Information
Guide for Prospective Students

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Table of Contents
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ISA
Registration
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This is the one of the
important steps you need to take to become a part of the vibrant Indian
Student Community here at UC. Being a member of the ISA enables you to enjoy
many privileges like Airport pick up, temporary accommodation for the
initial one week or so and more importantly strengthen your contacts with
existing students. For registering, you have to fill up the pickup form. Apart from the initial pick up and temporary
accommodation, we organize
Cultural programs, banquets,
Cricket
Tournaments round the year. Of course, ISA's Friday Movie's are also a
big draw amongst students.
This fee can be paid after your arrival at UC. Being ISA members lets
you participate in all the events of ISA. You will also be added to the ISA
listserv which will update you through e-mail about the latest events and
happenings in and around campus.
Steps to Register
- Fill the Pickup form.(Available from June 2011)
- Start filling in all the
details carefully only after
finalizing your plans.
- Even if
you are coming to Cincinnati as a group, each individual has to fill up
the form
- Please
ensure that you fill in the details carefully and correctly as this is the
single source of your information for those who are coming to pick you up
- If you
realize later that you have submitted a form with some mistakes, you can
fill up another form and in the space for comments, you can cite the
reason for filling again and submit the form.
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Where is Cincinnati
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Cincinnati is located in the
beautiful Ohio River valley, which forms part of the state of
Ohio in
the Mid-Western Region of USA. It is rated amongst the most livable cities
of the US
. It has a huge Indian population -
about 1100 families, many Indian social organizations, and a temple too!!
Cincinnati
is
approachable very easily by Air and Road.
Cincinnati is serviced by an
International
Airport located at
Covington
and
is in fact one of the main hubs for Delta Airlines in the US .
Getting a direct flight to
Cincinnati from India
via Frankfurt is possibly the most convenient and
least stressful way of entering the United
States .
It is an option you may want to
seriously consider and of course if you want to go beyond simply
considering it, you will need to book early, since getting a seat on one of
these flights is a tough job. The other most common ports of entry
into the United States are New
York City (JFK), Chicago (ORD),
Los
Angeles (LAX) or San
Francisco (SFO). From any of these you will have to get to
Cincinnati
by
a domestic flight or by road.
A note of Caution: The
Cincinnati airport is
officially known as the Cincinnati-Northern
Kentucky Airport (since it located in
Covington [CVG] -a part of Greater
Cincinnati, but a
county
of
Kentucky ).
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Immigration and Customs
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You will have to go through customs and immigration at your port of entry,
i.e. the first US City where your aircraft lands. Before the plane lands,
the flight attendant will distribute customs declaration forms and
immigration forms (you should keep your passport and I-20/IAP-66 with you
at all times - do not put any of your immigration papers in your check-in
luggage). Fill these out on the plane. You will submit them to the
appropriate US Customs authorities after you land. If you do not understand
a form, ask the flight attendant for assistance. Even if your luggage is
booked through to your final destination, it will be off-loaded at your
port of entry. After passing through the immigration area, you will collect
your baggage and then, with your baggage, pass through customs. A customs
inspector will ask you to declare what you have brought into the country.
She/he will inspect your bags and review the customs form you have filled
out on the airplane. Penalties for concealing declarable items can be
severe, so be honest and make a full declaration. As far as edibles go,
just remember that there should be no fruits, vegetables or anything raw. Pickles,
Spices, etc will be allowed in as long as they are packed properly and
sealed. Spices are usually classified as non-perishable and dehydrated
and you may declare them as such.
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Connecting Flights
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If you will be continuing your
journey by air, check in at the appropriate airline counter as soon as you
are through with customs. In most airports, you might have to change
terminals to board your connecting flight. Please ask the airline
representative at the counter about changing terminals. You might have to
use the Airport Transport System to do so. These counters are, usually,
right outside the customs area. Remember, it is your responsibility to
collect your baggage after passing through immigration, clear it through
customs, and get it checked in again for the onward connection. In case your
baggage does not arrive on the same flight as you do, do not waste too much
time hunting for it. Mention it to the airline representative and give them
a forwarding address with phone number where you can be reached. In any
event, do not miss your connecting flight. In case your flight came in late
or the onward flight is cancelled, it is the responsibility of the airline
in which you flew into the country or the airline that cancelled its flight
to make arrangements for another flight. If the delay involves an overnight
stay, then the airline has to put you up for the night and also pay for your
meals. Do not let the airline representative convince you otherwise.
Important Note:
Please don't panic if it so happens that your flight arrives late and the
time for the connecting flight is too near (say, within the next 10-15
minutes) for you to make it due to Immigration and Customs delays. Simply
follow the same actions outlined above and get your airline to arrange
things for you. Don't be rude, but be firm while dealing with the airline
representatives.
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Luggage Information
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By now, you must have received
tons of advice on what to take with you from all and sundry. This "tons of
advice" will normally translate into "tons of luggage" and while you may not
be averse to the idea of performing the Herculean task of carrying it around
the airports of the world, we doubt if your backbone or the airlines would
look kindly on this venture. Remember that if you are coming from outside
the US, you are allowed only 2 pieces of luggage of specified weight
(usually 50 lbs/ 23 kg) and dimensions. Please check with your particular airline
for specific details. We hope that the forthcoming information will
help you pack light. Also be sure to stick address tags on either
side of baggage. You can use your contact address in the US if
you have one, or you may use any of our addresses listed at the
end of this document.
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Clothing
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The dress code on campus is
pretty informal and a T-shirt worn with jeans is almost a universal dress
code for both sexes here. Formal dressing is mandatory only on a few
occasions. You may, of course, want to bring along some Indian clothes
(saris, kurtas, etc) with you. We would also recommend that you get a pair
of good leather shoes, as they are fairly expensive here. You can get
T-shirts and Jeans almost at the same cost or sometimes lower than that
available in India. If you don’t intend to purchase these from here, you
should bring more of the same as compared to the list given below. In
general the following list should suffice:
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3-4 pairs of jeans
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7-10 T-shirts
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1-2 pairs of formal
trousers/shirts/saris/salwar kameez/etc
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A suit (recommended-you'll
need it when you are being interviewed for your job)
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At least 10 pairs of
undergarments
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1 pair of thermals (
available cheap here )
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At least 10 pairs of socks
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1 pair leather shoes, 1
pair of sandals and 1 pair of slippers for indoor use
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3/4 pairs of informal
shirts (Half Sleeve for Spring/Summer).
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1 large towel, 2 small
towels, 2/3 napkins
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1 pair woolen gloves and a
monkey cap (if u feel like it)
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An umbrella
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Fall Jacket / Windcheater
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In summer it gets pretty hot
and preferable clothing during this time is shorts/capris/skirts,
sleeveless tops for girls and shorts and t-shirts for guys.
Also, remember that the
laundry cycle is once in 15 days so get sufficient clothes
accordingly. You will have to buy the winter jacket from here, since
most of the stuff available in India is not good enough for the winter here.
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Edibles and Kitchen Ware
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Don't go overboard in stuffing
your bags with all possible items. Exercise judgments in what would be a
reasonable quantity of the items listed below for your style of cooking and
pack accordingly.
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Masala
dabba Pav
Bhaji Masala
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Pulav Masala
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Garam Masala
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Pickles You Like
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Sambhar Masala
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Chole Masala
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Tea Powder / Coffee Powder
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Haldi
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Dhania
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Whole Spices (Khara
Masala)
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Jeera
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Rye (Mustard Seeds)
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Chilli Powder
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Sambhar Podi
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Rasam Podi (Important, If It
Is Your Staple Diet)
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Paruppu Podi
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For Non-Vegetarians Bring
Meat Masalas, Chicken Masalas etc
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Pappads/Applam
Remember that the easiest way
to make friends with seniors is to feed the existing Indian food-starved
populace with desi delicacies and sweets. So if there are any specialties of
your place, do get them along.
Note: Remember to seal and label all edible items properly.
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Cooking Accessories
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A major temptation is to bring
along all kinds of pots and pans. DON'T!! All you should be getting with you
is:
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1 Pressure cooker (bring a
large one if you plan to share accommodation - at least 3 liters).
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Spare accessories for the
cooker (safety valves, gasket, whistle, etc - very imp)
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Cutting board ( suggestion:
Anjali cutter)
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Kitchen tongs
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1 non-stick ware frying pan
and wooden stirrer spoons, forks,
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A sharp knife,
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Butter knife,
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Potato peeler
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Serving spoons (chamcha/karandi
- at least two )
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A pair of kitchen tongs (pakkad/idiki)
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Deep frying pan (kadahi,
preferably non - stick)
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2 plates, Glass, Tea Cup
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Masala dabba
(box)
Almost everything else you can get here and
it would be a sheer waste of space packing in too many utensils.
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Personal Items
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Get the following for your first few days (or weeks if you want), but just
that much.
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Toothbrush and toothpaste
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Shaving kit
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Hair comb/brush
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Soap
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Shampoo
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Perfumes and Deodorants
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Ear buds
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Tooth floss.
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Coconut oil
- Alarm Clock
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Nail cutter
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Cold Cream (essential in winter )
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Vaccinations & Health
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The ISSO Arrival package talks about mandatory medical procedures. It is of
utmost importance for you to go through the same. From past experience we
advise you to be vaccinated against
- Hepatitis
B
- MMR
- Measles Mumps and Rubella
- Tetanus
Also get Blood, Urine test reports, Tuberculin Test report,
a dental checkup and a Chest X-ray unless you feel comfortable about
paying through your teeth for getting one done here. It will save you money
here.... You are also advised to get
a first aid kit along.
Remember to get any prescription medicines that you take regularly.
Also if you use spectacles, get at least two
spare sets as they are really expensive out here (around
$150 - 200 ).
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Stationery
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Since this is a costly commodity here, at least in the initial days, when
you are still converting everything to Indian Rupees, you may want to get
along at least 2 big notebooks/notepads, a set of dozen pens and pencils,
eraser, ruler, batteries, cello tape, stapler, staples, paper pins/clips,
adhesives. Few 0.5 pencils, scale, rubber, ballpoint pens, sharpener,
stapler, 2-3 notepads/registers/logbooks. Do not get
puncher or files from India as
the file system in the U.S. is different ( 3 - hole system ). Also
get a sturdy backpack / college bag as
you will need it. Everybody here uses one.
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Textbooks
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These are extremely expensive in the United States, so if there are
some books that are considered standard references for your area, or you
can find them especially useful, get them along. Below ,we have
provided a list of texts which
are considered standard for the
respective courses / departments.
List of Books:
Civil and Environmental Engineering:
Structures:
· Structural Dynamics - Dr Anil Chopra (this is
book is cheaper in India
)....
· Design of Concrete structures - Nilson,
Darwin
(latest edition) ...
· Design of Steel Structures - Seigul
Transportation And Environmental Engineering:
All
books and material are available here. Need not carry while coming.
Construction Engineering and Management:
· Construction Management by Daniel W. Halpin, Ronald W. Woodhead 2nd Edition
· Construction Planning Equipment and Methods by
Robert L. Peurifoy, William B. Ledbetter and
Clifford J. Schexnayder 5th Edition
Mechanical Engineering:
Vibrations, FEA and Design
· "Theory of Vibration with
Applications" 5th ed., by William T.Thompson
and Marie Dillon Dahleh, Publisher: Prentice Hall,
1998.
· "Concepts and Applications of Finite
Element Analysis" by RobertD. Cook, David S.
Malkus, Michael E. Plesha,
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
· "Advanced Engineering
Mathematics" by Peter V.
O'Neil Publisher: Brooks Cole
In addition to this get the books
from undergraduate courses for reference as per your choice.
Thermals
· Advanced Engineering Mathematics :
Peter V. O'Neil
· Viscous fluid flow Frank M. White
ECECS
Systems Engineering
· Linear Systems Design and Control Chi, Tsong Chen
· Digital Signal Processing , John Proakis
· Introduction to Random Processes, Leon Garcia
(very important)
CS-Networking
· Computer Networking by Kurose & Ross
· Sequential and Parallel Algorithms by Berman
& Paul
· Artificial Intelligence by Russel
& Norvig
· Introduction to wireless & mobile systems by
Agrawal and Zeng
· Operating Systems by Galvin Silberschatz
· Fundamentals of Database systems by Navathe or Database Systems: TheComplete
Book by Ullman (For the database course taught by
Dr.Mazlack, notes have to be purchased here and
the book is merely a reference.
Tannenbaum (Modern OS)
Engineering a Compiler [Cooper and Torczon),
Queuing Theory 2 volumes (Kleinrock),
Peter Linz Automata.)
EMD
Electronic Devices:
· Physics of Semiconductor Devices: - S.M. Sze.
· Fundamentals of Modern VLSI devices: - Yuan Taur and Tak H. Ning.
· Solid State
Electronic Devices: - Ben
Streetman.
MEMS
· Micro machined Transducers Sourcebook - Gregory
Kovacs (not available in India )
· Micro system Design - Stephen D. Senturia
Optoelectronics
· Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices:- P.
Bhattacharya
· Optical Fiber Communications: - Gerd Keiser, 3rd Edition.
Microwave
· Microwave Engineering - David M. Pozar
VLSI
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Book List for Comp
Eng VLSI
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Course
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Quarter
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Book
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PHYSICAL VLSI DSGN
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Fall
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Digital Integrated Circuits (2nd Edition) by Jan M. Rabaey, Anantha Chandrakasan, Borivoje Nikolic
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DSGN ANAL ALGO I
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Fall
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K. Berman and J.L. Paul, Fundamentals of Sequential and
Parallel Algorithms, PWS/Brooks-Cole, 1997
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AUTOM FORM LANG I
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Fall
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P. Linz. An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata,
3rd Ed., DC Heath, 2000.
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INTRO COMPUTR ARCH
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Fall
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J.L. Hennessy and D.A. Patterson, Computer Architecture: A
Quantitative Approach, 2nd Ed., Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc. 1996.
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COMPUTER ARITH
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Winter
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Behrooz Parhami,
Computer Arithmetic,
Oxford
University Press, 2000.
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VLSI DSGN AUTOMTN
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Winter
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S. Sait and H. Youssef, VLSI Physical Design Automation, IEEE Press,
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LOW PWR VLSI CRCT
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Winter
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W. Nebel and J. Mermet, Low Power Design in Deep Sub-micron
Electronics, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1997.
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VLSI SYSTEM DESIGN
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Winter
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N. Weste and K. Eshraghian, Principles of CMOS VLSI Design: A Systems
Perspective, Addison-Wesley.
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Compiler Theory
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Winter
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Engineering a Compiler by Keith D. Cooper, Linda Torczon 2003
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VLSI TEST & VALDTN
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Spring
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1) M.L. Bushnell and V.D. Agrawal,
Essentials of Electronic Testing for Digital, Memory and Mixed Signal
VLSI Circuits, Kluwer Academic Publishers,
2000.
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2) M. Abramovici, M. A. Breuer,
and A. D. Friedman, Digital Systems Testing and Testable Design, Computer
Science Press, 1990, ISBN: 0-7167-8179-4
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PARLL&DIST NUMRCL
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Spring
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An Introduction to Parallel Computing: Design and Analysis
of Algorithms, Second Edition by Ananth Grama, Anshul Gupta, George
Karpis, Vipin Kumar
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Advanced Compiler Optimizations
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Spring
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Engineering a Compiler by Keith D. Cooper, Linda Torczon 2003
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Advanced Computer Architectures
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Spring
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J.L. Hennessy and D.A. Patterson, Computer Architecture: A
Quantitative Approach, 2nd Ed., Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc. 1996.
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Multi Tech for VLSI
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Spring
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CMOS Circuit Design, Layout, and Simulation by R. Jacob
Baker, Harry W. Li, David E. Boyce
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Apart from above text books
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Try to get books in
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Subject
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Recommended
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CPP
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Deitel and Deitel
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Java
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Complete Reference
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VHDL
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Bhaskar , Ashenden
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Verilog
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Samir Palnitkar
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Digital design
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Mano
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Analog Design
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Razavi or Allen and Holberg
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Important Note
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Some books are not available in India, For example most of Kluver publications and some IEEE books.
It is Insane to get all
the books and come, Use your Rationality and Available Baggage
space to make a decision
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Chemical Engineering:
·
Transport Phenomena by R. Byron Bird, Warren, E. Stewart,
Edwin N. Lightfoot, Second Edition.
·
Chemical Reaction Engineering, 3rd Edition by Octave Levenspiel
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Thermodynamics : principles and practice / Michel Saad
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Music
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You may also want to bring along some cassettes and/or CDs of your favorite
music as pre-recorded sub-continental music of your choice may not
necessarily be readily available. For all you know, these cassettes may
turn out to be your only source of cost-effective entertainment in your
first year here!
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What to keep in your
hand baggage
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Keep your hand baggage in your possession all the time.
Do not leave it unattended at any
time, especially at the changeover. Your hand
baggage should contain the following :
- Passport,
I-20 and Admission letter.
- At least two sets of clothing.
- Telephone /
Address book.
- Cash /
Traveler's checks.
- Medication for air sickness if you need it.
- Our
address and phone numbers, in case
you need to contact us.
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What to keep at home
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There are certain things that you need to keep safely at home along with
your parents. These are:
- List of
addresses at which information about you can be obtained.
- A copy of
important documents ( passport, I-20, transcripts, admission letter).
- The numbers
of your traveler's checks and demand draft.
- A
few blank signed papers in case
your parents need them.
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Where will I live
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ISA will provide you temporary
accommodation for a few days until you find your permanent housing. You will
have to find your permanent housing off campus. Previously on campus
Graduate & Family Housing apartments: Scioto Hall and Morgens Hall used to
be the most viable rental option for graduate students. But these are
scheduled to close on August 31, 2008 for essential upgrades in fire safety.
So off campus housing is the only option available for new students. For
more information about G&F Housing closure and off campus housing master
list please visit
http://www.uc.edu/gradfamilyhousing/.
If you need room mates, alongside yahoo groups and google groups,you can also make you of http://www.finddesiroommate.com.
On Campus undergraduate
housing is available. On campus housing is considered to be safe and closer
to the college building premises . They also provide most facilities that
students need for a decent living.
In the case of off campus
housing, there are good areas to live in as well. Several off campus
apartment owners allot their houses for rent on a certain lease period and
rent fixed prior to the tenant's occupancy in the apartment. It is always
advisable to see the apartments, the neighborhood and the facilities for
yourself before finalizing your apartment. We suggest you to come here at
least a couple of weeks prior to the start of your session so that you have
enough time to find a house and be comfortable. The leasing period is
usually one year.
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On Campus Jobs
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Part time jobs for students
are available on-campus. These openings which become available from time to
time are generally posted on the UC
website-www.jobsatuc.com.
Upon submitting an application and resume, you will normally have to attend
an interview in case a vacant position arises. The satisfactory candidates
are chosen for work.
International Students are not
allowed to work part time for more than 20 hours a week as per current
immigration rules. Do keep yourself updated regarding the immigration rules,
as they keep changing from time to time.
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Managing your finances
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For most of you, this might be the first time stay away from
your home; and hence you might be new to managing your own finances.
Managing your finances is an interesting partof
one's academic life. Please remember that your initial expenses will be
higher here than the expenses you may incur later on. Even if you are on an
assistantship, it might take you some time before you receive your pay
checks. Hence make it a point to bring around $2000 of United States
Currency. You may also like to bring this in the form of Traveller's checks. After coming here, you can deposit
your money in a suitable bank. While opening a bank account, most banks
will need your identification. Normally the accepted identification
are your passport and your UC ID ( which you will receive upon your arrival
here).
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On arrival
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The first and foremost step that you need to carry out upon
arrival is to check in with the UC
International Services (ISSO). ISSO will conduct an orientation for all
new students. This orientation is mandatory for all international students
on an F1 visa.
ISA will conduct an orientation for all new students as
well. We will keep you posted with details regarding the date and time of
orientation, as per your arrival schedules. In this orientation, you will
be told about the various things that have to be done, and help you feel at
home.
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Something to look forward to
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Staying miles away from one's native country is the best way
to feel home sick. Doing something worthwhile for our own country gives us
a lot of pleasure. The Cincinnati chapter of Association for India's Development
(AID) does just that. AID is a non-profit organization that works for
India's social development. Started in 1991, now AID has become an active
agency in providing support to development projects back home. AID Cincinnati, initially started as a student body, has
now become an active chapter among all the AID chapters in USA.
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