My ticket to Gainsville/FL/USA came in many parts...the UFL admit, the visa and ofcourse the Delta Airlines flight ticket. So it was on 20 Dec at 8.00 p.m. IST tht I set out on the long journey from home.
We'd booked a Qualis to carry my three huge bags and me, mom and dad. We reached Mumbai's international airport at abt 9.00 p.m. IST and I'd a pleasant surprise waiting for me. Amu and Sumit had come to see me off!! Tht felt reallyyy gr8! Check in was a breeze with uncle being in airport security. Infact it happened so fast tht I doubt I can recount what it consisted of.
I took a trolley and wheeled in my bags...passport and flight e-ticket in hand. At the check-in counter they asked me sme questions like "is there any liquid in ur bags", "did u pack them urself", "any electronic/electric items?", etc. and all. Answered them all then got 3 boarding passes - one frm mumbai to JFK/NY, the other to reboard at NY after customs and immigration for onward flight to Atlanta and third for Atlanta to Gainesville. Checked in baggage without any extra charge...Delta was in holiday spirit and kind towards students :)
A quick meet and a round of hugs with parents...handshakes with sumit and amu and a heavy goodbye to everyone and i was back inside filling the immigration form. Yea u need to do it in India too! Submitted it at the immigration counter and got a red stamp on my passport for it.
Then came the very trying task of finding Deepika and Vineesha, my travel mates. They'd already checked in since Uncle to the rescue again...after extensive searching he found them at the immigration counter and we finally met in person. The security check for our flight hadn't opened yet so we'd to wait in the lounge. Had a paneer sandwich and some iced tea while we waited...the last meal paid for in Rupees for a long time!
Security check opened at abt 11.30 p.m. IST and we wer let in after frisking and scanning of cabin bags. Once in there was a wait again till abt 12.45 wen we wer allowed to proceed to the aircraft. Here again Delta personnel screened us for liquids, gels, etc. We'd to even take off our shoes, belts and jackets to be frisked!!! Took off half an hr late at 1.30 a.m. IST.
The 14 hour journey in the aircraft was tiring to say the least. Service was OK...either good nor bad. Had dinner, light meal and breakfast on time, could order juice, cookies, tea, coffee on demand. Slept fitfully in the flight for the seat didn't go too far back. Were provided with pillow and blanket for the flight, also headphones for the TV set at the back of the seat before us and toothbrush, toothpaste. Best part abt the TV set was it allowed us to track the current destination of the flight and gave the time to reach destination.
Landed at JFK at 6.50 a.m. US time referred to as EST here. We wer given priority for immigration since we'd to catch the same flight to Atlanta. Immigration was simple no hassles, I-20 stamped, fingerprints taken, photo taken and passport stamped too. Got the I94 form and we wer done with immigration. In customs form we listed total value of goods with us to less than $500 and customs were done in a flash. The trolley at JFK however cost $3!!! Another thing to miss frm back home as Mumbai airport has free trolleys!
Another round of strict frisking with removing belts,shoes, jacket, etc. Thankfully this time no opening of bags. And we were back in the flight to go to Atlanta. The take off was thankfully quick and the flight was even quicker! We reached Atlanta at 11.30 a.m. EST. Took the train to Concourse D from Concourse E...talk abt hugee airports!! Felt like travelling from Borivali to Kandivali or rather from Rajiv Chowk to Chandni Chowk since the train at Atlanta was like the metro. Spent a longg time at the airport doing nothing. Had a bad headache by then so had to skip reading the book I'd picked. Wasted 2 $...one on coffee and one on phone call...coffee turned out yuck and phone didn't get thru tho the machine swallowed our quarters!!
Then the flight to Gainesville, delayed but not cancelled, left at 3.15 p.m. IST. Such a small plane with hardly any room to sit! I can't describe much abt it bcos I slept for the entire hour of the flight. Gainesville Regional Airport...reached here at 4.30 p.m. IST. From the hugeness of Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson to the smallness of GNV Regional. No trolleys to waste 3$ on here :) Dragged our baggage out ourselves!
Surprises dont end!! Nobody atallll to receive us!! Some waiting, again searching for change, more waiting, more puzzling over local phones and finally few frantic calls to contacts here. Then there came the ISA ppl to pick us up. Crammed suitcases in cars and we wer off to our apartments.
Regency Oaks is a beauuuutifulll place and loved it the moment we arrived. Roomies were those arrived in fall so were very helpful and nice. Dropped bags in a corner, had a shower, changed and chatted home on GTalk. Exhausted from the long journey I slept and how!! from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.!! Thankfully no sickness except bodyache and no jetlag!
Watch this space for more adventures in Gainesville...till then Toodles!!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Friday, December 07, 2007
From Passport to Visa : A memorable journey!
There are times when u feel some things are meant to be and my decision to pursue MS was one such thing for me. The day I decided this...somewhere in 6th sem...it felt like a daunting task. Today, a week b4 the flight to US it all seemed so much fun...not easy by any means but FUN!! So heres a short summary of my experiences. It will ofcourse not be a comprehensive documentation abt Dos and Don'ts of studying in US but it shud serve as a guide for the minutiae of studying in US of A.
The story begins in 7th sem when me, mom and dad snagged a passport agent to get our passports made. Tht was probably the day when my tryst with Xerox Machines began for since then till now i must hav xeroxed zillion documents! So we got ourselves photographed, got hold of all the countless docs and ofcourse got the forms filled by the agent. The only big help the agent provided was putting a fella in the passport office line at 4.00 am...a time so early, it makes me turn blue! We took the fella's place at 7.00 am...a more humane time to get up!
Police verification after 15 days was like the Mastercard ad...getting urself police verified is ofcourse a thing tht money can buy in our country. We wer let off with easy since we looked like good honest folks. Then comes the passport in hand. But it is blank...disappointingly blank. The time to fill it with a Visa is sooo far off!!
After passport there was the GRE to face. Look up my March posts for my cribbings on the endless wordlists and the done-without-calci maths. Managed a better-than-good score and cleared another hurdle in the race to MS. The TOEFL cudnt hav been better...well perhaps it wud be if I didn't hav to juggle it with the Innformation Security viva of 8th sem!!!
Then started the MS application process inaugurated with a debate on which counsellor to take. After meetings with numerous counsellors, we decided on Madhavi Desai...more for the ease on pocket than for the reputation! Then comes the SOP...again with numerous iterations which led to me getting sick of the SOP...bt we managed a good one (wud be putting it up on the blog once I reach my univ!)
In between this there was the raging debate on Spring vs Fall vs Infosys at home. I decided to take a big gamble...or so I perceived it to be back then...and go for Spring term application and giv up Infy joining. This inspite of caution frm frends abt less univ choice, no aid, less ppl apping...As u read further I suppose u'd conclude with me tht it was the best decision I took.
The recommendation letters made my profs sick for I was fully into my mission of making the recos GENUINE...so each prof had a bunch of 12 univ forms to fill and 12 letters to sign and put in envelopes and glue the flap and sign thrice on the envelope and get the college stamp put on it...phew!
Same story for the transcripts and the office staff were harassed for 25 transcripts! The bank letters were parents headache...they'd to literally run from pillar to post in the bank for it bt managed to get them and the affidavit of support made well in time. Oh yes the univ list...by the time I shortlisted my 12 univs, I knew atleast 1000 courses offered in 500 disciplines in 100 univs across the 50 states of US. I knew the map of US with its states, their capitals, climate, ppl, shops, apts, students, etc. etc. like the back of my hand...talk abt being called weak in Geography at school!
The application process was like no other. Being frm Maharashtra Board and Mumbai Univ...I was used to longgg queues to pay fees, get forms, submit them and then fight ur way thru a mob to see the admission decision. Here, thanks to the Net, there wer no queues, instant filling and form submission and quick fee payments thru credit cards! Supplementary materials wer sent by courier to the univ's address. A note of caution here...don't just stuff all ur material in an envelope and courier it. Take time to arrange it well in plastic sheets with labels indicating whats inside the sheet. Also EDULIX deserves a BIG mention here for I got loads of help frm here during my entire apping!
Then began the long long wait for replies. To while away the time and to do sumthing useful in betn I took up position as a Lecturer in my engg college - Atharva College of Engineering. Read up my post "Docendo Discimus" for the teaching experience! I cant forget tht night in July when I got a mail frm UPS tht a packet was on its way to my house! Anxious, I checked all my univ sites for status updates and Lo! I'd 2 admits!!! The third was ofcourse the packet tht arrived home 2 days later.
In the 2 months tht followed there was continuous excitement every other night with some mail frm some univ and mom, dad, V had all taken to asking me everyday "you've got mail??" Come 1st November, the tally stood at 9 admits, 1 reject and 1 still pending! I'd dropped apping to one univ wen i received a higher admit. Then the decision to finalise on UFL marked an entry into the second phase of my story!!
Now started the wait for the I-20. After numerous mails to Joan (The graduate co-ordinator of CISE at UFL) to all of which she replied so patiently, I'd the DHL courier with my I-20 in hand. Then the rush for Visa documents...again zillions of xeroxes for bank loan, IT papers, marksheets, SEVIS, DS forms, etc. etc. etc. etc. I'd a harmonium folder stuffed full and overflowing when I went for the Visa apptment on 30 Nov. Like all those who passed this way b4 me had warned, the VI itself was sooo cool and the VO cooler!
So 9.15 am, 30 Nov I'm legally qualified to enter the US as a student of its fourth largest univ and pretty high ranked one for databases - University of Florida - with an achievement award of 10k $ per yr!!! A moment to say YIPPIEEEEEE!!!!!!!
Ticket confirmed with Delta...leaving India on 20th Dec...will miss home and life here A LOT!!! Immunization done (yea this is also one of the things I did in the 2 mnths long wait!), insurance taken, registered for courses...fees and cash to carry arranged...apt found, pickup arranged and I'm READY. Well not quite since packing is still on in full swing.
As I get ready to say Goodbye to the place I've loved being in for 22 yrs, I did realise tht MS and tht too in Spring was the best decision I took. It gav me a good univ, with aid...probably bcos fewer ppl app in Spring...a good course and a very satisfying experience as a Prof!!!
So all u budding appers...Happy Apping...and drop me a mail anytime u need help!!
The story begins in 7th sem when me, mom and dad snagged a passport agent to get our passports made. Tht was probably the day when my tryst with Xerox Machines began for since then till now i must hav xeroxed zillion documents! So we got ourselves photographed, got hold of all the countless docs and ofcourse got the forms filled by the agent. The only big help the agent provided was putting a fella in the passport office line at 4.00 am...a time so early, it makes me turn blue! We took the fella's place at 7.00 am...a more humane time to get up!
Police verification after 15 days was like the Mastercard ad...getting urself police verified is ofcourse a thing tht money can buy in our country. We wer let off with easy since we looked like good honest folks. Then comes the passport in hand. But it is blank...disappointingly blank. The time to fill it with a Visa is sooo far off!!
After passport there was the GRE to face. Look up my March posts for my cribbings on the endless wordlists and the done-without-calci maths. Managed a better-than-good score and cleared another hurdle in the race to MS. The TOEFL cudnt hav been better...well perhaps it wud be if I didn't hav to juggle it with the Innformation Security viva of 8th sem!!!
Then started the MS application process inaugurated with a debate on which counsellor to take. After meetings with numerous counsellors, we decided on Madhavi Desai...more for the ease on pocket than for the reputation! Then comes the SOP...again with numerous iterations which led to me getting sick of the SOP...bt we managed a good one (wud be putting it up on the blog once I reach my univ!)
In between this there was the raging debate on Spring vs Fall vs Infosys at home. I decided to take a big gamble...or so I perceived it to be back then...and go for Spring term application and giv up Infy joining. This inspite of caution frm frends abt less univ choice, no aid, less ppl apping...As u read further I suppose u'd conclude with me tht it was the best decision I took.
The recommendation letters made my profs sick for I was fully into my mission of making the recos GENUINE...so each prof had a bunch of 12 univ forms to fill and 12 letters to sign and put in envelopes and glue the flap and sign thrice on the envelope and get the college stamp put on it...phew!
Same story for the transcripts and the office staff were harassed for 25 transcripts! The bank letters were parents headache...they'd to literally run from pillar to post in the bank for it bt managed to get them and the affidavit of support made well in time. Oh yes the univ list...by the time I shortlisted my 12 univs, I knew atleast 1000 courses offered in 500 disciplines in 100 univs across the 50 states of US. I knew the map of US with its states, their capitals, climate, ppl, shops, apts, students, etc. etc. like the back of my hand...talk abt being called weak in Geography at school!
The application process was like no other. Being frm Maharashtra Board and Mumbai Univ...I was used to longgg queues to pay fees, get forms, submit them and then fight ur way thru a mob to see the admission decision. Here, thanks to the Net, there wer no queues, instant filling and form submission and quick fee payments thru credit cards! Supplementary materials wer sent by courier to the univ's address. A note of caution here...don't just stuff all ur material in an envelope and courier it. Take time to arrange it well in plastic sheets with labels indicating whats inside the sheet. Also EDULIX deserves a BIG mention here for I got loads of help frm here during my entire apping!
Then began the long long wait for replies. To while away the time and to do sumthing useful in betn I took up position as a Lecturer in my engg college - Atharva College of Engineering. Read up my post "Docendo Discimus" for the teaching experience! I cant forget tht night in July when I got a mail frm UPS tht a packet was on its way to my house! Anxious, I checked all my univ sites for status updates and Lo! I'd 2 admits!!! The third was ofcourse the packet tht arrived home 2 days later.
In the 2 months tht followed there was continuous excitement every other night with some mail frm some univ and mom, dad, V had all taken to asking me everyday "you've got mail??" Come 1st November, the tally stood at 9 admits, 1 reject and 1 still pending! I'd dropped apping to one univ wen i received a higher admit. Then the decision to finalise on UFL marked an entry into the second phase of my story!!
Now started the wait for the I-20. After numerous mails to Joan (The graduate co-ordinator of CISE at UFL) to all of which she replied so patiently, I'd the DHL courier with my I-20 in hand. Then the rush for Visa documents...again zillions of xeroxes for bank loan, IT papers, marksheets, SEVIS, DS forms, etc. etc. etc. etc. I'd a harmonium folder stuffed full and overflowing when I went for the Visa apptment on 30 Nov. Like all those who passed this way b4 me had warned, the VI itself was sooo cool and the VO cooler!
So 9.15 am, 30 Nov I'm legally qualified to enter the US as a student of its fourth largest univ and pretty high ranked one for databases - University of Florida - with an achievement award of 10k $ per yr!!! A moment to say YIPPIEEEEEE!!!!!!!
Ticket confirmed with Delta...leaving India on 20th Dec...will miss home and life here A LOT!!! Immunization done (yea this is also one of the things I did in the 2 mnths long wait!), insurance taken, registered for courses...fees and cash to carry arranged...apt found, pickup arranged and I'm READY. Well not quite since packing is still on in full swing.
As I get ready to say Goodbye to the place I've loved being in for 22 yrs, I did realise tht MS and tht too in Spring was the best decision I took. It gav me a good univ, with aid...probably bcos fewer ppl app in Spring...a good course and a very satisfying experience as a Prof!!!
So all u budding appers...Happy Apping...and drop me a mail anytime u need help!!
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