Designed for all incoming international students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, this handbook answers questions and offers information and strategies that can be used to make their transition into the U.S. system easier. It explains the expectations, norms, and procedures of the U.S. educational system. The handbook is divided into five main sections. The first is an overview of the U.S. educational system. Next is a section on classes that discusses choosing classes, registration, and how to make the most of lectures, discussion classes, and readings. This is followed by a section on written assignments and tests that provides general advice, discusses the differences between paraphrasing, summarizing, and plagiarizing, and presents a guide for writing a research paper. The section on tests discusses the types of tests and test questions that may be encountered and offers advice about studying for and taking tests. The last section contains suggestions about where to go for additional help or to have questions answered, both academic and nonacademic. Many subsections contain lists of "DOs" and "DON'Ts," that point out the expected norms in the U.S. system. Each section is relatively independent. A 12-item bibliography is included. (JB)