How to fill out three basic information for first-time international students in the US

Although writing phone numbers, addresses or names on documents in the US is basic, if written incorrectly, international students can easily get into trouble.

Le Thuy Duong, a master's student at Gonzaga University, USA, gives instructions on how to write basic information for international students coming to the US for the first time:

1. How to write name

In contrast to the way names are written in Vietnam, which is in the order of last name, middle name, and first name, the order of names in America is reversed. For example, Le Thuy Duong, the first name is Duong, the middle name is Thuy, and the last name is Le.

In America, middle names are often omitted on unimportant documents, so the name will be shortened to Duong Le.

In case of using "middle name initial", you just need to capitalize the first letter of the middle name, for example Duong T Le. In the contract, if there is a requirement for "initial" in the name, then my name will be written as DL.

This is how Americans write their names, but international students need to pay attention to writing their names correctly according to their visas on all types of documents. On the visa, your name is automatically arranged by the system in the following order: Given name (middle name, first name) and Surname (last name), so it will be Thuy Duong Le. With this arrangement, your first name will be Thuy Duong, without a middle name, and your last name will be Le. Therefore, when buying a plane ticket, making a bank card or making a driver's license, you will have to keep your name consistent in the same style as on the visa to avoid trouble.

You can use your English name if it is on your passport or visa, otherwise it is not allowed. When buying a plane ticket, you must use your real name, not your English name. When you go to school, you can use your English name to communicate, write your name on the test, but you should still use your real name so that the teacher can enter your score.

Le Thuy Duong currently lives in Spokane, Washington, USA. Photo: Character provided — Le Thuy Duong currently lives in Spokane, Washington, USA. Photo: *Character provided*

2. How to write phone numbers

I used to work as an assistant in the school events office and one of my duties was to answer the phones. When the supervisor was not there, I would ask for the caller’s information and write down their phone number. However, I wrote the numbers together and the manager reminded me and instructed me to write them correctly so that when she looked at it, she would know who was calling and where they were from. These are basic things that we don’t know until we are familiar with a new culture.

Phone numbers in the US are 10 digits, with the first 3 digits being the area code (depending on the state), followed by the prefix (3 digits) and the line number (4 digits). For example, if you are in Boston, where the area code is 617, your phone number would be (617) 123-4567.

Different ways to write phone numbers: (617) 123-4567; 617-123-4567; 617 123-4567; 617 123 4567.

3. How to write an address

Addresses in the US usually start with a house number, street name, apartment/room number (if applicable), city, state, and zip code. Here, people buy a lot of things online, so getting the address right is important. Also pay attention to some common abbreviations: Alley - ALY; Avenue - AVE; Apartment - APT; Building - BLDG; Boulevard - BLVD; Court - CT; Drive - DR; Lane - LN; Parkway - PKWY; Street - ST; Suite - STE Number - No. / #

For example, if you live at Apartment #1, Building #1200 Rainbow Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada, with zip code 89139, you could write your address as: 1200 Rainbow St. Apt #1, Las Vegas NV 89139 or: 1200 Rainbow St. Apt #1; Las Vegas NV 89139.

Le Thuy Duong

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