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of course, TA is fine. but i think TA/RA-ship is covered by the contract/agreement we sign. so if the consulate asks you 'will you work?' - just say that you have TA/RA obligations. never ever say you will work other jobs on or off campus. but don't worry, grad students aren't grilled as hard as they grill undergrads who are applying for a visa.

it depends on which part of the country you are at - grocery stores have contracts with commercial food producers, and not all stores will have contracts with the same producer. still, brands such as 'minute maid', 'simply orange', 'tropicana' can be seen almost all over the country. they know that most international students cannot afford the high cost of tuition and living in the US, because most of them are from third world countries. the funds students show to the consulate during visa interview is barely enough after the first year. therefore, the only option then is to work on and off campus. working off campus is of course illegal, if it's not some kind of internship, co-op, etc. however the consulates also know that many students will apply for and receive scholarships, fellowships, etc. so in the end, it all works out - regardless of the student getting scholarships and/or working on/off campus. still, you don't tell the consulate that you will be working.. even on campus. the organic foods will either be labeled as 'organic'. or all organic foods will be grouped in a separate section together. yes, organic foods are slightly more expensive. will all food in farmer's market be organic? this depends on your definition of organic foods. and there's a huge debate over this. but all foods here will not be organic, in general, food in farmer's market tend to be produced by farmers in low-scale, with extra care and love, if you will. the food will definitely be more fresh, and somewhat cheaper, but you never know if the farmer pumped tons of pesticides and fertilizers into the crops, or if he did it the 'organic' way. still, food in the farmers market taste a lot better than the commercially produced food you find in grocery stores.

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ha! - typical east coast price. i was in dc few summers ago in my internship, and man, the prices were incredibly high! ..although they weren't 3-5$ a pound of tomatoes and such. here in the west coast, tomatoes and apples average 1.5$ a pound, carrots about 1$ a pound, cabbages about .7$ a pound, bananas .6$ a pound and so on. the price for fruits and vegetables fluctuates depending on the season. for example, grapes and oranges cost you more during the winter because it's off season for these fruits. listing here prices of some more grocery items, for your amusement (again, the prices are average): milk - 2.5$ per gallon (1 gallon = approx 3.8 liters); orange juice (best quality = higher pulp percentage) - 3$ for about 2 liters; eggs - 1.5$ a dozen; potato chips - 2.4$ per bag (the normal lays-size packet); sweet corn (fresh, green) - .3$ per pound; sugar - 2$ per pound, and the list goes on and on. and usually, spinach, green garlic, green onion can be somewhat expensive.. ranging 1-2$ per bundle. but living cost is not that expensive (at least around my place). and if you frequent the groceries, go to farmer's market (as suggested above), eat at home and pack your lunch, you will do fine without spending a lot of money. the first one - sufficient funding for at least a year. ideally, they want to see that you can enter the US, and be able to survive for at least a year, no matter what. the consulates will know that once you are in, you will find jobs and can make money to support yourself. however, DO NOT tell your interviewer that you will be working on/off campus to make money so that you can support yourself. if you do, that will contradict with the fact that you can support yourself with the funds available for at least a year without having to work or anything. but i assume you have support from the department (stipend, TA/RAship, fellowship, etc). so, it shouldn't be too hard for you to prove that you have enough money for the first year. good luck man! i myself need to go home this summer and get me a new visa.

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although i am not in the same boat, i can feel your pain and frustration. hang in there man, things will turn better.

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Hey all, who are planning to attend UMN, I've been suggested by my department to get a co-op housing at the CTC (http://www.umnctc.org/ run by the U itself). Apparently, this co-op is only for grad students, and is located near the St Paul campus with bus connections that take you to the Minneapolis campus every 5 minutes. I checked the rental price and single living is going to be little costly, and is difficult to get (that's what I've been told). But getting a 2 bedroom apt would be cheaper (rent less than 400$/person, all utilities included) and easier too. Plus, it's a common living place for family + single students in various grad programs and from all over the world: great for first hand cultural experience - a definite plus in my opinion. So I was wondering, how would you guys like to share an apartment together? The application fee is 40$ non-refundable and we could split on that. I've also been told that the application process can take few months, therefore I am planning on submitting an application quite soon. Let me know if this is something you'd be interested in. Thanks

mnm pretzel have you guys seen the ad with the pretzel that speaks with italian accent? hilarious.. check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EddK8L6oiTU

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may be. may be not. i haven't heard from few schools i've applied to either, and i am assuming those are silent-rejections. which is to say, they won't tell you that you are rejected until you ask them. but i could be wrong too. so, it's best to email the program and see what's going on.