what you will need for winter.
If you live in a warm climate, our International Student Services advisor can help you buy the clothes you will need for fall and winter. Most students from warm climates wait to buy their cold-weather clothing once they arrive on campus. That saves a lot of space and weight in your luggage.

What's the weather like there?
Weather in northern Wisconsin varies greatly.
Spring, summer and fall are pleasant seasons. Temperatures range from 5 to 24 degrees Celsius in spring and fall. A light jacket and rain coat or umbrella are needed during these seasons. Summer is warm, with temperatures as high as 21 to 27 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures during the winter range from 0 to -32 degrees Celsius. Snow is common December through March. A warm coat, hat and gloves are necessary, along with warm shoes or boots.

What should I do with my money?
First, be sure to convert your money to travelers checks before leaving your country.
Once you arrive in Superior, our International Student Services advisor will help you open a bank account in which you can safely deposit your money.
A bank office is located on campus for your convenience. We also have an automatic teller machine, or ATM, in the student center for your convenience in getting cash. Other banks are located a short distance from campus.

What do you do for fun in Superior?
Superior is located in an area called the Upper Midwest. Our region has vast forests and many lakes.
International students enjoy the many outdoor activities available here. These include hiking, biking, fishing, camping and canoeing. Our Outdoor Recreation Office offers guided outdoor trips during fall, winter and spring. You can join your friends and an experienced guide to go skiing, dogsledding, snowshoeing, ice fishing, camping, canoeing and horseback riding.
If you live in a warmer climate, you will get a special treat during your time in Superior. During September and October, the leaves on the trees that cover our region turn bright yellow, orange and gold. If you've never seen these "fall colors," you will find it an astounding sight. During the winter, you will experience the snow that transforms our region into a wonderland of fluffy whiteness.
Many international students also enjoy visiting cities such as Minneapolis, St. Paul, Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago. All are within easy driving distance of Superior.
On campus, international students join together to present fashion shows featuring clothing from their homelands. They also visit local schools to teach children about their native lands.
Here is a sample of fun activities in and around Superior:

• Lake Superior beaches; trails for biking, hiking, skiing, and snowmobiling; snowboarding; fishing; canoeing. 
• An inexpensive public golf course is located near campus. 
• Less than a mile from shopping mall and movie theatres. Other nearby attractions include coffee houses, dancing, ballet and museums. 
• Concerts, movies, comedians, theatre productions on campus. 
• Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra. 
• Duluth-Superior Dukes professional baseball team.

What do you do in the winter?
We dress for the weather and head out to have fun!
Our campus is minutes away from just about every kind of winter activity you can imagine. Superior has great cross-country ski trails right in town. Two alpine ski areas are located just 20 minutes away. We're right in the heart of the best snowmobiling trails in the Midwest, and you can rent sleds locally. You can go ice fishing on lakes and rivers. You can skate and play hockey at Wessman Arena on campus. Hiking along Lake Superior's shore in the winter is an awesome experience.
If you've never done some of these activities, you can join our campus recreation office on guided skiing, snowshoeing and dogsledding trips.
OK, not everybody wants to head outdoors when it's cold. If your idea of winter activity involves staying inside, don't worry. We're near a shopping mall, coffee shops, bookstores and dance clubs. We have comedy nights on campus, along with plays, concerts, recitals, movies, club activities and intramural sports. Superior and nearby Duluth also offer a symphony orchestra, a ballet troupe and several museums.
As a student, you have access to the World Wide Web and e-mail. To stay in shape, you can use the track, basketball court, pool, weight room and dance studios at the Gates physical education building.

How do I travel around the city?
Duluth Transit Authority buses stop on campus. For $1 you can ride throughout Superior and Duluth. These buses will take you to shopping malls, movie theaters and book stores.
Some international students buy cars while they are in Superior.

What facilities do you have?

• Classroom buildings and residence halls all have computer labs - many with 24-hour access. 
• Rothwell Student Center offers cafeteria, lounge, study areas, computer room and game room. 
• Holden Fine Arts Center provides two theatres and set construction workshop; music recital hall and practice rooms; television studio and editing area; Wisconsin Public Radio station; art studios and galleries; and newspaper newsroom. 
• Gates physical education building includes gymnasium, Olympic-size swimming pool, indoor running area, dance studios, weight room, classrooms and training room. 
• Jim Dan Hill Library provides 285,000 volumes, more than 1,000 periodicals, on-line access to electronic databases and library catalogs, study areas and computer labs.
• Residence halls all have 24-hour computer rooms, study areas, exercise rooms, telephones in all rooms, VCR rental, cable TV in lounges and laundry facilities. Options include a women-only residence hall.