Things to carry

Hi folks,
this is just the same text that is there on the IGSA homepage.. i wonder how many cared to look at it.. hence this post.
Hmm this has quite a few additions in fees and personal expenses... so i guess u should read it...

In this page we list out some of the common stuff that you want to include for sure.. but this is not a comprehensive list. There is always something that is personal and stuff that you might need. Use this list as a starting point.

Tuition Fees

If you do not have assistantship, prepare to get the first semester tuition fees listed on the I-20. This is usually around US $10500 and may vary depending on the department. Please check your I-20 or department brochure for further details. The tuition fee draft should be drawn favoring "University of Illinois". The fee needn't be paid immediately; you have about a month after the classes start to make your fee payment, installment facility is also available at UIC. So in case you want to wait you could come here and if the worst thing happens you can have them mail your cheque. In case you have any loans and stuff fix them all up and sign all the papers before you come. And you might want to make sure you return the money back to india in case you get aid...! Well on second thoughts we hear that the fee structure has been changed, so it would be better if you email the department and ask them the correct fees. my advice, come here and ask ur parents to send the DD if u dont get aid, else get all the money as a DD on ur name and give UIC a cheque from ur account later.

Personal Expenses

Please bring US$1500 - US$2000 (preferably by Traveler's Checks) for preliminary expenses for the first semester. We just would not recommend cash. Also make sure you have around US$50 to US$100 in cash in smaller denominations for emergency. If possible try to carry some change for US$2.00 as dimes and quarters in case you have to use the telephone. Please don't get cents as they serve no purpose here other than for returning the exact change. Regarding credit cards in case you have an international credit card have it with you as a safety measure, though you dont want to use it. Reason for every dollar you spend say about 3 to 4% is taken as commission and misc charges putting it to close to 55 rupees for a dollar. You may want to look at this small expenses table for some idea,

1. House deposit - 1 1/2 to 2 months rent - lets say 2000-3000$- divide it by 4 u need 500-800$ roughly for that.

2. 2 months rent till august/sep - 800$

3. initial house items - 200$ Max.(including beds and stuff)

4. food - 500$ for 3 months

5. misc - 500$

And if you want to get money for the differential (u need to pay that even if u get aid) - 1200-1600$

So think how much u need, if u get a 50% GA u will be paid around 1200$ initially by sep 15. We have our payrolls on 15th of each month.



Clothing

Less of formal wears and more of casuals (T-shirts and jeans), a dozen or more of inner wear. Warm clothing like sweaters sufficient for a while. You will necessarily have to buy winter jacket here (approx.$50 - $100) to combat the Chicago's cold. You could get a leather jacket from India, but it is not recommended as leather and water does not go very well. Try and get some traditional Indian dress for occasions like Diwali etc when IGSA has get together. Get some formal dresses (shirts, trousers, blazers/suits, ties for guys and similar formal wears for girls along with churidars etc) for interviews. Girls - you can definitely wear churidars here. So get if you like them. Add on to the list, about 7 pairs of socks (woolen ones), handkerchiefs, a good swimming trunk, few shorts, a tie, 1-2 belts (formal & casual), 2/3 Towels (not turkey towels for they take a long time to dry), bedspread (double bed size), 1 or 2 pillow covers (large) and night dresses. A pair of thermal underwear might also be useful (may be a pair - these may be quite expensive in India so just get one if you find them expensive, but seriously speaking most of us find it very uncomfortable, meaning once you go into a building it is heated and this gets stuffy). Also buy a pair of decent formal and sports shoes.

Keep in mind that everything here is a machine wash. Select your clothing accordingly. Dont buy some cheap clothes cauz they will shrink and it will look bad.. And people who are horizontally challenged (read fat people) might want to pick up dresses one bit bigger than the usual wear for you tend to put on weight very easily (cold weather, beer, non-veg....!)

Personal Items

Toiletry items like soap, brush (2/3), paste, comb etc sufficient for a couple of months. 1 pair leather chappals, 1 hawai chappals (+ extra straps).. If you wear glasses carry spare (1 or 2 for its really expensive here) pairs, nail cutter, umbrella, CDs/DVDs, socks, and shoelace. Buy a purse/wallet sufficient to hold 10 credit cards. If you are talented in some art like playing instruments, please bring them so that you can perform at IGSA gatherings.

Stationary Items

Please bring ball pens, eraser, pencils, stapler, blank notebooks, markers, tapes, clips for couple of months. These are quite expensive when you buy them in the University but you will get used to it. A good school bag is a must to go around. A good file to carry your resumes will definitely be helpful. But if you are considering a career in anything that involves a lot of sketching get quite a bit of stationary.

Having said the above, we dont want you to open a stationary shop here ;-) ... so buy just a few pens, depending upon your usage.

Books

Textbooks are a little costly here, so we recommend you get the latest editions before you come here. For most of the courses, the same textbooks are available in India, and you should get them from there. Visit the department's web page to get a listing of the courses. For some departments the textbooks are mentioned in Department Info link of IGSA. For others, write to us what you want to specialize in and we will let you know some general books that you might need. You may not use all those books but it's safe to carry them. They will cost just an additional Rs.2500 or so, but each book here is at least $50 and most engineering ones are close to 100$. Check out the Books List to see what all you can get from India itself. The other thing i personally felt a lot more comfortable with the same books that i used in india. So try to get some books the fundemental ones if you can. For example if you are a mechanical engineer specialising in fluid mechanics side consider getting a good math book, basic fluid mechanics book and one advanced one. The library here is very comprehensive and usually you can borrow a book for an entire semester.

Cooking Items

Cooking vessels, pressure cooker with spare, plates, tumblers, spoons, frying pans and all spices which you might need for cooking. Let the vessels (preferably non-stick ware) be big enough to cook for 3-4 people. If you have already got in touch with other Indians coming to UIC and will be your room-mates, plan what kind of vessels you can get and thus you can eliminate redundant utensils. We suggest that you think carefully about all the stuff, You will be cooking everyday here so you should plan accordingly. Regarding food, don't stuff your baggage with them, just get the stuff you would miss otherwise from home. You are coming to Chicago and there is devon here. You can get all kinds of Indian groceries at reasonable rates here. Just get stuffs enough for a couple of months. And btw, also try and learn some cooking before you come ;-) it helps.... some sweets for the people who host you would be very nice...

Medicine and Medical Prescriptions

If you have any particular medical conditions get the medicines, as well as a prescription from your doctor. Crocin, Actified, Avil, Benadryl tonic, Band-Aids, cotton, cotton bandage, Iodex, Vicks, Digene, Baralgan, Brufen. We strongly recommend you get a Dental and Eye Examination before you come here, as both of the problems can cause a lot of inconvenience and can prove very expensive as they are not covered by insurance. And don't forget to leave a copy of these prescriptions at home while you get the originals here.

Other stuff

Sets of original documents and sets of photocopies in your handbag (leave a photocopy of all documents at home in India too). Attested copies of transcript in a sealed envelope. Keep all these documents safely.

Electronic Gizmos

Stuff like cell phones and laptops everyone has one here... but we recommend you dont buy them in India. Its cheap here and warranty stuff are very much applicable here. And if you intend to buy any other electronic stuff remember it is 110V check with the stuff you carry. For Cell phones you need to have a credit history and that takes some time to build up... so dont bother bringing in one.

Things not to get

Do not buy expensive winter clothing in India. Do not carry pickle or pointed items in your hand baggage. Do not carry food grains (rice, dal, sugar etc.). Do not worry if you can't bring any of the stuff listed above - most of them are available in Chicago. In a month or two you will be in a position to get anything you want.

Things to be kept in hand baggage

Some medicines (including for airsickness), sweater, original important documents (I-20, visa, passport, tickets). Enough money (little cash, traveler checks), address book/phone book (Indian & US). Things to survive for a week in case luggage gets misplaced - two sets of clothes and misc.

Things to be kept in person

Shorter extract of contact addresses/phone numbers - especially of people coming to pick you up. Receipt got along with traveler checks - in case you lose the TCs; cotton in case you get ear pain; moisturizer.

Things to be left at home

List of addresses/phone numbers at which info about you can be obtained, one copy of all your important documents (passport, transcript). You can also leave your original mark sheets in India just in case you need to get them attested later. A copy of all relevant parts of Medical History files. A few blank signed papers - so that your parents can be authorized to look after anything on your behalf. Traveler Checks numbers should also be given to your parents.





Madhu
IGSA Board
http://igsa.pages.uic.edu