Before and After arriving
Things to do before arrival
1. Get traveler's checks.
2. Learn driving and get IDP (International Driving Permit) from your RTO.
3. Get immunization
4. Get dental checkup, cleaning and treatment done (even RC if required and if not too late), because it is too costly here even with the university insurance plan. Also, you may have to wait for weeks before you see a dentist.
5. Learn cooking. Eating outside may be boring and expensive after some time.
6. Arrange for your temporary accommodation. Get in touch with your to be roommates if known and possible
7. Leave a complete set of measurements for your clothes with your tailor (and pray you don't get fat after coming here).
8. Leave two or three sets of all your important documents including your marks memos, degrees, certificates, I-20, Passport, visa, etc. with your parents.
9. Get a new photo taken and leave some copies with your parents while getting quite a few here.
10. Go through NEU and ISSI's websites very thoroughly; half of your questions will be solved through the website.
11. In case of a worst case scenario, where you have some problems with the immigration authorities at your Port of Entry into the US, you might want to keep ISSI's phone number handy. It is (617) 373-2310.
Things to bring
1. Firstly buy two suitcases - one hard cased and one soft cased. The soft ones are lighter and so you can carry more of your stuff in it. But the hard one is needed to bring stuff like pickles, etc. Carry anything that might break in this. Be assured that if anything leaks from your suitcases, your entire luggage might be taken out and you will end up facing a lot of questions and might even get delayed. And in extreme cases, they might even refuse to allow your luggage into the country. You don't want this sort of trouble. Even if nothing leaked out and no trouble occurred, I am sure you don't want everything including your clothes having some achaar in or on them. So get a hard case.
2. Some good quality warm socks, for the first winter at least.
3. Clothes - Shorts, which are up to the knees and have lots of pockets, are worn during warmer days. Get something similar in cotton or jeans. Get one or two good pairs of jeans.
4. Get a lot of undergarments. Laundry is usually done bi-weekly, so u should have enough for two weeks.
5. Woolens - A muffler/monkey cap. You can buy gloves in the USA. Woolen gloves will serve no purpose in the snow. You need thinsulate gloves. Bring one very good sweater and one decent sweater
6. Make sure you get a couple of thermals - which we wear under our clothes in winter.
7. Get at least two pressure cookers for every household. 6 liter capacity with vessels. Lots of safety valves - you "will" blow many in the first few days of cooking.
8. If you want to save some money initially, get some grocery from India like tooth brush/paste/soaps. All of this looks cheap once you start getting pay checks but for the initial days it is good to save as much as u can.
9. Bring some spices/dals/rice and some Indian food items. Try to get branded stuff; otherwise the customs will not clear it. Any food item that u carry, though minimize on that, must be sealed tight, branded and should say what it is and what are the ingredients. When you buy stuff you can tell the grocer there that it is for US and he will know.
10. If any of you wear spectacles/contacts, try to get an extra pair as they are very costly here. Know your prescription in case you want to order one from India.
11. Shoes: Formal leather shoes - 1, instant polish and slippers.
12. Leather belts - 2 casual and 1 formal.
13. Textbooks
Things to not do/ bring
Here are a few things you should avoid doing during the last one month.
1. Don't get wet in the rain and come to the port of entry with red eyes and a sneezing nose. They will at the very least give you freaked out looks and at the maximum put you in quarantine.
2. Don't drive like a maniac and break your bones.
3. Avoid eating outside at least four days before your flying date. Neither your co-passengers nor the crew is going to appreciate or try to understand that you have a problem of stomach upset even if you can somehow live with it.
Here are a few things you should not bring with you unless you have an obsession with falling into trouble.
1. Raw/uncooked vegetables or meat.
2. no point in each of you bringing all cooking utensils if you have grouped up to live together already or know with whom you are going to live.
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Things to do upon arrival
1. Go to the ISSI
2. Apply for on-campus jobs (do not delay this)
3. Try to find roommates and an apartment.
4. Open a bank account.
5. Get a NU-ID
6. Open your NEU Email account by accessing the website http://www.myneu.neu.edu and going to "How do I obtain myNEU username and password".
7. Check your OASIS schedules for the earliest immigration clearance date.
8. Speak at length with students currently in NU once you arrive in Boston, and ask them all your questions. Please feel free to get in touch with any Board member at any time. Our email addresses have been put up on the Sanskriti webpage.
Immigration clearance
Check your OASIS schedule for the earliest Immigration Clearance date. You can get your Social Security Number only after clearance. Note that you will not be able to work without one as it is required to fill out your I-9 form.
Your SSN takes some time to come to you once you have applied for it, as it will be the peak season for SSN authorities. You will start getting pay checks only after you submit your SSNs to your respective offices.
ISSI - OASIS
In your initial days you will see some very interesting trips that are organized by ISSI. Try to go on them and explore New England; once you enter your semester chaos; you cannot visit these places at such low rates as well; All of you must have received your OASIS schedules, so have a good look at them and see what activities you can be associated with.
If any of you have any interests in extra-curricular activities and you think you are really good at some things and would like to perform on some occasions, please let the board know. ISSI always loves to bring out student's talents. It is one place you will fall in love with, for sure!
Arrival & Airport pickups
NU Sanskriti will try to meet all incoming students when they arrive in Boston. A number of us are on an internship or in classes or busy with various jobs, but we will make every endeavor to see that there is someone present at Logan Airport to meet each and every one of you.
With this in mind, can you please let us know ASAP when you will be arriving (date and flight number), whether there are others arriving with you, and if you have already made arrangements for someone to meet you at the airport. Depending on how many people will be arriving together, we will let you know what your cheapest options are (taxi or shuttle). You can then let us know if you would like us to book something in advance for you.
It is advisable to start requesting pickups at least three weeks before your actual travel. We will most probably be putting up a committee to coordinate and assign you a person to pick you up.
Kindly refrain from asking too many people. Asking too many people could result in more than one person coming to pick you up or as in one case last year, all of them assuming the other was going to go, leaving the student stranded in the sprawling airport complex not knowing what to do.
Please do not expect someone to come in a car and pick you up. We are students like you and so most of us do not have any means of transportation other than the public transport. Again here also if you have a relative/friend with a vehicle who can pick you up, you can save some trouble for us and a lot of money for yourself (approx. $25 - $30). Try to coordinate with other students coming to NU so that you can travel together. This means fewer pickups for us and also you can share the taxi fare to your place of accommodation. Please don't' expect your seniors to pay for your taxi ride back to Northeastern.
Have at least $200 in currency when you land, other than your traveler's checks. You will need it for your initial week, before you open a bank account.
Carry enough money for a month's sustenance, till you find a part time job. Get the cash in higher denominations (5/10/50) and a few singles & carry some quarters (25 cent coins) for making some calls, laundry etc. If you are out of change you can make COLLECT CALLS from ANY phone kiosk (instructions will be there on the phone).. Make people pay for speaking with you :-).
You can also fix a pickup from Logan Airport using the website: http://www.backbaycoach.com