Soon to begin a year of student life in Basel.
Arriving from USA in mid August for studies in design.

As a start I am looking for the basic info on
international student card,
travel discounts,
stipend / grant information sources
need a cheap bicycle too
and any other useful tips for an
auslander....

thank you

Welcome to the Forum. Have you been to Basel before? There are some good museums of design here. It is usually difficult finding an appartment in the summer holidays, as everyone seems to be away. So maybe if you need a Wohngemeinschaft, you can start looking online in June.

For a cheap bicycle, use www.ricardo.ch -- but not yet, only two weeks before your arrival

Welcome to the Forum.

I've moved this to Introductions - it's not really an introduction but it certainly isn't Daily Life either.

Please have a look at the way the Forum is put together and post your questions in the relevant sub-forum.

To put Ads in the Market Place (looking for a bike or accomodation), you need to fulfill the special rules. Check them out or you may find your 'disguised' requests deleted. Mods, who do such evil deeds, are not paid to help folk to get round the rules. (Actually, they are not paid at all. )

Have fun searching and settling in.

Welcome to Basel! I dont really have much info on student life but there are a lot of markets for things you'll need. Good luck!

Hello and welcome to the forum and soon to Basel.
Start by buying a halbtax, it will give you 50% of travelling within Switzerland, 25% in Germany and some % of the city transportation.

For a student, who doesn't mind second hand-less pricey stuff, I recommend you look at the Marktplatz of UniBasel. I got my first bicycle there, and it lasted me for a year witch was just what I needed. You can also find cheep furnitures there, part time jobs, ect. Need to understand minimum German though. You can always find some cheep stuff or something for free as well on the EF Marketplace

Hope everything goes well for you, and don't be shy to come at one of our social events and say hi.

The Gleis 7 thing is usually better value for students than the halbtax.

http://www.gleis7.ch/home/

Here are some resources you will need:

I assume you will want to share a flat. Here's the best places to find one.
www.wgzimmer.ch
https://markt.unibas.ch/ (also look for part-time jobs here)

I assume you will need some stuff. Here's the best places to find it:
www.ricardo.ch
Petersplatz fleamarket on Saturdays (get your bike here, just make sure you don't buy a lemon)

I assume you will want to go out (museums, swimming pools, etc etc ad infinitum, if you are under 25)
http://www.colour-key.ch/

I assume you will need health insurance, private insurance:
www.comparis.ch

I assume you will want to travel:
go to SBB station and buy a halbtax card AND the gleis7 previously mentioned. You need the halbtax to get the gleis7, plus you need the halbtax for your tram rides in town. Gleis7 gives free train travel after 7pm and is only for under-25s.

Make sure you register yourself correctly at the Einwohneramt and get all/any visas necessary before coming from the US.

Get a phone on your first day here. Get a prepaid model for peanuts and no contract. You can leave your US phone in the US, or use it as a paperweight.

Start learning German before you come, otherwise your first weeks will be a miniature hell.

Read the millions of forum posts here. Almost everything has already been answered.

Don't bother with the international student card. You don't need it.

Do your own grant legwork!