: 5 Steps to US Study: Prepare for your departure #IndiaNEWS #Columns Hello readers! In last week’s column, we concluded Step 4 from our series on EducationUSA’s ‘5 Steps to US Study’. So far,

5 Steps to US Study: Prepare for your departure #IndiaNEWS #Columns
Hello readers! In last week’s column, we concluded Step 4 from our series on EducationUSA’s ‘5 Steps to US Study’. So far, we have discussed ‘Step 1: Research Your Options’, ‘Step 2: Finance Your Studies’, ‘Step 3: Complete Your Application’, and ‘Step 4: Apply for Your Student Visa’. Today, we will be moving on to the first part of our final step ‘Step 5: Prepare for Your Departure’.
Once a student has completed Steps 3 and 4, the student will have to prepare for their departure to and arrival in the United States. Today’s step is to prepare and complete a list of arrangements prior to travel based on these categories and tasks:
Prepare for travel
•Book plane tickets based on the university’s NSO (New Student Orientation) for international students. These are often mandatory programs. If flight connections will be necessary, pay attention to time changes when planning layovers!
• Arrange for pickup at the airport in the US can be done with:
i) Help from current students of the US institution
ii) Other new international students
iii) Help from the institution’s international student office
iv) Online pickup services, such as Uber or Lyft
v) The airport taxi/shuttle services
Pack bags
•Check the baggage allowance policy of your chosen airline
•Research the average weather conditions for the destination State and pack clothing accordingly
•Avoid packing restricted items
•Check these websites for guidelines — Transport Security Administration (TSA): tsa. gov/travel, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP): cbp. gov/travel/international-visitors
Important documents
The student’s valid passport with their student visa: I-20 Form, financial documents, university admission letter, academic transcripts
• Other necessary documentation (e. g. , proof of vaccination, etc. )
• Be sure to keep all important documents in a safe place
Get health checks
•Every institution has its own vaccination requirements for incoming international students, so check the university’s website for details.
•Get vaccinated as per the guidelines of your university and bring proof of vaccination with you
•General health checkup
•Dental checkup
•Eye checkup
• Since students will be travelling internationally, it is ideal to ensure their health ahead of travel

Buy Health Insurance
•Health insurance is required in the US, so students should buy insurance that is valid there.
Pack prescription meds
•Students should bring both their medication and their prescription with them to the US.
Set up housing arrangements
Students should have arranged for a place to stay during the time between their arrival and their long-term housing arrangements being available.