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.

After getting the student visa, the most important task is to book an air ticket. Wherever you are, you will have plenty of choices on which airlines to fly.

Before we discuss the airlines, it is important to note for the first time fliers, that there are huge and illogical price variations even for the same flight. You might be used to the notion of uniform pricing given how it works for local bus fares or rail fares. But unfortunately within the same flight, travelers end up paying different prices for the same class of seats. If you get friendly with the person sitting next to you in a flight and happen to exchange the information on your ticket price, you may get shocked to know how cheap the other person got the ticket – or the other person will get a shock to know how cheap you got it! These variations are caused by the fact that airlines seldom directly sell tickets. They depend on travel agents or travel portals and each agent is free to decide the commission. The prices also fluctuate with time, usually getting more expensive as the date of travel comes closer.

So it is important to refer to many sources, talk to different agents and check the prices on travel sites. Some airlines are low-cost but for a given date and route, any airline could turn out to be cheapest.

In addition to the cost of the ticket, you should consider the following factors while booking an air ticket:

1.Availability of flight: (on a particular date) – not all airlines fly their every route every day.


2.Transit visa: The flight to US can have an stopover in a country that requires a transit visa for your nationality – simply forget such airlines. It is not only a matter of expense and hassles but also a matter of insult if a country selectively requires a transit visa for your nationality.


3.Stopover time: Ideal time between the incoming and outgoing flight is 3 hours to 6 hours. You may miss the connection if the stopover time is very short. You may have a tough time in eating at a transit airport as the food choices may be unsuitable or insanely expensive.


4.Luggage limits: Find out the number and weight of luggage allowed. Recently, with the rise in fuel prices, some airlines are trying to make money by reducing the weight limits and then charging a hefty fine. Find out if any airline if offering student concessions on luggage limits.


5.Connection: If your final destination in US is a remote college town like Ann Arbor and College Station, make sure what type of connection is available. Never book a ticket in parts. If you book a ticket to a major US airport, you may have a tough time getting a ticket to your small town airport destination.


6.Food: If you are a vegetarian or vegan, make sure the airline offers a vegetarian/vegan meal. With the growing clout and number of the Indian traveler, these days most airlines that do business in India offer an Indian Vegetarian meal option. But the crucial point is to find out if the same option is available on the second leg of the flight.