Tips for students for their first month in USA
So you cleared the GRE, jumped all the hoops of getting that visa stamped and are on your way to joining the school of your dreams. But hey, did you ever wonder what the first month in this new country be like. Well guess what, I compiled a list of thing you are likely to encounter in your first month here, and hope it helps:-
MY FIRST MONTH IN USA AS A MASTER'S STUDENT:->
This post is for all the students who would like to know EVERYTHING that you are likely to come across, because I did, from the moment you get out of your plane in the US to the end of your first month in a new country. Here goes the list in sequential order:-
-About 15-20 minutes before your plane is about to land, you are handed an "Immigration Form" that you have to fill out. People generally fill it out on the plane. I DID NOT HAVE A PEN. Yuck, and it sucked to be asking people for a pen. SO do carry a pen with you. And sometimes these ink pens get weird and do not work on airplanes due to the altitude, so a PENCIL is even better
-Ok so we landed, I hate landings by the way, they freak me out. The next thing you do is you FOLLOW THE SIGNS and rush to the "immigration" counter. Now if your flight isn't getting in at odd hours, i.e. if it is not too late in the night or too early in the morning, you will actually see people rushing towards the immigration counter. And they have good reason to do that. The immigration lines can get really long sometimes, so go for it. Who wants to be standing in a line for an hour after a 20 hour flight from India. And then most people have connection flights to catch. So don't be a lazy boy and while you DO NOT HAVE TO ACTUALLY RUN, make sure you get to the immigration counter quickly. Another tip, people in US do not understand "queue", so use the word "line" wherever you see a line..
-While waiting in the line, get you passport, I-20 ready in your hands. Watch the video shown on monitors everywhere to get an idea of what all the immigration officer might ask you to do. Immigration officers like answers to questions they ask, they are not interested in your life-history, so only tell them what they ask you for.
-Unlucky few of you would be selected for a RANDOM check. You would be directed to some other officers, your bags would be checked, and you might be asked a few questions. Be CALM.
-OK, immigration cleared, now you are officially in the UNITED STATES. Believe me, there have been incidents of people who have been turned back from the immigration counter, and they had to go all the way back to India. You should never challenege an immigration officers' judgment. That is why I say, once immigration is cleared, you are officially in US.
-SO now that you are in, RELAX, take a DEEEEP BREATH. But do not relax too much and forget your luggage :). Head for the BAGGAGE CLAIMS carousels. They do announce in flight what carousel your bags would be available at, but chances are you would miss that announcement, or just not understand it. I did not, cause the announcement speakers on my plane sucked, the lady spoke too fast, and it was the accent that I was still not used to. So the idea is, just go to the carousels, and they have nice displays with flight numbers for which the bags will be available at a particular carousel.
-To get a cart at most US airports, you need to pay 3 dollars. And I know how much stuff we carry with us the first time we get there. So please, do spend these 3 dolllars. I know you just entered this country and the dollar to rupee conversion is still going strong in your minds, but for the sake of your back and legs, grab a cart.
-Ok, got the bags IN A CART, proceed to find the people who are there to get you. Most schools offer to pick students up at the airport the first time they get there, so I hope you availed this facility unless you had a chaacha or maama coming to pick you up. Generally the International Student Advisor or one/more of the students working for him/her show up to pick you up. Greet them, talk to them, they are not immigration officers :).
-The next two days would be all about sleeping and eating at weird hours, and these headaches. We all go through these.
-Then its the day you get to go see your school. This is fun. So go with someone, other Indian students, or go to the International Students Office, they generally have organized tours for new students.
-The next most essential thing is getting your SSN (Social Security) number. Again, go to the respective department in your school and get them to take you to the SSN office and get you this card. Until you get this card, you can not get any thing else like a bank account, or your student id etc. You need your SSN, so get this out of your way first.
-The school generally has a few events set up for the next week to welcome you to US and to get you acquainted with the basics of living in US. DO NOT MISS THESE. They are very helpful.
-The school also organizes grocery and garage sale trips for new students. Get all the food you want because they are driving you. The next time you need groceries, you would most likely be taking a bus :(. Garage sales/yard-sales are sales Americans have in their garage/yards. Go to these, and get the basic household stuff to get you set up. Some people are also willing to drop the bigger stuff (mattress, couch, recliner) to your apartment, so ask them politely if they can do that for you. Please spend the money and buy all the stuff you need during this time when the school hasn't started yet. And that is why it is also suggested to come to US at least 15 days before school starts. Once school starts, you will get busy reaaaaaly quickly and would not have time for things like garage sales.
- Ok, so you have the SSN, you have the basic household items (microwave is required, believe me), you got a mattress, and got a good deal on a couch too. GREAAAT. Now whats next. Now go open a back account. School generally have a bank inside the campus, so avail those. It would be convenient for you since you would not have a car right away. Once you have that account set up, deposit your Traveler's Checks. Thats another tension out of the way..
- Another tip, while you are still new in the country, do not venture out alone after dark. And definitely not to the downtown area. While the country is pretty safe, the point is that you are still new. So hang out with those who know the place during your first month here..
Wow, this post got long, so I will cut it here. I am also thinking about posting on HOW and WHICH cell phone to get depending on needs, but I would appreciate if you could tell me if this post was any help. That would motivate me/give me a chance to improve.
Thanks.
