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Tips for International Student |
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Pre-check your apartment. Make sure to check your apartment or ask someone staying nearby to
do so, before booking it. In the case of one international student, who
reserved an apartment near the campus, before leaving her home country and
without even looking at it, she found, to her surprise, the house was located
downhill and meant a steep 25-minute walk to the university.
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Watch out for hidden costs. In addition to the apartment rent, be prepared for hidden costs
like heating, car parking, travel and, of course, good food. If they are
staying on campus – like a lot of undergraduates in the first year have to –
most of these expenses are usually included under a section called “living
expenses” which is a separate bill from accommodation.
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Part-time jobs help. Look for part-time jobs to alleviate your expenses. This calls for getting
a social security number, which also helps in obtaining a credit card and
serves to keep track of your credit history. A good credit history can help you
tremendously later on when you set up your own home or need to make large
expenditure on credit.
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Compare insurance premia. Some universities do not accept medical insurance from
international companies. However, if they do, you are probably better off
getting dental and medical insurance from your home country if it works out
much cheaper.
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Choose your dormitory roommate. Life on campus is enjoyable for the freedom it promises; it can,
nevertheless, prove nightmarish for some students when they have to grapple
with drunk roommates who can mess up the place. However, most universities give
you the option of choosing your own roommate and mail you their details at
least a month in advance. Corresponding with them or meeting them helps in
getting to know them as well as in planning how you want to share expenses
relating to common use.
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Consult about subject selection. Talk to the senior students or the alumni before selecting your
subjects of study as the range of options may be overwhelming. Joining online
community pages of your college – or even Orkut and Facebook – will also help
you get valuable advice not just about the school, but about student discounts,
popular campus hangouts, insights on teachers, dormitories, fraternities and
more.
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Books are pricey. Textbooks can be expensive. If you know the book titles beforehand,
look for cheaper local editions in you country. Remember, even making
photocopies there can be expensive.
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New experience. Two other important concerns for overseas students are food and
weather. You would miss local cuisine or home-cooked food, however, don’t pack
your bags with instant foods, spices and pickles you think you can’t do
without. Travel light. You may need to change flights, take a bus from the
airport and then a cab to the campus or apartment. Remember, once there, most
students realize that food is not a grave concern, even for vegetarians. Of
course, it helps to know some basic cooking since making your own food, instead
of eating out, can save you a lot of money. Check the year-round climate of the
place and carry appropriate clothing. If like most students you arrive during
the fall season and are not used to that weather, make sure you, at least, have
some woolen clothing and gloves.
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Orientation program. Don’t miss attending the university’s freshman seminar. They are
designed to orient you in reading and writing and goes a long way in
familiarizing you with the expected ways of planning, preparing and presenting
your papers.
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College assignments. In your college term papers and assignments, there will be a lot of
emphasis on personal research and opinion. Don’t yield to the tendency to copy
from the internet. This will only fetch you a negative impression. You are
expected to study, interpret and form an opinion just like you did while
applying to the university.
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