Can I get help when I get to Duke? Can I get someone to pick me up from the airport? Can I stay with some Indian Grad students there for a week or so till I make my own arrangements?

• Name, Email Address.
• Date of arrival, Time of arrival at Raleigh Durham Airport, Flight No.
• Or call either of us at home or office ( Our Phone numbers are at the bottom of this FAQ ).
• Please remember to carry our Phone Nos while travelling, for help in any emergencies.

Should I stay 'On Campus' ? Are there safety issues?

• It is much cheaper that way.
  
  • Depending on where you stay, the cost varies from $550 a month, to $650 a month for a two bedroom one bathroom apartment. Usually at least two people share an apartment, and the rent is in the range of $200-$350 a month, depending on how you decide to stay. There are also a few places with three bedrooms, but they are not very common
  • The electricity bill is rarely more than $60/person. Water is included in the rent.
  • Phone bills depend on each person, but there is usually a fixed cost of $35/Month for the telephone line. Inter-state calls in the US are quite cheap, and it is cheaper to call India from here.
• Lease can be for 12 months - which is a good option because it lowers the monthly rent and gives you the freedom to stay here in the summer also while you work on research. If you are out of town during summer, it is not difficult to find someone to sub-lease your apartment to.
• You can most probably get an Indian room-mate - which helps because of your common food habits.
• Most other Desi grad students will be off campus (and probably live close to you) - if you need their help.
  However the 'On campus' housing is marginally safer than off campus options - though it really should not matter too much if you are careful. You can find off-campus housing for yourself after coming here pretty easily within a week of arrival here. (Most Indians stay in a couple of apartment complexes and you too may want to stay in one of them).

What should I buy in India? What is cheaper in the US?

• Buy most clothes from India - they are definitely cheaper back home. This is especially true for leather goods (shoes, belts, wallets) While buying wallets you may want to buy one which can hold at least 5 cards for you. Buy any Indian music CDs/ Cassettes (not any western ones) you want to listen to - they are not available freely here.
• The weather in Durham is quite pleasant for most of the year, and very hot in summer - So plan on buying at least some shorts, and lots of cotton shirts and T shirts. Like any campus in India, you will find most people wearing T shirts and a pair of jeans most of the time out here. For the winter you might want to get a few good sweaters/sweatshirts. Sneakers and winter jackets on the other hand are probably better in the US, and you can buy them for almost the same price too.
• DO NOT bring any electric/electronic appliances from India since the power connections here are not compatible with the Indian standard of 220V AC supply - This includes electric rice cookers etc.
• Text books are very very expensive here. If you have an idea about the courses you will be taking, you should get the recommended books from India.

What cooking utensils should I bring?

• Make sure you get a pressure cooker, 2-3 pans, plate, glasses, spoons and servers - and any other typically Indian cooking dishes you may use (like Idli - plates etc : these will not be available here so it is best to buy them from India). Also, try and get big cooking utensils, they are very useful ! If you already know who your roommate if going to be then you could share and get different utensils. This way you can get more utensils.
• Make sure that all the utensils have a flat bottom. The stoves here are electric ones and the round bottom pans are a pain to cook in. You might not be able to buy stuff as soon as you reach here. You can easily manage with these utensils. Later you can buy stuff here. Non stick cookware are not all the costly and it does not make sense to bring everything from India. Knives etc are better here and I would not recommend getting them from home.
• You will want to bring along Masalas, etc (home-made stuff). Don't bother bringing pickles etc since branded Indian Pickles of fairly good quality are available in the Indian stores here. Samabar powder etc are also available but many of us feel that they are not very good. Typical Indian Dals, Rice etc are also available here in Indian stores.

What are the Indian Organizations in Duke University?

• DIYA is the Duke South-Asian Association, previously called DIA for Duke Indian Association. DIYA is active toward preserving and improving social and cultural existence of Indian and other South Asian Students at Duke. Most Indians at duke find it enjoyable to participate in their activities. The DIYA-Diwali is one of Duke's biggest cultural events. DIYA gives students a chance to express their talents and exercise their organizational skills and have some fun. If you have any musical or other talents, come prepared to show off!
• AID is the Association for India's development, which is a non-profit organization, which was started by some Indian Students in the USA to raise funds to support development work in India by non-governmental organizations. Projects in literacy, health care and other welfare objectives by NGO's from various parts of India are identified and reviewed by volunteers. If financial support is approved, the projects are monitored to ensure its successful implementation. Presently more than 30 projects in 18 states in India are being funded by AID. We are the Duke Chapter of AID, which is spread over numerous other colleges in the USA. For more information, visit the AID homepage at http://www.aidindia.org/ and the AID-Duke homepage at http://www.duke.edu/web/aid/ Many Indian students at Duke are active members of the Duke chapter of AID. Weekly meetings give everyone a chance to participate in an interesting and satisfying activity as well as get to know each other.
• HSC is the Hindu Students Council, which was started at Duke in fall'98. This organization aims at taking care of the spiritual/philosophical needs of the students. During its short existence, it has enjoyed excellent support from the students. Typical activities include meeting every Sunday for an hour to discuss The Bhagavat Gita with an average student turnout of about 20 students, trips to the local temple, Bhajans, celebration of festivals on campus, seminars on Hinduism and Indian culture, and promotion of better understanding and awareness of Hinduism on Duke Campus.

From the form Documents Required to Apply for Student Visa get the latest one from USEFI

1. Form I-20 or IAP-66 (obtained directly from the University you will attend).
2. VISA application form (available at the consulate).
3. Two passport size photographs.
4. A valid passport.
5. Evidence of financial support (Take all correspondance with the university).
6. Visa fee For visa fee(Demand Draft) take the exact amount.
7. TOEFL/GRE original/copies.
8. Take Provisional Degree Certificate even though its not necessary.

1. RBI Clearance.
2. Sponsor's bank account statement showing funds for the 1st year of study covering expenses shown on the I20.
3. Affidavit of support on stamped paper and notorized from sponsor for the entire duration of stay in the US.
4. Verification of financial resources by Certified Chartered Accountant.

1. I-134 (available at INS offices in the US).
2. Bank account statement of your sponsor.
3. Salary statement.

1. Affidavit of support of your sponsor.
2. Bank account statement of your sponsor showing funds for the entire period of study.
3. Salary statement.

Things to do at home :

• Get your driver's license. It is essential. An international drivers permit may help but is not essential for driving in North Carolina, it is needed in other states.
• Learn to cook.
• Make your passport valid for 6 months more than your stay indicated in your I-20.
• Get a medical checkup done.
• Dental checkup is a must - your health insurance at Duke does not cover dental problems and is really costly.
• Fresh checkup, especially if you have a major ailment.
• Get your eye-sight checked - get a new prescription. Buy atleast one extra pair of glasses.
• Get tested for TB if possible (chest X-ray) - else they will do it at the Univ.
• Get cassettes recorded - you may like to take some with you.

Travel Booking Tips

• Block flights with many airlines/agencies. Put pressure on the agencies and get as much info as possible. Much before the flight call the airlines themselves and confirm your ticket. Don' forget to indicate whether you want Asian Vegetarian Meal (AVM), non-smoking section, etc (Recommended).
• Cross-check everything the travel agent says.
• Some airlines offer Frequent Flier programs (e.g. Air France,TWA, Delta, British Airways) [i.e. after a certain # of miles of flying with that airline you get a free ticket]. Enroll in such programs.
• Avoid change of airline. A direct flight is the best. If change of airline can't be avoided, leave at least 2 hrs gap between the scheduled arrival of one flight and the scheduled departure of the connecting flight.
• Baggage is usually safe with a single airline - change of airline sometimes leads to misplaced luggage. Some airlines don't take care of baggage transfer - you may have to personally carry it (check this while booking).
• Do not trust an Indian Airlines connecting flight (in case you use IA allow atleast a day).
• Check out with your friends which travel agents they are approaching.
• IMPORTANT: PLEASE AVOID GETTING THOMAS COOK TRAVELLERS CHEQUES. IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET THEM ENCASHED, AND YOU CAN LOSE MONEY IN THE TRANSACTION. USE AMERICAN EXPRESS INSTEAD.

Emigration Clearance

• Get this after the visa.
• You can get this from a venue other than the place of issue of the passport - by showing that your place of residence falls in the jurisdiction of that passport office (It might take some time, and pain)Its a day's work. ECNR form is available at passport office. Travel agents usually don't have the ECNR form.
• Passport.
• ECNR (Emigration Clearance Not Required) form - get it from your travel agent, avoid queue at passport office.
• Original of the Provisional Certificate (PC) - to show.
• Xerox copy of the PC.
• Procedure in brief : At one counter show the filled form & get a slip; go inside and show your documents at the checking counter; pay Rs.20 at the cash counter; collect passport next day with ECNR stamp.
  Suggested timings : Day 1: 11:00 to 11:15 A.M. (submit) Day 2: 4:50 to 5:00 P.M. (collect)

Income Tax Clearance

• It is ONLY required for people who have worked in India for a while and paid taxes.

Things to be kept in Hand Baggage

• Some medicines (including for air-sickness).
• Novel/mags/books for inflight reading.
• Sweater.
• Original important documents (I-20, visa, tickets ...).
• Enough money (little cash, travellers' checks).
• Address book/phone book (Indian & US).
• Copies of your photo (passport size).
• Enlisted steps to be followed in case of emergency (accident,theft, etc).
• Things to survive for a week in case luggage gets misplaced(two sets of clothes, valuables like calci, addresses etc).

Things to be kept on person

• Shorter extract of contact addresses - especially of people coming to pick you up.
• Receipt got along with travellers' checks - in case you lose the TC's.
• Keep a pen handy, you need to fill in a few forms before landing in the US.

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.
• A copy of all relevant parts of Medical History files.
• Arrange to collect/redirect mail from your room/hostel.
• Arrange to apply/collect/mail your transcripts (about 20 in number preferable).
• A few blank signed papers - so that your parents can be authorized to look after anything on your behalf.

Contacts at Duke University for Help / Questions :