Table of Contents

• ISA registration
• Online Temporary Accomodation and Pick-Up Form
  Important Notice: ISA will not provide transportation from the airport. You will need to complete and submit the form available from UC International if you wish to avail of this facility.
• Where is Cincinnati
• Immigrations and Customs
• Connecting Flights
• Textbooks
• Luggage Information
• Clothing
• Edibles
• Cooking Accessories
• Personal Items
• Vaccinations & Health
• Stationery
• Textbooks
• Music
• What  to  keep  in  your  hand  baggage
• What  to  keep  at  home
• What not to bring with you
• Documents
• Where will I live
• On Campus Jobs
• Managing  your  finances
• On Arrival
• Something  to  look  forward  to

ISA Registration

  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.

Where is Cincinnati

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 ).
 

Immigration and Customs

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.
 

Connecting Flights

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.  
 

Luggage Information

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.
 

Clothing

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:
 

•  3-4 pairs of jeans
•  7-10  T-shirts
•  1-2 pairs of formal trousers/shirts/saris/salwar kameez/etc
•  A suit (recommended-you'll need it when you are being interviewed for your  job)
•  At least 10 pairs of undergarments
•  1 pair  of thermals ( available cheap here )
•  At least 10 pairs of socks
•  1 pair leather shoes, 1 pair  of   sandals and 1 pair of slippers for indoor use 
•  3/4 pairs of informal shirts (Half Sleeve for Spring/Summer).
•  1 large towel, 2 small towels, 2/3 napkins
•  1 pair woolen gloves and a monkey cap (if u feel like it)
•  An umbrella
•  Fall  Jacket / Windcheater
• 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.

Edibles and Kitchen Ware

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.

• Masala dabba Pav Bhaji Masala
• Pulav Masala
• Garam Masala
• Pickles You Like
• Sambhar Masala
• Chole Masala
• Tea Powder / Coffee  Powder 
• Haldi
• Dhania
• Whole Spices (Khara Masala)
• Jeera
• Rye (Mustard Seeds)
• Chilli Powder
• Sambhar Podi
• Rasam Podi (Important, If It Is Your Staple Diet)
• Paruppu Podi
• For Non-Vegetarians Bring Meat Masalas, Chicken Masalas etc
• 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.

 

Cooking Accessories

A major temptation is to bring along all kinds of pots and pans. DON'T!! All you should be getting with you is:

•  1 Pressure cooker (bring a large one if you plan to share accommodation - at least 3 liters).
•  Spare accessories for the cooker (safety valves, gasket, whistle, etc - very  imp)
•  Cutting board ( suggestion: Anjali cutter)
•  Kitchen tongs
•  1 non-stick ware frying pan and wooden stirrer spoons, forks,
•  A sharp knife,
•  Butter knife,
•  Potato peeler
•  Serving spoons (chamcha/karandi - at least  two )
•  A pair of kitchen tongs (pakkad/idiki)
•  Deep frying pan (kadahi, preferably  non - stick)
•  2 plates, Glass, Tea Cup
•  Masala dabba (box)  

Almost everything else you can get here and it would be a sheer waste of space packing in too many utensils.

 

Personal Items

Get the following for your first few days (or weeks if you want), but just that much.

•  Toothbrush and toothpaste
•  Shaving kit
•  Hair comb/brush
•  Soap
•  Shampoo
•  Perfumes  and  Deodorants
•  Ear buds
•  Tooth floss.
•  Coconut oil
•  Alarm Clock
•  Nail cutter
•  Cold Cream (essential  in  winter )

Vaccinations & Health

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 ).
 

Stationery

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.
 

Textbooks

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  2^nd Edition

·        Construction Planning Equipment and Methods by Robert L. Peurifoy, William B. Ledbetter and Clifford J. Schexnayder 5^th 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

Chemical Engineering:

·         Transport Phenomena by R. Byron Bird, Warren, E. Stewart, Edwin N. Lightfoot, Second Edition.

·         Chemical Reaction Engineering, 3rd Edition by Octave Levenspiel

·         Thermodynamics : principles and practice / Michel Saad 

Music

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!
 

What to keep  in  your  hand  baggage

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.

What to keep  at  home

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.

Where will I live

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.

On Campus Jobs

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.

Managing your finances

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).

On arrival

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.

Something to look forward to

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.