Strangefox

What about tornados?

Start going it as early as possible. What about trying to get in touch with other students from the program and asking them for help? If they live in a place you will be moving to, they can check out apartements for you. It's is much safer to have an apartment checked before paying for it, if not by you then by a person you can trust. Renting unseen apartments is definetely not recommendable.

So it seems Comcast is better on the East Coast than on the West, probably due to the fact that it has headquarters in Philadelphia. In CA it's terrible, in CO it's better, in Boston it's fine. I hope this theory is correct because I will be not so far from its headquarters, actually Well, so it seems one doesn't need a super quick internet connection to Skype - that's a relief. I might use the cheapest Comcast Internet deal, then. Which is $40, not $35. I guess you are using your internet in a bundle with something - it's cheaper that way. And thanks for the input!

That is definetely a surprise for me! Why??? I mean - it's the US!!!! You have invented internet, for crying out loud!!!

Thanks for the input! I am not going to download anything but I want to talk via Skype quite often. Is it good for that? And more specifically are 1.5 Mbps for download and up to 384 Kbps for upload enough for that?

So I found out that in the building where I will be living the only internet provider is Comcast. I went to their website and found out that it is so pricy! Then I started looking for some info about it online and a lot of people write that they are not satisfied with its services I can't say nothing about the quality for sure (I have not tried it yet) but I already don't like the prices. The cheapest option seems to be $40 a month and the speed is only up to 1.5 Mbps for downloads and up to 384 Kbps for upload! That is ridiculous! I have about 7 Mbps for downloads and uploads and I pay only around $15 for that!! I thought in the US there are hundreds of Internet providers and I will be able to choose something cheap an nice but now I see that this Comcast holds some sort of monopoly and rips off its clients without providing real quality... *hopefully* Or am I perhaps wrong?? BTW, I need only internet - no TV, no phone.

I hope! At least I will try to be very frugal. May be I will need $1500... It's so hard to predict all expenses. It also depends a lot on a place where you will be living - obviously, some are cheaper and others more expensive.

That's a good question! I've been trying to estimate these costs too... I guess apart from money I will need to pay for my apartment (two month before the first pay check arrives - ouch!) I would need around $1000 to survive before I get the first check, and that will be on September 30th - and I will arrive in mid August. I will buy some very basic stuff like a futon, a set of linen, a pillow and a blanket, then something to cook in and eat with (fork, spoon, knife, plate, mug, pot) and a chair. And a couple of towels. I am sure I have forgotten something And of course I will have to buy food... And commute... Oh... September 30 is so far away!

Thanks!

Congrats! By the way, how did you answer a question about why do you want to go to the US?

(posting this smily just to get more posts )

I have finally rented an apartment in a city where I will be studying and I have been using Google maps to look around the area. Man, whoever invented Google maps is a genius! I love it so much! And I love the area where my apartment is situated Anybody else has been spending too much time in Google maps lately?

Good luck! Could you tell us about it when it's over?

We did not just say "get up and leave". We said: contact a hotline, find councelling. Have you done that?

The message you replied you is actually spam

Ah, it's an interesting idea! I might do that! I will listen to how other people introduce themselves and say something of the same kind. Thanks!

Thank you very much!!!

So my F-1 interview is approaching and though I'm telling myself I have nothing to worry about (I am going to a graduate program with a nice four-year fellowship) I am feeling kind if nervous anyway... If you have already had F-1 interview or have read something useful about it, please share your experience and knowledge! I know that they will ask me why I chose this school (1) and what are my bonds with my home country (2). And what are my plans after graduation (3). I have thought of nice answers for all these questions. 1) I will tell about the program, why it is such a great fit, and about the fellowship, and about a great advisor that I found in this program. 2) I will tell them about my family who live in my home town (most importantly, my parents) and that we have apartments there and that I am registered in on of this apartments. 3) I will tell them that I need to aquire skills and get access to literature that is difficult to aquire/get acces to in my home country but then I will return and continue my research in my country, using all knowledge and expertise given to me by the American program. My research topic concerns both my counrty and America, so that seems logical. So what else can I expect? What else shoud I (or should not I) tell at the interview?

Bring it just in case

Thanks!

Runonsentence, Fuzzylogician, thanks a lot!

Technically it was cancelled so you should say yes. But you should not worry - at the interview you will explain why it was cancelled and they won't think that you broke some rules and was ordered to leave the country or something of that kind. I myself has filled in this form not so long ago and now am waiting for the interview. Good luck!