Master’s Series: Part-4 “Now what?”

This is the part-4 of the mini-series; you can read part-3

Master’s Series: Part-3 “Scenario after Acceptance”

Congratulation on your Visa approval.

After getting approved, you are 80% done; the rest 20% consist of booking flights, accommodation, getting a Forex card, and packing suitcases.

Flight Booking

You can book flight tickets long before your departure, but you cannot enter the USA 30 days before your program starts. So check the date before you book the ticket.

There are many ways to book flight at affordable rates

1. Use websites like Skyscanner, google flights to get the cheapest fares in the given date range.
2. You can either book on your own using Gobibo, an official airline’s website, or with the help of a travel agent(They have fixed flight rates and other discounts based on the flight).
3. International flights like Qatar, Etihad, and Emirates offer student discounts and extra baggage allowance(still expensive for me).
4. Make sure than you have enough layover time for you to board another flight. There could be unforeseen situation like long immigration line, delayed flight and some more frighting scenes.

International flight fares are cheaper on Wednesday and Thursday.

Accommodation Booking

Start searching for accommodations (off-campus/on-campus) with your roommates. Some suggested sites are

1. Apartment.com — https://www.apartments.com/
2. Zillow — https://www.zillow.com/

Steps to book accommodation:

1. Shortlist 2–3 apartments which either walkable to the university or near a metro station ( ensure that it is student-friendly)
2. Create an application for each apartment which can be done from their website
3. All the members have to fill out their applications after the primary applicant invites them.
4. You have to upload your passport as ID proof and I20 as proof of income(if you don’t have a job)
5. After applying, you have to make an application fee payment.
6. And start following up with the apartment about the application progress(usually, it takes 2–3 weeks to get mail from them).

Packing and Preparing for departure

I found a really good checklist for packing from a youtuber

Packing List - Sanjeev Sriram.pdf

Well I thought at least the packing part will be chill, guess what it wasn’t.

Important things to be noted

1. You can get a Forex card for expenses there are different banks offering student Forex card and other benefits. Apply for the one which suits you.
2. Get a temporary international sim card like matrix or get an international roaming plan in your existing sim.
3. Have some cash about $200~500 for initial purchases when you travel as well as to buy groceries and essentials stuff.
4. Please plan how you are going to travel from the airport make sure you download the app or ask a senior to pick you up.

Pointers for Immigration

• Keep your I-20 and passport ready
• Officers are going to ask basic questions, so you don’t have to stress about it. It will be over before you know it.
• Remember your accomodation address, your University address
• If you have being searching for off-campus part-time jobs, PLEASE delete any kind of informations regarding it from your phone (it’s illegal duh!)
• Well I thought that there will be compulsory customs checking but it is not.

D-Day!

P.S If you have some free time, just explore a bit about the city where you are going to stay that could be the grocery stores, take-out places, convenience stores, e.t.c.

Author’s experience

You will be stressing about every part of the journey, Nothing seems simply done. From the point you write your SOP to the point you land and get to your apartment.

I rate this experience 7.5/10

My other articles :

Master’s Series: Part -1 “Planning for Masters”

Master’s Series: Part-2 “Shortlisting and Applications”