|
C/0 LSU International Cultural Center (ICC)
3365 Dalrymple Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, USA
Tel: 1-225-342-3084; Fax: 1-225-342-0864
Welcome
Congratulations on your admission to Louisiana State
University (LSU). The ISA extends a cordial welcome to you.
Before you embark on this journey, we would like to bridge
the gap between the two cultures providing you with some
information and suggestions to make your arrival and stay
more comfortable.
Financial Aid
Funding is available primarily
through Graduate Assistantships or Student Worker jobs. If
you do not have an assistantship already, though not
impossible, it is quite unlikely that you will be able to
procure one in your first semester. Teaching/Research
assistantships are available in one's own department while
other Service Assistantships (primarily computer-based jobs)
can be obtained from other departments too. It helps to have
knowledge/experience in web-designing, databases, hardware
maintenance, networking etc., if you wish to obtain such
assistantships. However, it is important to realize that
most assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis and
hence you must have adequate funds with you when you arrive
at LSU. We would encourage you to contact your individual
departments for more information on assistantships. Student
worker jobs (on campus) involve working in libraries,
offices, cafeteria, bookstores, etc. These are relatively
easier to get and pay between $6.55 - 8.00 per hour.
International Students are permitted to work up to a maximum
of 20 hours/week (40 hours/week during vacations) and hence
a student worker job will only take care of your living
expenses. For undergraduate students, the numbers of
scholarships are very limited. However, there are chances of
getting a partial tuition waiver in the second year.
Housing and Expenses
Expenses can be kept low by sharing off-campus apartments
with other Indian students. Normally, 4 students share a
2-bedroom apartment and pay a rent of around $225-
$275/month per head. The ISA can assist you in finding an
apartment close to campus. It would be advisable to come at
least two weeks in advance to become acclimatized to your
new surroundings. This will also enable you to meet faculty
members and explore opportunities for assistantships or
jobs. Average monthly expenses figure around $350-$400.
Other additional expenses may vary as per individual tastes
and habits. On campus housing is generally more expensive.
Also, for under-graduate students, it is mandatory to take a
meal plan during your first semester if you live on campus.
In your first month, additional expenses will be incurred
such as deposits for your apartment, electricity, telephone
etc. It is advisable to get about $600 extra for this, in
form of cash and Traveler's Checks. Even students on
assistantships should carry this amount. You can carry your
tuition fees as a check made payable to LSU. Additionally,
you can carry a check made payable to yourself or some
traveler's checks. We do not encourage you to carry a lot of
cash.
The health insurance costs $420 per semester and is
mandatory. We strongly recommend that you take all the
vaccines as prescribed in the immunization form. Remember to
bring along an extra pair of spectacles if you wear one.
Please attend to all your dental work in India as it is very
expensive here and is not covered by the insurance plan.
Also, any medical problems related to eyes are not covered
by the insurance.
Food
All the ingredients pertaining to Indian cooking are
available in Indian stores here. Vegetarians will not face
any problems. A pressure cooker is the only utensil that you
might want to carry along with you since it is unavailable
here. It would be a good idea to pick up a few cooking tips
while you are in India. Any preprocessed food brought from
India must be well sealed and packed.
Getting
to Baton Rouge
You can fly to Baton Rouge or fly into New Orleans and then
take a Greyhound bus (www.greyhound.com) to Baton Rouge. We
can arrange to pick you up from the Baton Rouge airport or
from Baton Rouge Greyhound terminal. You can also find
yellow cabs (taxi) outside the airport. If you can't find
one then you can call for one on 225-926-6400. We cannot
arrange to pick you up from New Orleans. As far as possible,
please try to schedule to fly directly into Baton Rouge. It
is advisable to carry $200 cash for miscellaneous expenses
like food, bus ticket, etc. Please inform us of your arrival
well in advance providing flight details (Airline, Flight
Number, and Arrival Time). On arrival here, you will be a
guest of one of the Indian students here for a few days.
There are quite a few Indian girls studying at LSU who will
be hosting the incoming girls till their accommodation is
confirmed. We will have an orientation session where you
will be provided with important details regarding
registration, insurance, social security, etc.
Weather
The weather is similar to that in most parts of India. The
period from March to October is warm with temperature
ranging from 25-35 °C and with regular rainfall throughout
the year. During winter it gets quite cold with temperatures
ranging from 10-20 °C and sweaters, woolen clothes and a
good jacket would be needed. Additionally, it is a good idea
to carry sufficient clothing so that you can do your laundry
weekly or fortnightly. It is also advisable to bring
sufficient pairs of jeans and cotton T-shirts.
Culture
Louisiana is famous for its cultural heritage and
hospitality. LSU has a large and internationally diverse
student population. There are numerous avenues for
interacting with people from other cultures. The
International Hospitality Foundation (IHF) assists
International Students in finding host families. Interaction
with the large Indian community during various festivals and
occasions will ensure that you have a home away from home.
Don't forget to get a couple of traditional dresses for such
occasions. We will also have a number of social gatherings
where you will be able to meet the Indian Students and the
Indian Community at Baton Rouge.
Reminder
Please inform us about your arrival well in advance so that
we can make arrangements for your pick up and accommodation.
It will get difficult to arrange housing if you arrive late
or do not inform us well in advance. Also keep this letter
with you during journey (it might help you). Keep checking
the ISA website for arrival and other important information,
which will be updated regularly. Have a pleasant and safe
journey. We look forward to seeing you at LSU. Have a
pleasant and safe journey.
|
