Admission
Packing
Travel
Finances
Coursework
Housing
Culture and Miscellania
Pre-departure
Admission:1. Hi. I am a B.E. student
with a G.R.E. score of ****.... Do you think I can get admitted to UCI?
The
admission is a very subjective decision made by the admissions
committee, the process of which is still unknown to students. Be
judicious
about where you apply. For example, would you apply to a management
degree in a good school if you wanted to really study Philosophy, just
because your chances are better? Do some soul-searching. Why should you
come here to study, when there are good schools in India? What do you
want to gain from the whole experience? Who do you want your peers to
be? What kind of jobs do you want? Be honest to yourself. UCI is a good school, so your profile has to be
somewhat respectable. Admissions depend on a number of
factors, such as GRE, work experience, previous research,
recommendation letters, academic scores, publications, TOEFL, SoP, and
so on.
It could be said that PhD. admissions are a
factor of previous research, publications, G.P.A., and recommendation
letters. Of course, there is also the question of who (faculty) is
willing to recommend you and that depends on how well your interests
align with the Professor's.
2. Woohoo, I received the I20
today. Should I go to UCI?
It
depends on your department and research area. The ranking varies every
year, and it varies for every department. That said, grad school rankings are not
a good way to assess school profiles. These numbers are based on a
number of factors - the size of the school, number of publications,
faculty size, faculty-student ratio, and so on. Some departments of UCI
are not as massive as the other schools. Another factor to keep in mind
is that UCI is a relatively new school, only a bit more than 50 years
old. This impacts the amount of contributions that the school has made.
In general, it is a very good school, but has not gotten into the top
league yet (again, it depends on your research area). If it helps, the
current ranking of UCI maybe obtained from
one of the rankings list (for e.g. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/
3. How do I get funded?
Very
few undergraduates and Master's students come to UCI with funding. You
could probably come here and then look for funding in the department. One
always stands a better chance if he/she directly talks to the
professors. Also, there a lot of on campus jobs available. Most of the
on campus jobs fetch a basic monthly salary sufficient to manage your
monthly expenses, but not the tuition fee. So even if you don't get a
funding from the department, you can manage monthly expenses with an
on-campus job.Refer to the finances section for more information.
4. Is Reverse Engineering (or
XYZ) area hot?
Frankly
we don’t know. Further, Hots and Nots keep changing every 6 months to a
yr. So whatever is “Hot” now is unlikely to stay Hot till then and vice
versa. Don’t worry too much, just take up something you like and have
aptitude for.
5.Can you check my admission
status?
The
short answer is no. The long answer is that we are not authorized to
find details about the admissions. The confidentiality of information
of a student is maintained very strictly. The Departments and the
International Center can provide the details of the documents.
6. Can you let me know the names and email addresses of people in XYZ
department?
We
shall post names of students who themselves have volunteered to have
their names and department listed on the web page. You may contact them.
7. When are decisions made
regarding admissions?
Depends
on which quarter you are applying for. For fall, students’ start
receiving admission letters as early as March and admissions continue
until late June. A word of advice is 'apply as early as possible'. Make
sure your admission file is complete.The basic requirements are the
completed forms, transcripts and official scores. Only after receiving
these, your packet is forwarded to the respective department.
8. What are the pre-requisites
for the courses in my department?
Contact
the respective department for all information related to academics.
Besides, the department will have to look at your transcripts to
determine that.
9. Oops, I have got some pre-requisite courses, which I think I have
already taken!
Usually
students do not enclose a description of the courses, which they have
or will be taking. It is very difficult for the graduate admissions
committee to know what you have covered by simply looking at the course
headings (since names differ). It may be helpful to send
syllabus/curriculum details along with your application packets. If you
have not done that so far, and have been given pre-requisites, you may
try to waive them by sending a letter attested by your
college/university stating that you have covered the necessary
topics/subject under so and so course name. You may even get them
waived after coming here by producing the necessary syllabus/curriculum
details or as required by the respective department.
10. Can I defer my admission?
Yes
you can. Inform your department (administrative person in-charge)
regarding this and they will provide more information in this regard.
11. What if I decide not to
join UCI?
Inform
your department (administrative person in-charge) in this regard and
you may be asked to return your I-20. It is courteous to inform that
you will not be joining since another deserving student may be offered
the financial aid that was offered to you.
Packing:
1. To carry
or not to carry, is the question!
You
will find that there are a zillion things that you can carry but the
space you have is limited. Carry only as much as you can manage. Most
airlines allow upto 70 kgs as checked-in baggage and another 5 -8 kg as
cabin luggage (these are upper limits and vary slightly with the
airlines). Some essential items that you will need to consider getting
are:
* Books: Textbooks are really expensive out here. So buy all the
books that you think that you would like to study out here. Try to
contact your adviser or someone in your department to find out what
books are used for the typical courses. Get all the good general
reference books that you already have. There is additional information
about books in the department information link. For engineering
graduated, the following books usually useful: Engineering Math
(Kreyszig), C/C++ (K&R/Stroustrup), Unix (K&P), primary
textbooks (Papoulis, Tanenbaum etc.). Optional: dictionary, calculator,
cookbooks etc. Books, unfortunately, will also be the heaviest portion
of your luggage, so choose wisely.
* Clothing: Jeans/shorts and T-shirts are standard wear here. Shirts and trousers (and ties) are not so common, but are useful for formal occasions (job interviews/presentations etc). Get what you feel comfortable in. Minimal warm clothing (e.g. a sweater or two) is sufficient as the weather here is usually warm. There is typically no snow during winters but it does get awfully cold during nights. So if you're from a "hot place", it is advisable to get a jacket or two. And don't worry if you can't. You'd have enough time to go shopping here before the winter starts. Traditional wear is a matter of choice.
* Footwear: Sneakers, good formal leather shoes (which are much cheaper in India), chappals/sandals, slippers with extra straps will all be useful. Again depends on what you feel comfortable in.
* Linen: 1 double bed size bedsheet, 1 pillow, light blanket. The pillow and the blanket can be left if space/weight is a consideration. They are available quite cheap here. Do not get too much linen. The beds here are usually larger than the beds back home, and the bedsheets and bedspreads that you get from home fit very poorly. Its better to buy these items here.
* Utensils: Most graduate students cook in their apartments. So you will need all the basic stuff needed for cooking. A pressure cooker (a large one if you are sharing with your roommates) with spare gaskets and safety valves is probably the most important kitchen item you can get. Get at least one steel vessel to cook vegetables in. Either a pan or a deep bottom vessel. There are a lot of non-stick cookware available here but it is not very cheap (unless bought second-hand). Consider getting dinner plates, small plates, spoons, tumblers, knife, forks, (all these either 1 or 2), cooking tongs, tea strainer, ladles for serving, sauce pan, frying pan. Plastic spoons, knives and forks are very cheap at the local grocery stores, and need not be packed. A cup, a glass, and a bowl (both microwaveable) should provide the rest of what you need. Or you might want to get steel plates and glass and buy the microwaveable stuff here. Get a couple of larger spoons for serving/cooking.
* Foodstuffs: Condiments and spices, small quantities of standard masalas, sambar and curry powders, pickles, and some sweets (for us!) are recommended. Pack everything REALLY well, especially the oily and/or pungent stuff (like pickles), otherwise your clothes will look and smell like dish-rags at a dhaba! Almost everything is available at the Indian grocery stores but you might consider some of the stuff for starters. Do not bother getting daal, rice, flour etc. They are quite cheap here and there is no need to increase the weight. You could consider getting the following in small quantities so that you don't have to ask for a ride to the Indian store on the very first day: tea leaves, instant coffee powder, dhania powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, mustard seeds, jeera (cumin), heeng (asafoetida) etc. (whatever you think you'll use in your cooking).
* Medicines: Your favorite medicines for minor ailments like fever, cold, cough, stomach-ache (like Paracetamol, Cetzine) etc. and any other personal medication, antiseptic cream are a must, since the medicines available here are not necessarily the same as in India. If you need corrective vision, a spare pair of glasses or contact lenses as the case might be, is strongly recommended. A doctor's prescription is required to buy spectacles and contact lenses here and the doctor's fees are exorbitant and the insurance does not cover eyesight. So get your eyes checked before leaving.
* Money: For off-campus housing you'll be required to pay an intial deposit (one month's rent) in advance. Plus you'll have initial expenses in settling down. This all can add up to around $1000. If one has financial aid, it usually takes about a month (or a month & a half) to get the first paycheck. An initial safe amount to bring is about $1500. It is also possible to get loans for decent amounts of dough ($1000 to 5000 and more) from local banks and credit unions. Traveller's cheques and personal drafts are easy to use and should pose no problem at all.
In summary, we would recommend that you concentrate on your
choice of books, and get a good pressure cooker. Linen, most clothing
and some cutlery (spoons, etc.) is best bought here after your arrival.
However, please remember that these are only suggestions to help you
make informed decisions on your packing. In the end, trust your
judgement and common sense.
Travel:
1. I'm traveling on an international
flight for the first time. Any pointers?
The hard reality is that almost all flights are going to just bring you
in one piece without a heavenly experience, if you are flying economy.
Air India is cheap and decent (best offer is possible if you call the
customer care and ask them for a quote). Lufthansa is also pretty
decent. Pack wisely. Bring a change of clothes or two, in your hand
luggage. Distribute photocopies of your documents in the bags. Maintain
a list of your items and keep it in your purse/wallet. Use any
technique to distinguish your bag, especially if it is black and has
wheels, such as taping it, color-coding it, sticking your name and
address, tying a ribbon, etc,.
2. What is the best possible route?
There is no "best route" as such. It varies from individual to
individual with different constraints like flight availability, luggage
(some airlines allow more luggage than others), the place where you
intend to leave from, etc. The ideal place to arrive would be LAX in
Los Angeles, which is the nearest international airport to Irvine. Even
better, the Santa Ana airport.
3. What about luggage handling?
Even if your luggage is booked through to your final destination, it
will be off-loaded at your port of entry. So if the port of entry is
not your final destination, please check your luggage carefully. It is
your responsibility to pick up the entire luggage off the conveyor belt
and take it through the customs area.
DO NOT PANIC if the officer asks you to open the luggage. It will be in
your interest to pack it with your own hands in India, so that when you
un-pack it at the airport (if at all!!), there should not be a
condition that the stuff in an unpacked condition is twice as much as
the one initially packed in!!
4. What if my luggage gets delayed or
lost?
If by any chance your luggage does not seem to pop up on the conveyor
system, look for it for a certain finite amount of time. Beyond which,
contact your specific Airline-office and fill up a DELAYED / LOST
LUGGAGE form. Give them the destination address and phone number so
that they can ship it there, after it arrives. There is a fair chance
that the luggage might have got shipped to another destination or would
not have been uploaded on your plane at your connecting airport
(Frankfurt / London etc.)
See to it that you fill up the form before leaving the premises. Do not
be rude but be firm while dealing with the airline representatives. And
do not panic too. It'll come home safe.
Of course, carry a spare set, or two, of clothes in your hand
luggage.
5. What are the documents I should be
carrying while traveling?
Carry your Passport, I-20, cash, traveler’s checks and entry permit on
your person, or in a handbag that you carry into the cabin. Do not put
any cash in the baggage you check in. Incidentally, you won’t need more
than $100 during travel, unless you want to do some duty-free shopping.
Carry the rest of your money in the form of US travelers' checks. Make
photocopies of main documents and stuff a set in each bag.
6. When is a good time to arrive?
Coming to UCI depends on financial aid and your own convenience. If you
do not have financial aid then, coming 10-15 days before the first day
of classes is ideal. That will help you look for an on-campus job (or
assistantship) and also adjust yourself to the place. Those with
assistantship can arrive a week before the first day of classes.
7. How do I get to Irvine from
LAX?
Shuttle from the LAX Airport at $45.There are numerous ones and you
would most definitely spot one as soon as you step out from the
international arrival terminal.Tell them you wish to go to if you don't
manage to get someone to pick you up and if you don't have a lot of
luggage.
8. How to get around the city?
The cheapest way to get around the city is through OCTA (bus
transportation). Check schedules at http://www.octa.net/
9. What do I need to do once I reach
UCI?
These are the things you need to do (not necessarily in order) once you
are here:
*Get your UCI e-mail account activated.
*Get your Identification card (UCI ID).
*Attend the Orientation program(s).
*Open your Bank Account.
*Contact your department and your adviser.
*Get an apartment to live in.
*Get your social security number (in case you have a TA/RA/on-campus
job).
*Start having a good time at UCI.
10. Some miscellaneous advice
* Please take all facts and calculations into account before starting
your new adventure here. The rules and regulations here concerning all
aspects viz. academics, policies, university/government rules are very
strict with no exceptions or waivers.
* Please do not direct your queries to many people at a time. Kindly
understand, we are ordinary students like you guys. We ourselves are
busy here, kindly give us time for your reply.
* This is a bad phase in this nation's economy, so take that into
account.
The economic slowdown has affected both jobs and funding at schools.
Plan for long term goals, its an important phase/transition in your
lives.
* Please don’t ask us about other universities, we don’t have any info
about them. We'll end up giving you wrong info most of the times. And,
kindly be specific in your questions.
School stuff-departure
Finances and On-campus jobs:
1. What is the Tuition
fee
at UCI?
The info regarding tuition fee is available at http://www.reg.uci.edu/
How long does the typical Masters student take to graduate with just
coursework?
Normal time to graduate for Masters: 5 quarters.
Year
here is divided into 4 quarters. 3 of which are normally for studying
and the summers are normally for internships. So you can finish your
course in 1 yr and 3 months. Note that this is only a rough estimate
and will depend on your program. For eg, MS Biotechnology students have
compulsory research towards their degree requirement in the second year
and take 6 quarters to complete.
2. What are the living
expenses
like in Irvine?
Ballpark estimate for living expenses:
Living expense ~ ($500-700 /month) * (# of months)
3. How is the on-campus job
scene in UCI?
Yes,
there are jobs around campus - but as is the case with all jobs you'd
have to hunt them down. If you are persistent, you might be able to
find something within the first few weeks itself.
4. Will I get funded at
UCI?
If
you show promise as a researcher, then a Professor might fund you. Look
for T.A. or reader positions and on-campus jobs. Any money is good
money, if you can balance your life. However, be careful as to not
jeopardize your grades.
5. What kind of assistantships
are possible?
Teaching Assistant(TA) positions:
Every
quarter, the TA positions in UCI are awarded by the respective
departments. Students have to apply for a TA position by filling the
application forms available with the concerned department, once the
person reaches here. In some departments, all the students get an email
from the academic co-ordinator informing them about the available
positions and the procedure to apply for the position. In a few cases,
if you are working under a professor for you thesis or just individual
research, the Professor might recommend you to the department to TA
his/her course. Having research experience in the course you plan to TA
will help.
The various factors that are considered for granting the TA position
are:
TOEFL/SPEAK
TEST/TSE Scores - TOEFL iBT (speaking) score is a sufficient criterion
for your language proficiency. If you have taken TOEFL (CBT), then you
should either take the TSE/SPEAK test. If you have not appeared for the
TSE, then we'd suggest, if you have got some time before starting from
India then do that. Otherwise you will end up paying in $$ to appear
for the test over here. The other option is to appear for the SPEAK
TEST, which is considered sufficient in lieu of a TSE in UCI. You
cannot appear for the SPEAK TEST in India. You can do that when you
reach here. The SPEAK TEST is administered on- campus frequently. In
view of the limited seats each quarter, it is suggested that you should
enroll for it as soon as you reach UCI, so that you don't have to wait
for months to get a date for the test. In most cases, the test seats
get filled on the same day that enrollment opens.
Under-graduation GPA - Anything above 3.5/4.0 adds to your chances.
Facts:
Rarely does someone secure a TA position in the first quarter, unless
the
person has been committed a TA position in the I-20 itself as a form of
some financial aid/support from UCI. This may be given to some of the
exceptionally brilliant students and not to everyone in the form of
Fellowship or Scholarship or similar heads of funding. Moreover the
Graduate Advisor wants to see what courses have you taken in UCI and
hence for what courses, you can be considered as a TA. So scramble
starts from the second quarter to grab the few positions available. You
compete with P.hd students as they are awarded the positions first.
Research Assistant (RA) positions:
The
RA positions are awarded by the professors in the concerned dept. and
not by the department. One can apply for a RA position in other
department also, but the department prefers students from their own
department. The professor while awarding the positions considers the
following things:
1.If you have taken
any courses under him/her in the previous quarters. If so, then what
was your grade in that, if not then will you be taking any courses if
he awards you such a position. The other way around to look at his coin
is, how far the Professor knows you and if you are in his good books.
2.Are
you interested to work under him in his research areas? Now if the
professor is into Wireless Communications and if you go and tell him
that you are interested in doing something in Digital Signal
Processing, then better not waste your efforts and chill, as the result
is bound to be NULL. So the students need to study the areas in which
the professor is into and then try to work something which will
convince him that, yes, you can be the right person on which he/she can
think upon.
3. Does the professor have
some funds available for research projects/work or for some industry
related projects on which he is working? If not then the chances of
awarding a RA is again very remote.
Students
may like to get in touch with the professors (the information for each
department and its professors is available on UCI web pages) when in
India and can explore if he/she responds and offers something. The
university website (www.uci.edu)
gives the email addresses of all the professors of every department. It
also gives information about the fields in which they are working.
Usually, one might contact the professor and write to him/her about
his/her interests. If the professor is interested, he/she will get in
touch with you. It is always a good idea to have contact with the
professors by mail and let him/her know who you are. Inform them if you
have got an admission. They will be more interested in you once you
have been admitted. If not immediately, you might improve your chances
of getting aid when you come and meet him/her personally.
6. How much does an on-campus
job typically pay? Can I take care of my living expenses?
Well,
that depends on the job and on how much you spend :) Some jobs pay more
than others, some people will have to spend more than others. But on
the average, it definitely helps to cover almost all of your living
expenses (with some surplus too in some cases!). If you get (49% time)
TA, you get approx. $1600/month plus all your instate-tuition (about
3500 USD) is waived. However, jobs at UCI bookstore or dining services
pay around $8-10/hr, so if you work 20 hr/ week its around
$600-800/month. Technical jobs, for example, managing a computer lab,
tend to pay ~ $15/hour.
7. With the hectic course
load, do we have time for on -campus jobs?
It
may be tough initially, but hopefully you'd get used to it. After all,
it is a necessity to work while studying in the US for several people
and they do manage to pull it off. Manage your time well and it
shouldn't be a problem. Don't jeopardize your grades.
8. How can I apply for an
on-campus job?
Use
the following link. All the jobs (other than RA, TA, Grader) are
usually listed. You can also land a job through word-of-mouth or by
just going to every dept and inquiring.
http://www.career.uci.edu/
You
will have to create a profile first. Then click on jobs-zotlink
jobs/internships. Select on-campus non-work study and ignore national
jobs- yes.
9. Some advice about on-campus jobs:
* Everytime you go to an office on campus, ask if there are job
openings for students. Even if there isn't an opening at that moment,
see if you can leave your name, phone number, and qualifications.
* Read the New U for notices of jobs available.
* Check out the posters on kiosks and Humanities Bridge.
* Certain offices rely heavily on student employees. The UCI Student
Center, Library, and Special Events Parking are good possibilities.
10. What are the required
materials to seek employment?
If
you or anyone in your family intends to seek employment in California,
you must be aware of legislation passed in 1986. Under the Immigration
Reform Act of 1986 all employers are now required to document ALL
individuals to certify that they have a right to work. The following
materials (some or all depending on the job) must be available at the
time a person is employed:
* Current U.S. passport
* Certificate of U.S. Citizenship or Certificate of
Naturalization
* Unexpired foreign passport with attached Employment
Authorization,
* Alien Registration Card with photograph,
* Unexpired temporary resident card,
* employment authorization card,
* reentry permit, or
* refugee travel document.
If
one of the above documents is not available then two of the following
documents will be needed, one from Group A and one from Group B:
GROUP A:
State-issued driver's license or I.D. card with a photograph, and
information including name, sex, date of birth, height, weight, and
color of eyes, or U.S. Military Card, or other approved I.D. card.
GROUP B:
Original Social Security Number card (other than a card stating it is
not valid for employment), birth certificate issued by state, county,
or municipal authority bearing a seal or other certification, or
unexpired INS Employment Authorization.
11. How many hours are allowed to UCI students per week? Is it
different for different schools/depts?
All
international students are allowed to work for 20hrs per week during
the school time and 40hrs per week during vacations. The amount of time
you're actually able to work will depend on your course load.
12. Can I work off-campus?
Students on F-1 visas are not allowed
to work off-campus within the first 9 months. Under extenuating
circumstances this restriction may be waived, but only with prior
permission from the Immigration and Naturalization Services. The
Immigration Department is very strict about permitting F-1 students to
work off-campus, even if the situation appears desperate from the point
of view of the student. Spouses on F-2 Visa are not allowed to work
under any circumstances.
Coursework:
1. The UCI site mentions that
we have to maintain a 3.5 GPA. I have not seen such requirement in any
university.
In most other schools, you have to maintain a GPA of 3.0 (not 3.5) to
stay in
grad school. Maintaining 3.0 in grad school is relatively easy
(compared to undergrad) and almost everyone manages to do it. Most
schools might have equivalents of this rule. So yes, maintain the 3.5.
2. Are there any minimum requirements
for passing?
In
grad school B- is fail, hence >95% of students get at least a B
(3.0/4.0). this means maintaining 3.0 (or 3.1. or even 3.5) is
relatively much easier than it initially appears. I do not know of any
Indian facing problems because of GPA. As long as you are sincere it
should not be a problem.
Particulars
of coursework differ from department to department, so it is advisable
to refer to your department website for details.
Housing:
1. What is the procedure to
apply for on-campus housing? Can we book it now before we get our I-20?
Go to housing.uci.edu,
printout the application form and mail it to the said address. The form
allows you to apply for the Verano Place (VP) and Palo Verde (PV)
housing communities. Apart from this, graduate students can apply to
Vista Del Campo (VDC) and Vista Del Campo Norte (VDCN), two privately
owned housing communities that are a part of on-campus housing. VDC and
VDCN have a different form, so if you are interested in that,
mail in
that as well. Check www.housing.uci.edu/vdc for details.
2. What are the rates like for
these apartments? And how big are they?
For PV and VP, you can find the current rates at: http://www.housing.uci.edu/
3. What are my chances of
being allotted an apartment on campus?
UCI has a Guaranteed housing program for PhD and MFA (Master's in Fine
Arts) students. Details are given at http://www.housing.uci.edu/
4. Uh?! I'm a Master's
student - does this mean I won't get into VP/PV/VDC?
Masters
students do get housing offers from PV, VP & VDC. The ease of
getting in is VDCN> VDC > PV > VP. The rents also go in the
same order with VDCN being the newest and most expensive apartment
while VP is the cheapest but the oldest. In several cases, these offers
are made in late-August to mid-September.
5. Do we HAVE to live
"on-campus"?
No!
Not at all. Several graduate students live "off-campus" . Off-campus
accommodation is available near the university and commuting is not a
problem.
6. What are the off-campus
options available? Is it cheaper to live off-campus?
Off-campus
living works out cheaper if you share your apartment with a few others
- students or working professionals. Typically, 4-5 people rent out a 2
bedroom, 2 bath apartment off-campus and share the costs. Almost all
the the apartment communities in Irvine are owned by the Irvine
company. You could check their website - http://www.rental-living.com
for details. Among the different communities close to UCI, Parkwest has
emerged as the default option for graduate students. The rent at
Parkwest apratments is lower than comparable apartments close to campus
(for eg. Berkeley or Stanford Court) and is well connected to campus
through the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) buses.
For
checking out the apartments in Parkwest, you can browse through this
website - http://www.rental-living.com/
http://www.rental-living.com/
7. If I get, say VP/Palo
Verde/VDCN and I pay the deposit for it, is it refundable? If yes when
will I get my money back?
Yes,
deposits are refunded after you move out of the apt. They do deduct
damages though, but if you maintain the apt well, it shouldn't be much,
if at all any.Note that you cannot get the deposit back until you move
out of the apartment at the end of your lease period.
8. How do the housing
communities compare? In terms of price and facilities offered?
The
amount you pay has clear correspondence to the quality of housing you
get. Verano is cheaper (~450 a month) and hence its basic
accommodation. VDC is expensive (~700) but its much newer and looks
much better and fully furnished. PV is somewhere in between the two. As
students however, most of us want the cheapest and that's why Verano is
most in demand. In fact its quite difficult to get it unless you are in
guaranteed housing category. The off campus living option is always
open but you have a to take a bus and come plus you'd probably have to
share a room with somebody else if want the cost to be below 450-500
for staying.
9. How far are these Parkwest
apartments that I've heard so much about?
Parkwest
is approximately 2 miles away from campus. ASUCI, the undergraduate
association of UCI, offers shuttles to campus at a cost of $1/ride or
$55 for the entire quarter. The route is also serviced by public
transport buses, OCTA. OCTA routes 79 and 175 take you from campus to
Parkwest and vice versa. OCTA has a yearly bus pass system for UCI students, costing $95.
10. Are any of these
apartments furnished?
VP,
PV and off-campus apartments come unfurnished. Be prepared to enter a
bare room/apartment when you move in. If you are lucky, you might find
a few things left behind by the previous resident. Furnishing the
apartment can take time, but not necessarily money. Many grad students
pick up a lot of stuff left for free at a common place. So basically
somebody else doesn't seem to want it, but if its usable by you, you
can just pick it up. One man's trash can be another's treasure! ;) You
could also check the Verano Gazette ( www.housing.uci.edu/vp/
The VDC and VDCN apartments come fully furnished and are more expensive
than unfurnished apartments.
Miscellania
In no
particular order:
Get
your medical exam done. Check your eyesight and visit your dentist
(ouch!). Get spare spectacles/contacts. Make arrangements with a
contact in UCI/Los Angeles/San Diego who can pick you up from the
airport on your arrival and/or put you up for a few days. Keep their
phone numbers handy incase you need to call them from the
airport.Getting an International Driving Permit will make things
convenient later. Learn cooking. Ask Mom for all her secret recipes.
Get a
good haircut. Haircuts here cost around $10 a pop. Learn to say "wuz'up
maen", "coo-wol" and "dood"! (kidding!)
After arriving at the Los
Angeles International Airport (LAX):
This
is usually the most common option. Most people know people who know
people .... who have friends/relatives in LAX, so they usually are
picked up by these friends/relatives and stay with them for the first
few days. If you do not belong to this category, however, you could try
the following:
* Getting a lift
from LAX: Get in touch with us and check if someone with a car is free
on your arrival date and can give you a ride. LAX is about an hour's
drive from Irvine. See the list of people mentioned at the end for guys
to contact.
* Taking a shuttle:
Shuttles are shared vans that start from just outside the terminals in
LAX and drop you at your destination. If you intend to come directly to
UCI (e.g. Verano Place), you can find shuttles that will drop you
exactly at our doorstep, provided you have the directions (the driver
often knows the place but it is better to check and get the correct
directions). They cost $35-40 for the first person and $7-9 for every
additional passenger going to the same destination, so if you are in a
group of two or more, it may come down to around $25 or less.
A better alternative is to take a shuttle to the airport
closest to
UCI, (called the Orange County Airport, or John Wayne Airport), which
may cost you $20. Super Shuttle (blue coloured with yellow lettering on
the van) seems to be the most popular shuttle service. You can easily
get a shuttle by registering your destination with the officer on duty
there. The shuttle stop is just outside the terminal where you land in
LAX and is easily locatable. From John Wayne, you can take a cab ($10)
to UCI.
Try to find flights that land at SNA instead of LAX, if they make
economical sense. The bigger cities are connected to SNA.
After arriving
at
another airport in the U.S:
You
will then probably be staying with a friend/relative at that city. At
your convenience, you should then take a flight to the Orange County
Airport (code SNA), since SNA is really close to UCI. Most major
airlines (Delta, American, United, Continental and Northwest) provide
connecting flights to SNA. A cab from SNA to UCI would just cost you $10
Making
phone calls from airports:
You
can make phone calls from the numerous phones at the airport. Have some
change handy. There are coin dispensing machines in the airport where
you can exchange $1,$5,$20 bills for change. If you have any 1-800
number, it is free and so you can dial from any phone without any
payment. Usually all public phones have numbers. So to save money you
can contact your party and give him/her the public phone number. Stay
near the phone and expect your call.
Cultural norms and common sense
Financial aid and e-mail/faculty-student etiquette
Please-
- Do not send a generic e-mail to all faculty that begins with Dear Sir
when the professor is a woman. Please spend some time trying to figure
out the gender and name of the professor. This might sound funny to
you, but maybe a professor will find it more hilarious and forward it
to all their colleagues. Hah.
- Read up on the professor's work. Do not blindly e-mail them your
background and that you want financial aid.
- It is most likely that no professor will fund you unless you show
research potential. Money does not grow on trees and professors are
certainly not willing to spend it on anyone from just an e-mail, unless
you show great promise (or Donald Bren is your dad, in which case would
you technically own all of us? But the latter is still unlikely to
happen...)
- If you really do like somebody's research, read the papers, talk to
their students, figure out how you could contribute, then schedule an
appointment with the professor and talk to them. Do not merely sign up
hoping for money, for money may or may not come. Ultimately you will
gain a rewarding experience if you do your best, atleast research-wise.
- When you write e-mails, it is not very helpful to talk at length
about your GRE scores or how you stood first in 8th grade. Rather, a
professor would look for what skills you have, why you are interested
in their work and project specific information.
- A resume summarizes your substantial
achievements. That does not mean you should have won the
Nobel, but rather stay away from trivial details. Also, mentioning
religion, surfing the net and gardening as a hobby does not help in
research, unless you are a religious studies or bio student? (but can a
religious studies major not be an atheist? And for god's sake, why is
surfing the net useful information?)
- Above all, do not pretend to have done something that you have not.
That will save everybody's time. It's hard to refrain from, but sure
makes things straight-forward and honest. Do not lie to your professor!
You may have to face the repercussions!
Making UCI home and fitting into
the
new shoes:
Reasonably-priced beds, mattresses, sheets, furniture, and linen could
be found at IKEA. It's cheaper to get the stuff as hand-me-down or
second-hand, from current or graduating sutdents. Look in the Verano
gazette and make ample use of the Surabhi mailing lists. Craigslist is
also handy, but you have to be a bit careful.
Kick back and make new friends. These are people that will go
through a similar experience as you, and perhaps be your best buddies
for the next 2-6 years. Your social life totally depends on who you
are. As a new graduate student, look out for fun things to do and any
sort of social event. The more open you are initially, the more you
will see and learn. There are a tonne of things to do if you keep your
eyes open, such as, hikes in the Hiking club, International Student
night at the Anteater Pub, parties ever so often, concerts, movie
fests, sports events, dance nights, what have you. The University
Center cinema theatre shows some of the best independent movies. The
Film school also shows movies in the Humanities building, as festivals
in every few weeks. Look for classes at the Campus Recreation Center
like dance (and about ten plus types of dance), capoiera,
badminton,..anything that you are interested in, really. Once you
become acquainted with the party crowd, you get invited to the next one
automatically (unless you somehow manage to throw up on them or do
something to that order). Really, this is the perfect time to try out
something you have never found the time or guts for, before.
Hey, the best event is the Surabhi Diwali Night. And join our theatre
club if you are interested, as we are looking for enthusiasts. It's
loads of fun.
The most beautiful part about UCI is its cultural diversity. Given that
it is a melting pot of multiple nationalities and that not many Indians
go to UCI (although it is changing now ;-)), it is a stellar
opportunity to meet people from countries you have only heard of.
People here are quite colourful, laid-back and fun. Enjoy your stay
here.