What do most incoming students do after getting the visa? They celebrate, they book tickets, do shopping and packing. And they day dream about the bright future that lies ahead. As the readers of app2us.com you should definitely do all that. But you can do much more that will keep you way ahead of other folks when you land in the USA.

Activate University Email: On the basis of the student ID number provided with the admission offer, try to activate your university email ID. You may have to contact the University computer center/helpdesk for this.

Email some Professors: Now that you have the university email, the chances of getting a reply from a professor have increased manifold. However use caution and send meaningful emails only. Read this for details: “How to Email Professors”.

Compile medical records: Compile your immunization record as per the expectation and format of your university. Getting some of the preventive immunization in your own country will save you time and money. If you never got your blood group tested, now is a good time. Make sure you carry a record of all immunization you get.

Register for classes: Register for classes that you are most interested in. Some classes fill so fast that by the time you land, the interesting classes or those offered by coolest professors may be all taken. Some universities impose restrictions on registration by new students, particularly to enforce that students provide their immunization record. If that is the case, you can proactively fax your immunization records, and request the university health center to get the registration blocks removed.

Learn to type: Whether or not your major is related to computers, learning typing will help find a student worker job. Some student worker positions specifically ask for the typing speed, so it is important to be able to type at a good speed.

Learn Computer skills: Again, whether or not your major is related to computers, some basic computing skills are useful in all fields of studies. If you know programming or can develop web pages you will have a much better chance of getting a student worker job or out of department assistantship.

Learn to drive: Learning to drive can be very expensive in the US. If you learn and practice in your hometown, you will be prepared as and when you need to drive in the US.

Get a driver’s license: If you plan to drive in USA, get a driving license. If you have no plans to drive in USA, get a driving license. Here is why. “Get a Driving License Now – Save dollars later”.

Get a International driving permit: On the basis of your local driving license, you can get a IDP – International Driving Permit. This is generally valid for one year.

Buy Books: Books are very expensive in the US. Look up the department website for various courses and syllabi and try to carry required books with you. Carrying books with you is neither illegal nor unethical, as long as it is for your own use. So write your name on the books so that the customs does not consider those as new books. Do not sell your books once you are in USA, because that might be illegal.

Linkup with fellow incoming students: Look for various online groups and mailing lists of incoming students for your university. You can find many from your city. In many cases students meet and sync up for group booking of air tickets etc. Read: “How to book the air ticket to the USA”

Contact the student association(s): Contact the student association of your own country in your target University. For example, if you are an Indian, you may contact the Indian Student Association for a ride from airport to the university and initial help. If you are from a small country with very few students, you can still contact the international student association or the student association of another country for help.

My mind is full of mixed feelings while I write this article on the day of my graduation commencement ceremony, which is Stanford’s 118th commencement. A year has passed so quickly but I still vividly remember the first day at campus, arrived here as a curious visitor new to US system. Now I see my life and the world around with a whole perspective, this is what Stanford has given me. Past year has taught me more things and given unique experience which could not be even compared to previous 10 years of my life. It was a full action packed roller-coaster ride, once you are on board there is no turning back.

A typical day started with morning class at 8 am followed by further classes, seminars, assignments, papers, group meetings, project work etc. and lasts till 7 or 8 pm with a squeezed in lunch break somewhere in between. For stress reliving I usually went to the gym or surfed the net and again back to work. Getting an internship during tough markets like these is a big challenge and same is true for me (although most people said me that, you are from Stanford and need not worry). I applied to numerous places, got few interview calls but none turned out to be fruitful. I felt dejected and thought, what good is this Masters degree if, it cannot even fetch me a summer internship and thus almost made my mind to go back to India for this summer. But during the third quarter just one month before the beginning of the internship, I received an email from my one of my professor about an intern position at a company in Washington D.C.; I applied to the firm and got a telephonic interview call, which eventually turned into my favor. The story does not end here, the twist is that, I had already given the interview for another very big construction company in the Bay area a month ago and was waiting for their reply. The day I got to know about my acceptance as a VDC (virtual design and construction) engineer in the D.C. firm, an approval email for internship from Bay area construction company also came. This for me was one of the biggest dilemmas of my life- to choose between two very good choices. I ultimately chose to go to D.C. (due to multiple reasons) and explore the east coast.

With three quarters finished and only one more to go, I wish, I had some more time. Some of my close friends suggest maybe I should stay longer and do a PhD. I truly feel obliged and honored being a part of Stanford community. I would like to thank my parents, friends and relatives for being the supporting pillar in all the ups and downs during this wonderful journey.

Kushagra Mittal
M.S. program in Construction Engineering & Management
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Stanford University

Editorial comments: Stanford University rules allow students to walk in the graduation ceremony even if they have a semester more to go. The views in this post are of the contributer, Kushagra Mittal, and do not necessarily reflect those of www.app2us.com

This post is about the bicycle which is referred to as ‘bike’ in the USA.

After you land in USA and settle down in your apartment, one of the first things to buy is a bike. You may buy a new bike in less than $ 100 at a Wal-Mart or Target store. Do not go to shops that sell only bikes those are very expensive.

You may also buy used bikes for $10 or $20 but remember that repairs can be very expensive – many times more than the cost of a new bike. So investing in a new bike is a good idea. You must buy three accessories with your bike – A helmet, a set of front and rear lights and a lock.

The helmet will save you from serious head injury, the light will save you from a serious traffic violation ticket (fine) and the lock will obviously save your bike from being stolen.

It is mandatory in most states to have the lights on after sunset. All traffic rules apply to the bikes. A cyclist must stop at all STOP signs. Fines may range from 50 to 300 dollars.

An appeals court has upheld a ruling that the University of California owes $33.8 million to past students whose fees were unfairly raised. The three-judge, San Francisco-based court ruled unanimously on November 2 that UC broke promises to about 35,000 graduate and undergraduate students – mostly at UC-Berkeley and UCLA – in 2003.

Click here to read the full story by Matt Krupnick

Students go to US Universities for different reasons. Good Education, opportunities, dollar dreams are few of the common reasons. However, experiencing the diverse culture of US is one of the best opportunities one must utilize.

International students often neglect the opportunity and tend to spend all their time not only with people from same country but even within sub cultures from within a country. The other day someone posted a question on our forum about which University has good number of students speaking a particular Indian regional language!

There is no fun in traveling half the world if you still with people from your own village!! While it is really important for a Korean to find a supportive group of Korean students and for a Turkish student to be able find a Turkish roommate, all students should make a conscious effort to make friendships across cultural boundaries.

When students are asked to form groups for academic projects, it is a good idea to make diverse group. You learn the work ethics and styles of people from different backgrounds which will help in your future career.

Have fun and use your time well while on the campus of a US University!

This post is first in the series about culture and life at US Universities. Adjusting to a new culture is an important part of success at US Universities. There are norms in every culture about what is acceptable and what is not. Even within USA, hugging may be appropriate in some settings and totally inappropriate in some other. Shaking hands is almost always a appropriate behavior. A good thumbrule is to ask or find out before indulging in any behavior that may be offensive for someone.

For more insights read this article by Ruth Mantell