New Student Information Packet
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New Student Information Packet 2006-07 Compiled by, Srinivas Karra and Kiran Kumar Reddi Note: All the information provided in this document is based on our observation and some polls conducted in Indian student community along with the information obtained from various sources. References are sited where it is necessary. The purpose of this document is to provide some primary information to the new students from India, who are joining TTU in Fall-2006. ISA is not responsible for any sort of miscommunication or misrepresentation which resulted from extraction of the information from various sources. If you have any further queries don’t hesitate to contact [email protected]. 1 CONTENTS 1. President’s message……………………………………………………………………… 3 2. ISA committee ……………………………………………………………………………. 5 3. Departmental contacts………………………………………………………………… 6 4. Things to be brought……………………………………………………………………. 7 5. Packing/Travel Information…………………………………………………………….12 6. What after landing? ....................................................................................15 7. Housing………………………………………………………………………………………16 8. Health Insurance and Immunization………………………………………………….17 9. Finding on-campus job……………………………………………………………………20 10. Establishing credit history in US……………………………………………………….21 11. All about Texas Tech University…………………………………………………………23 12. All about Lubbock………………………………………………………………………….25 2 President’s Message Dear new student, Welcome to the great state of Texas and to a warm reception awaiting you from the community of Indian students at the Texas Tech. While the lone star state invites you with open arms, the Red Raiders are not far behind rolling out a red carpet welcome. One thing we can promise, there will not be a dull moment living in Lubbock, a County growing in leaps and bounds providing all the opportunities needed to realize the American dream. Gear up for great occasions and look ahead for times of learning, fun and excitement. Ever since the days of early settlers, the U.S. has been the land of opportunities. “Here every man may be master and owner of his own labor and land. If he have nothing but his hands, he may set up his trade: and by industry quickly grow rich…,” wrote John Smith, an adventurer, in the 1600s, promoting America to immigrants from Europe. Making progress through sheer hard work and by the sweat of the brow has been the foundations of this new world society. The Indian students at Texas Tech are no strangers to this work ethic. You could spot a lone “desi,” stooped and peddling his cycle, in the dead of the night returning home from his lab, or another familiar name announced for some top award at the school. The Indian students and illustrious Indian faculty occupy place of pride at the Texas Tech. Students take little time in making Lubbock their home. The weather, cloudy to prickly hot, is no different from the tropical temperatures home. The best part comes from the 250 affectionate Indian families residing in Lubbock. The Indian Association of West Texas (IAWT) and the Fine Arts Association of India (FAAI), which forge relations between students and the local community, bring Lubbock to an experience closer to India. And those missing on latest Bollywood releases, don’t loose heart; Dallas which has simultaneous releases, is only a five-hour drive away. All said, life in Lubbock is not all about pulling Swadeshi strings. The night life is typical Texan. For those who want to put their hair down and shake a leg surrounded by blaring music, tinted lights and worshipping of Bacchus, life after sun-set can get electrifying. From the down-town pubs at Depot District to the out-of-town night club Graham Central, you will not miss anything of the liberal metropolitan fun. The India Students Association has its priority clear. The association primarily exists to make new students settled down comfortably for a life of scholarship and learning. Realizing this objective the ISA takes the responsibility of picking up students from the airport and finding them temporary accommodations till they are safely on their own. Detailed information on every aspect of student life, from finding jobs in campus to 3 health insurance, are found in ISA news letters and the website (http://www.orgs.ttu.edu/indiastudentassociation/). The India Students Association had traditionally celebrated the Indian Independence day at Lubbock. As part of the celebrations, a cultural program is organized every year around August 15th. Last year all new comers for fall admissions added color and glitz to the celebrations through their performances. You could be a dancer, a singer, a ventriloquist, or a person with any unique ability worthy of public performance. Your participation in the cultural program is strongly encouraged. Our cultural secretary will take care of rehearsals, choreography or any training that you might need. Don’t forget to bring along traditional Indian costume. Please contact our activities coordinator ([email protected]) with your name and item you would want to perform. The ISA executive committee is served by a dedicated group of self-less students who had faced similar needs and apprehensions, like you, landing as new students in U.S. We do our best to make your transition smooth and easy. And I consider it a personal honor to serve the ISA team, nicknamed Sankalp; a promise to give. Goodluck. Paul Watson President India Students Association 4 ISA committee Faculty Advisor: Dr. Padmanabhan Seshaiyer (806-794-3465) [email protected] President: Ranjan Paul Watson (615-631-5562) [email protected] Vice President: Vijay Akkineni (806-790-1179) [email protected] Secretary: Aditya Krishna Akula (806-368-8287) [email protected] Treasurer: Rahul Kanungoe (806-252-8547) [email protected] PRO: Nipul Patel (512-669-1773) [email protected] Activities Coordinator: Shwetha Dorbala ( ) [email protected] Web Master: Sridharan Kamalakannan (806-789-3555) [email protected] Editor: Srinivas Karra (806-282-7626) [email protected] 5 Departmental Contacts Department Contacts 1 Animal and Food Sciences Sanjeev Kommera: [email protected] Jyothi Hundal: [email protected] 2 Architecture Sheetal : [email protected] 3 Biochemistry Kulothungan Ganapathy: [email protected] 4 Cell and Molecular Biology Neha Kothari: [email protected] 5 Chemistry & Biochemistry Deepali Butani : [email protected] 6 Chemical Engineering Srinivas Karra: [email protected] 7 Civil Engineering – Structural Kiran Talatam: [email protected] 8 Civil Engineering – Environmental Rishu Ranjan: [email protected] 9 Computer Science Ricardo Morales: [email protected] Jagadeesh Babu: [email protected] Vijay Akkineni: [email protected] 10 Electrical Engineering Chintan Trehan: [email protected] Sridharan Kamalakannan: [email protected] Ganapathy Sivakumar: [email protected] 11 Environmental Toxicology Sandeep Mukhi: [email protected] 12 Geosciences Rahul Kanungoe: [email protected] 13 Hotel Management Vachan: [email protected] 14 Health Sciences Vishwanath Adiraju: [email protected] 15 Industrial Engineering Vinay Virupakshappa: [email protected] 16 Landscape Architecture Anuja Khanolkar: [email protected] 17 Mass Communications Paul Ranjan Watson: [email protected] 18 Mathematics Atul Dixit: [email protected] 19 MBA Sumit Sehgal: [email protected] Saurabh Gupta: [email protected] 20 Mechanical Engineering Garima Chauhan: [email protected] Ketan Doshi: [email protected] 21 MicroBiology Siri Kalagara: [email protected] 22 Pharmacology & Neuroscience Rasesh Shah: [email protected] 23 Petroleum Engineering Viraj Deshmukh: [email protected] Tabrez Khan: [email protected] 24 Physics Archana Gupta: [email protected] 25 Psychology Hina Mohnot: [email protected] 6 Things to be brought This list has been constructed according to the personal experiences of people who have come here. So, may be some important items are missing or are inadequately specified. Hence, personal discretion is highly recommended. Apparels Full Sleeve Shirts 2-3 Half Sleeve Shirts 2 Formal Trousers 2 Blazer (Informal) / Suit (Formal) Suit 1 Optional and if you wish to bring one, Navy blue / Black one is preferred. Recommended. Tie 2 T-shirts 6-7 Jeans 4 Shorts / Cargos / Bermudas 4 Belts 2 Traditional 1 Highly Recommended Sweater 2 Pajamas / Night Suit 2-3 Under Garments 14-20 As u go to the laundry once in a week or 2 and they are expensive here. Towels 3 Handkerchiefs 8-12 Blanket (Light Weight) 1 Recommended! You can buy a rug here costing approx. $15 Single Bed Sheet 2 Pillow Cover 2-4 Get full size covers, the pillows are big in size. Double bed sheet 2 Recommended, cause beds are of different size. Woolen Gloves 1 Leather & wool. You can buy them here for approx. $5, which I think everyone does. So it's ok to bring 1 pair of woolen gloves. MUST, and better if it works for cold as well as rain, cause here it rains and Jacket 1 becomes cold. Not much snowfall. But it is very windy. Woolen Cap 1 Get one that covers your ears. Or better get a Jacket with a hood. Thermal Underwear 1 Optional Caps 1-2 Recommended, summer here is really hot. Footwear Chappals / Sandals 1 Floaters recommended for summer. Also you can bring traditional footwear, matching the traditional dress you bring. Slippers 1-2 Formal Black Leather Shoes 1 Highly recommended, they are very very expensive here, and you have to wear the formal shoes for presentations / job-fairs etc. Casual Sport Shoes. 1 You may also buy here. Here they start from $20. But good ones are usually around $40 - $60 Shoe Polish 1 For Formal Shoes Shoe Polishing Brush 1 Socks Black (for Formal Shoes) 2 Socks White 12 Also cheaply Available here 7 Miscellaneous Items Glasses / Contact Lenses 2-3 MUST. Optics very expensive here. Contact Lenses Solution - Check for yourself Stitching Kit 1 Recommended for fast repairs of cloths. Alarm Clock 1 You can buy electronic clock here starting from $5 Camera - Optional Walkman - Optional, the electronic items are cheap here.