Things to do before leaving
- Learn typing.
- Learn driving. In Atlanta, every place is far from every other place.
(And every other street is named Peachtree.)
- Learn to cook. This'll atleast keep your mom happy.
- Make your passport valid for 6 months more than your stay indicated in your
I-20.
- Have a complete medical checkup done.
- Get prescriptions & medicines for all common ailments (the technical
name of the medicine along with Indian/US brand name). Medicines are not sold
here without valid prescriptions: possession of medicines without valid prescriptions
in your name might be a violation on the law. I'm not sure, but you don't
want to be the one to find out.
- Get your eye-sight checked - get a new prescription from an opthalmologist.
Buy at least one extra pair of glasses, lenses.
- Get requisite immunization done (especially MMR). Fill in the Health and
Immunization record form that has been sent to you with the I-20 packet.
- Book your tickets on time; flights are usually packed to capacity
at this time of the year.
- Days before the flight, call the airline to confirm your reservation
and to cross-check everything the travel agent may have told you.
- Indicate your preferences: whether you want Asian Vegetarian Meal
(AVM), non-smoking section, etc. This can be done at the time of booking the
tickets with the travel agent.
- Some airlines offer Frequent Flier programs (e.g. Air France, TWA,
United Airlines) implying that after a certain number of miles of flying with
that airline you get a free ticket. Enroll in such programs. Enrolment needs
to be done before you fly: check out the website of your airline to register.
- Baggage is usually safe with a single airline while a change of airline
sometimes leads to misplaced luggage. Some airlines don't take care about
baggage transfer. You may have to personally carry it (check this while booking).
- Arrive at the airport at least 1 hour before the check in time.
- Drink lot of fluids on the flight. This will help you recover from jetlag
very fast. (This tip has been handed down from list to list; I have not verified
the authenticity or the lack of it. I just kept it in this list too.)
- Many airlines are fussy about the weight of your cabin baggage. The usual
weight limit is 8 Kgs. However, its better to check with your travel agent
regarding this.
- Always keep a photocopy of your passport, tickets, I-20, and contact
info of your school in every piece of baggage including your cabin baggage.
- Always keep original copies of your CA certificate, bank statements,
sponsor's affidavit, passport, admission letters in your cabin baggage. Sometimes,
the immigration officials may ask you to present them at the airport.
- Ideally, a student can bring $500 in cash, $1000 in travelers checks and
a personal draft of the amount equal to one semester's expenses. You may check
your I-20 to determine this amount.
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