Student from Brazil - Questions about Arizona. (Phoenix, Glendale: fit in, crime)

[adrielmoraes23]

Hello!

My name is Adriel, and I'm from Sao Paulo Brazil.
I always wanted to study and live in the USA, and last weekend I met with some representatives from Arizona State University in a Student EXPO here in my city. I researched about the University, and it fits perfectly for me. I'm very interested in applying, but I have some questions about Arizona, could you help me please?

What's studying and living in Arizona like?
It is a safe place?
What's the weather like?
What are the best things to do there outside college? (Entertainment, nightlife, sports, parks, etc...)
Do you have any advices or recommendations about living there?

I guess that's all...

Thanks Very Much!!!

[observer53]

Originally Posted by adrielmoraes23

Hello!

My name is Adriel, and I'm from Sao Paulo Brazil.
I always wanted to study and live in the USA, and last weekend I met with some representatives from Arizona State University in a Student EXPO here in my city. I researched about the University, and it fits perfectly for me. I'm very interested in applying, but I have some questions about Arizona, could you help me please?

What's studying and living in Arizona like?
It is a safe place?
What's the weather like?
What are the best things to do there outside college? (Entertainment, nightlife, sports, parks, etc...)
Do you have any advices or recommendations about living there?

I guess that's all...

Thanks Very Much!!!

The people at the Expo from ASU could have answered some of these for you. Specifically, you won't be studying in the whole state of Arizona, but in metropolitan Phoenix, where ASU has its campuses. Which campuses you have classes on depends largely on your field of study.

No place is completely safe, but the University works very hard at keeping its students safe. Common sense will serve you very well in avoiding any issues around the university or anywhere in the metro area.

You can find a lot of statistics on the weather/climate in Phoenix online. It's a desert, so the air is relatively dry, and rainfall is limited to about 7 inches a year, sometimes less. Summers are very hot, and relatively humid, but not as humid as you would find at home, I suspect. The rest of the year is quite nice, winters can have some brief cold periods, but it's a very pleasant winter climate.

Phoenix is the sixth largest city in America. There is plenty to do here, lots of nightlife, professional teams in baseball, basketball, football and hockey, and excellent college teams at ASU. Lots of parks, hiking, etc., lakes not a long drive away for some weekend recreation.

There is a lot of information both here in the forum and all over the internet to learn more about university life here and the metro area as a whole.

[AlohaFriday]

Good for you on digging in and doing as much research as possible and asking people who live here because that's what this forum is here for, to answer questions like yours and offer assistance.

It can be scary thinking about spending time in a foreign country, and so of course you want as much information as possible.

The weather here is very hot and also very dry. Summers are especially hot, with temperatures regularly exceeding 110 degrees F. The winters are very mild, however, and you'll probably find them comfortable. Some people don't even wear winter jackets, although I bundle up with jackets and sweaters. Winter nights sometimes dip below freezing, but that's pretty rare.

I've never studied in Arizona, but the college here is very large. There are two campuses, one in Tempe, which is just outside Phoenix, and one in downtown Phoenix. You can travel between the two via light rail. The campus you spend the most time on will depend on your major.

Tempe's campus is older and more established. Mill Ave runs through it, a street bustling with shops, restaurants and bars. Many people find it very fun. Drinking age is 21 here. Downtown Phoenix has a little less to do, but there are more and more college kids living and studying there all the time, and the area is growing. You'll find plenty of restaurants, but more limited on the nightlife. Many students, from what I hear, also go up to Scottsdale to party. There's a lot of nightclubs and restaurants up there, as well. Don't drink and drive here, though! Not only is it unsafe, the cops are very strict.

Although of course all areas have crime, Phoenix and Tempe are very safe. Use common sense of course, but you don't need to worry. You'll be fine.

As Observer mentioned, there's plenty of sports. Pro football (in Glendale) and baseball and basketball with stadiums in Phoenix, which means you can take the light rail and not worry about driving. ASU has its teams of course with stadiums right on campus. You'll also find hiking opportunities right near campus, and others within a short drive.

Will you be able to have a car here? If not, try to make friends with people who do. Public transportation is pretty limited and you'll want a car to be able to really experience the Valley. On campus, lots of students ride their bikes around.

Studying abroad is a wonderful opportunity! Definitely take advantage of it, and maybe consider some other places as well to make sure you find one that's a good fit. Each of America's cities have different cultures and things to offer.

Good luck!

[pbenjamin]

As far as safety goes, it is a little ironic that someone from São Paulo would ask about safety in the Phoenix area. I have traveled to Brazil several times, primarily to Campinas, using the São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport and was always told that São Paulo was a very dangerous place. If that is true (of course maybe the people in Campinas exaggerate), you will find that Arizona/Phoenix/Tempe is a relatively safe place.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by AlohaFriday

Good for you on digging in and doing as much research as possible and asking people who live here because that's what this forum is here for, to answer questions like yours and offer assistance.

It can be scary thinking about spending time in a foreign country, and so of course you want as much information as possible.

The weather here is very hot and also very dry. Summers are especially hot, with temperatures regularly exceeding 110 degrees F. The winters are very mild, however, and you'll probably find them comfortable. Some people don't even wear winter jackets, although I bundle up with jackets and sweaters. Winter nights sometimes dip below freezing, but that's pretty rare.

I've never studied in Arizona, but the college here is very large. There are two campuses, one in Tempe, which is just outside Phoenix, and one in downtown Phoenix. You can travel between the two via light rail. The campus you spend the most time on will depend on your major.

Tempe's campus is older and more established. Mill Ave runs through it, a street bustling with shops, restaurants and bars. Many people find it very fun. Drinking age is 21 here. Downtown Phoenix has a little less to do, but there are more and more college kids living and studying there all the time, and the area is growing. You'll find plenty of restaurants, but more limited on the nightlife. Many students, from what I hear, also go up to Scottsdale to party. There's a lot of nightclubs and restaurants up there, as well. Don't drink and drive here, though! Not only is it unsafe, the cops are very strict.

Although of course all areas have crime, Phoenix and Tempe are very safe. Use common sense of course, but you don't need to worry. You'll be fine.

As Observer mentioned, there's plenty of sports. Pro football (in Glendale) and baseball and basketball with stadiums in Phoenix, which means you can take the light rail and not worry about driving. ASU has its teams of course with stadiums right on campus. You'll also find hiking opportunities right near campus, and others within a short drive.

Will you be able to have a car here? If not, try to make friends with people who do. Public transportation is pretty limited and you'll want a car to be able to really experience the Valley. On campus, lots of students ride their bikes around.

Studying abroad is a wonderful opportunity! Definitely take advantage of it, and maybe consider some other places as well to make sure you find one that's a good fit. Each of America's cities have different cultures and things to offer.

Good luck!

Actually, ASU has four campuses, counting ASU West and ASU Polytechnic. Bus service is offered between these campuses and the main campus (and perhaps to downtown as well). It's true that where you spend the most time will depend on your major field of study.

[UKWildcat1981]

ASU is huge 70k students its the biggest college in the country.. anybody can fit in there. I also went there for graduate school. I love it.. I have family in Arizona. Arizona is a super nice state, great weather(other than the summer from May to Sept). Phoenix crime is pretty low for a city of its size but anything can happen in a big city if you don't use street smarts and common sense. ASU has a ton of international students so you will be fine, I am sure you will have a blast. I go to University of Kentucky and I m program I have students from India, China and Japan and they moved to Kentucky where its not the most diverse place and they all are getting along fine and love it here. Good luck to you on your move.

[LagunaMom]

Corrections:

ASU has over 72,000 students now, and there's a new campus at Lake Havasu City, so that's number 5.

I earned my master's there; both my sister and my son received their bachelor's at ASU. Some of the individual colleges have high national rankings, and there's very heavy spending on research. There's also a large contingent of international students.

The City of Tempe, in which the Main Campus is located, should be the poster child for how to renovate a downtown area. They've done a wonderful job with all the little shops along Mill, and with Tempe Town Lake, you don't always feel you're stuck in the middle of the desert. (The lake, BTW, is actually a portion of the normally dry Salt River. It's been flooded and is held in place by dams. There's rowing, sailing, and fishing on the lake.)