Karthik Gurumurthy's page

Writing lab reports

by Karthik Gurumurthy

Lab reports

Performing laboratory experiments is an important aspect of studying science. Coming from India, we were not used to writing original lab reports. Mostly we used to copy the experimental procedure from the book verbatim. Thanks to my research advisor Dr. K.S. Viswanathan, IGCAR who showed me how to write a report. He is an outstanding researcher, fantastic person who inspired me to go to grad school in US.

This writeup is for people who are going to high school or college taking chemistry labs. In the labs, you will be doing experiments on a regular basis and you will be expected to write lab reports after each experiment to show all of the important information and concepts you covered in the laboratory experience. Lab reports must be typed out and usually follows the following format. Reports that are not typed out will not receive any credit.

Abstract

At the top of any journal article, you will find an abstract. The abstract is a very concise but detailed summary of the report. It exists so that a very busy researcher can read the abstract and learn what you can achieved and how you did it without having to read the whole report. It should be no longer than a paragraph.

Introduction

The introduction should include the theory that is relevant to understanding your report. What concepts are involved in what you did? You might give a little background information about the experiment and its implications. You might suggest what conclusions may be drawn from the experiment.

Procedure

This section tells you what you did when you did the experiment. Include all details including exact masses, volumes, times etc. that you used. Be sure that you write the procedure that you followed. Do not just copy what the lab book gave as the procedure if you made modifications to what the lab book said. Someone else should be able to repeat your work from your procedure and get the same results that you had.

Analysis

This section should be organized prior to performing the experiment unless specifically instructed to do otherwise by the instructor. This can be done by making appropriate tables and graphs to be used to collect and analyze the data collected.  Some or all of the following may be included in the analysis section.

Observations: Qualitative interpretations of what is occurring during an experiment are observations. Examples of observations would be:changes in color, formation of a gas, change in temperature, or formation of a precipitate. These are commonly entered in tables that have been prepared before the laboratory experience.

Data: Any qualitative or quantitative information that is used to determine results from an experiment is classified as data. Data collected during an experiment should be properly identified with proper units of measure and correct significant figures, and is generally entered on prepared table. If an error is made during entry, the result should not be simply erased, but instead draw a line through the incorrect data, so that it can still be seen, then enter the correction above the deleted data. Equipment and instruments must be read to the correct number of significant figures. As a general rule, one estimated digit should be recorded as the final significant digit. This original data sheet will always be turned in as an attachment to every lab report even though it will be reproduced in typed form in the actual body of the lab report.

Graphs: Graphs may be constructed to show the relationship of two variables, one that is varied and the other that depends on the first. The following summarizes what to do in constructing graphs of data.

1. Decide which variable will be the horizontal axis and which will be on the vertical axis. Generally, the variable that you vary is put on the horizontal axis with the dependent variable on the vertical axis. For example, if you are changing temperature, then measuring the speed of a reaction, the temperature will be put on the horizontal axis while the speed of the reaction will be on the vertical axis.
2. Select appropriate scales for each axis. On any given axis, make each subdivision of equal measurement. Choose values that will give a full meaningful graph.
3. Label both the vertical and horizontal axis with the quantity being measured and the units of measure being used to make that measurement.
4. After points have been located and marked on the graph, draw a smooth line or curve that represents the best fit of the points. Do not draw a dot-to-dot broken segment or curly curves. Points will generally fall evenly on both sides of your smooth curve or line. (In most cases, the smooth curve will generally be a line).

Calculations and significant figures: Show how all calculations are made other than routine addition and subtraction. Properly label all calculations and arrange so that common factors cancel out, leaving the proper units in the answer. Follow the significant figure rules in determining the proper number of digits in the final answer of the calculation. 

Make a special section of calculations at the end of the analysis section. Each calculation should be carefully identified so that anyone can tell what you are calculating.

a data sheet or table should be prepared before the lab begins and should be filled out as the lab is done. The graphs and calculations can be shown after the data is collected. The analysis section must be individually by each individual student.

These should be completed the night before the lab and ready to use on lab day. As mentioned before, this original lab sheet will be turned in with the lab report (attached to the bacl). as well as the typed version that is to be in the body of the report.

Discussion: Give a detailed account of what happened in your experiment. You might discuss what happened during each step of the procedure and what it means in terms of chemical theory. In this section, you discuss your results and compare them with what is expected. Make sure that your discussion is an accurate reflection of your results, not anyone else's. If you had poor results, give a possible explanation why this happened. You might suggest another procedure that you could have used to get better results and explain why your procedure might give those superior results. This is a very important section. How you interpret your results are more important than the results themselves because it shows whether you really understand the theory behind what you did. If the lab posed any questions at the end of the lab, you should answer those questions in the discussion section. This will be most likely be the longest section of the lab report.

Conclusions: Write a concluding paragraph summarizing the results and conclusions you made from the lab experiment. This is quick overview of what was done and the results from your conclusions. This is actually very similar to the abstract section that you wrote at the beginning of the report.

Getting ready for Graduate School: Helpful tips for students coming to study in US.

by Karthik Gurumurthy

It is the time of the year and the scene is same in virtually any school across the US. Thousands of students come all the way from India with dreams and hopes, and they land with a bang. And as a student here, I know how hard it is to shift from the past and embrace the future. The culture shock, the food, the classes, the research, and the legal issues are enough to make the sane turn insane but every year scores of students do it and yes they learn to survive. But remember it is the survival of the fittest and there are some who lag behind, who are totally overwhelmed by the changes.

It was great help from my cousins Chitra and Kalyan Subramanian; Saiprasad Srinivasan for being there encouraging me and helping me out. But with majority of the desi students, it is not the same case. Yes, some might have aunts and uncles to spread out the red carpet but most of them are left to their own, clutching passports and being stranded.

Learning to survive is not difficult; you’ll ultimately reach the shores, but to do it with ease is the trick. And believe me there are so many hands reaching out to help and most Indian students view them skeptically and are scared of asking for help. They prefer to rough it out without seeking help and this is something I find strange.

If you are a new student in the US, or if you have a friend, cousin, sibling whoever is making their first trip to the US, tell them to feel free to ask for help. It doesn’t cost anything to ask and just a heartfelt thanks is enough. So go ahead, ask the volunteers, the international office people to help and they need not be Indians to help you.

People help you regardless of your language and your race, you just need to ask. And this is the biggest thing I have seen amongst Indian students, the fear, and the hesitancy to ask for help. And when someone offers you help, small or big, accept it gracefully. No one is offering help because they are forced to do it; they do it because they want to. Smile, say thanks, and accept it and in a small way you bring some goodwill into your life and theirs. Say, I invite some Indian students home, they always say ‘no’ because they believe they are troubling me. But I won’t offer it if I did not mean it, right? I just want to be friendly, do not put barriers between us by thinking you are doing the right thing.

I know it is tough forming new friendships and new hobbies at the wise old age of 20 and that too in a new country, but make an attempt. Friends and hobbies will keep you sane in the otherwise insane world called graduate school. Friends need not just be Indians, they can be anyone with whom you can sit and talk and be yourself. Friends turn to be sounding posts and people who will be around when you go through a rough patch in life. And learn to trust and maintain a few friends without whom you’ll be lost in the American lifestyle.

Hobbies, be they something indoor or outdoor, give you a chance to learn and grown beyond the classroom and research activities. Join the gym or start with yoga or collect stamps, they are windows to another world and also a time to be at peace with yourself.

And just the final touch: spread out and help. Just as someone helped you, there are so many students coming in who need help. Why do you keep hiding in that shell of yours? Everyone is busy, but you can always spare time, a few minutes, to cheer up someone’s life, might be a phone call or just a home cooked meal will make someone’s day and before you know it will come back to you cheering up your day.

Good luck, new graduate students! Hope you have smooth sailing! And remember if at some point of time you feel your boat is sinking and you are feeling depressed, please get help. Most universities offer a good support system and access to counselors who will surely help you. Ask and give freely! Good luck!

Publications

The goal of scientific research is publication. Scientists, starting as graduate students, are measured primarily not by their dexterity in laboratory manipulations, not by their innate knowledge of either broad or narrow scientific objects, and certainly not by their wit or charm; they are measured, and become known (or remain unknown), by their publications.

A scientific experiment, no matter how spectacular the results, is not completed until the results are published. In fact, the cornerstone of the philosophy of science is based on the fundamental assumption that original research must be published; only thus can new scientific knowledge be authenticated and then added to the existing database that we call scientific knowledge.

How to Study Chemistry???

How To Study Chemistry

adapted from essays by
Ronald C. Blue, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Schnecksville, PA
and Peter K. Trumper Brunswick, Maine

Countless times students have asked me what is the best way to study. While the recommendations that I am about to make to you are no guarantee of success, I believe they will optimize your chances of success.

PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROBLEM:

Research shows that the average student will study for a test. The average person will study four hours for a daily quiz, four hours for a weekly quiz, four hours for a major test, four hours for a midterm, and four hours for a comprehensive final. The outcome of this four hours of study will vary from an A for a daily quiz to an F for the comprehensive final. This means that in high school grades are strongly determined by intelligence since everyone studies the same amount of time.

College is different. Most of the students are highly intelligent and some are highly motivated.

In almost all college courses if you have a poor vocabulary and do not really like to read, you are in serious trouble. If you can succeed with your weird teachers, then you can succeed with your even weirder bosses. Your study habits formed in high school may vector you toward failure because you have never experienced what it takes to perform at the college level. That is why the freshman year is the hardest year you will ever experience in college.

It takes about one year to learn how to learn at a college level. There is no gain in life without some pain.

The brain does not process and store information the way students prefer studying. Occasionally, some succeed by studying at the last minute, but they are exceptions to the rule. Some people's brain and life experiences reduces the time required to learn particular types of material. In other types of material they have to spend more time to master the material.

Research suggests that the slowest 10 percent of the students may need 5 to 6 times as much time to learn the same material as the fastest 10 percent. Each person is highly likely to have strengths and weaknesses. Overcoming your weakness increases your strength.

Taking into consideration the high variability in students' aptitudes for different material the following is a crude guide to the effort required to succeed in a course in chemistry.

A 16 hours per week
B 12 hours per week
C 8 hours per week
D 4 hours per week
F 0 hours per week

An hour of study is defined as studying for 45 minutes and a break of 15 minutes. Ten hours of continuous study without a break is defined as one hour of study.

In other words, you can succeed if you pay the price necessary for success.

THE PRICE OF SUCCESS:

The price is too high you say. Or I would like to succeed but don't have the time. It isn't fair you say.

Life is not fair. Reality is not your parents. There is no free lunch. Anything of value requires great effort. If you pay the price, the price required of you in the future will be less. In the past a college degree has meant about $100,000 to $250,000 more in a lifetime than no degree. Each college test is worth about $36 per hour of study or $800 over your life.

If you were offered $1,000,000 if you had an A in a college course, could you accomplish the goal? Probably. You do not have to be a genius to graduate from college. You have to work hard, be persistent, and pay attention to details. These traits are ultimately why a college degree is valuable, plus the capacity to learn.

HOW TO GET STARTED:

Believe you can succeed. Be willing to pay the price. The price is always what you don't want to pay. Make success in college your number one goal. You cannot have multiple goals. Everything comes in its own season. There is a time to learn; a time to play; and a time to work.

Failure begins in an excuse, a short cut. There is no royal road to learning or achieving excellence.

Do the following without wavering.

SURVEY:

Before you start the course, read over the major headings and summaries of the chapters in the textbook. Then, before going to class, read the section in the book that will be covered that day. This gives you a feeling for the whole picture and to what material you should pay attention to while reading the chapter carefully and while listening to the instructor. Research shows that students who do this make higher grades, and this simple step is the most powerful thing you can do.

READING, UNDERLINING, AND TAKING NOTES:

Research shows that the more different ways you present information to the brain the easier it is to learn. In other words hear it, see it, say it, write it, practice it, highlight it, quiz it, etc.

For each pair of facing pages in your notebook take class notes on the left side. As you read the material in the textbook, take written notes on the right side so that they correlate with the classwork. Most students feel that studying is equal to high-lighting. While the process of reading and deciding if the material is important enough to be high-lighted increases memory for that material your time will be better spent making your own notes in the margin and opposite the class notes and, especially, working problems (see below). It is the decision and thinking that creates the memory.

It is best to over-predict your instructors at first. It is easier to cut back on the material to be learned than to increase the amount to be learned. Use stars to arrange the material in hierarchies of importance. Three stars (***) would be more important than two stars (**).

Also, it's advantageous to use 3"x5" cards for key summaries of the vocabulary of the course, long lists of items, experiments, and lecture on the cards. Key words should be written in red. If you have to be different, go with 1"x3" instead of 4"x6". One theory, concept, or vocabulary word per card.

The biggest problem with textbooks and lecture notes is that we cannot separate the material that we know from the material that we do not know. Because of this, we waste hours studying what we already know, rather than concentrating our valuable time on what we do not know.

The red tells your mind that this is extremely important material. Writing the material stores the information in the brain in a way that is not normally used. On the back of the cards is definition about the material on the front. After numbering the cards so you can put them back in order later on, you should start studying the cards until you feel you know the material.

Now then turn the cards over and try and answer your fill in the blanks orally. If you get the questions right, place the material into a "I know this material" stack. Now continue working on the material that you don't know until you can answer the questions on all the cards.

PROBLEMS:

To paraphrase the wonderful foreword to students from the Solutions Manual to Wade's organic text: (my apologies to the author, but I don't have my copy with me) "Are you a genius? Do you routinely rank in the top 1% of your classes while studying less than an hour a week? If not, do the problems! Do all of the problems. If you do half of the problems, you will be half-prepared" Instructors in chemistry regularly note a high correlation between working all of the problems and doing well on exams.

If a student can do the problems, they have probably mastered the material, regardless of whether or not they have read it, made index cards, highlighted or whatever. You are more likely to see a problem such as "Explain why reaction A is faster then reaction B" on an exam rather than a question that goes something like: "Describe each of the following chemical concepts as extremely important, important or moderately important."

REVIEW:

As you reread the chapter, bracket and star the material you believe is extremely important. Sometimes use a yellow highlighter for critical information.

Now reread the material you have bracketed or stored and high speed review the material on the 3"x5" cards.

Work more problems.

AUDIO OPTION:

The more different ways that the material to be learned can be experienced the easier it is to remember the material. If you have time, read the material that you have underlined to a tape recorder. Then play back and listen to the material. Some people are so good at learning by listening that this is the only way they have to study.

OVERLEARNING:

The more you overlearn the material the easier it is to take a test with confidence and in a relaxed manner. In addition, the more you overlearn something, the longer you will remember it.

Technically speaking

How to convey technical information without losing the audience

In today's fast-paced world of internet commerce and virtual business, we are called to give increasingly technical speeches.

With a little preparation, even the most technically oriented engineers, can speak clearly and effectively to just about any audience.

Do not Overestimate or Underestimate your Audience

Even if you are speaking to a room full of engineers, they may not be proficient in your area of expertise. One way to gauge the audience is to start your speech by taking a straw poll. Ask them to raise their hands if they understand the basic concepts you will be discussing. In most cases, some hands will go up. This will not  only let you know where to aim the speech; it will also let the audience know why you are aiming at that level.

Avoid Jargon

Every business has it unique jargon. We often do not notice we are using it. However, as speakers, we must carefully consider both what we say and how we say it. Try reading the speech to a friend or relative who is unfamiliar with your topic and find out whether he/she understands your message. Quiz her afterwards to determine whether the key points strike home. If not, refine the speech for clarity. If your audience does not understand you, your effort is wasted.

Breathing Life Into The Words

I attend too many speeches in which the liveliest component is the demonstration. Invariably, I feel that attending much sessions is a waste of time. Your role as a speaker is not the same as your role as author or scientist. An author puts words on a page, but the speaker brings the words to life. If the subject of your speech is particularly dry or esoteric, it becomes ever more important for you to enhance the audience's interest level by using your Toastmasters skills such as vocal variety or gestures. If the audience wants to read the material, they can do that for themselves.

Handling Questions

When audience members ask you questions, resist the temptation to project yourself as an expert. Don't try to answer questions you do not fully understand. Instead of trying to appear more knowledgeable than you are, offer to address such questions at a later time. If you sense that others in the audience are also interested in the questions, have them provide you with a way to contact them after the speech, and be sure to follow up.

Technical speeches provide an opportunity to spread the wealth of your expertise. Interacting with an audience lets you know how the technical subject benefits others. When properly done, a technical speech enriches both the audience and the speaker.

Effective Communication

5 Things Mom Said That Can Help You Communicate More Effectively

Effective Communication is a challenge for many professionals. Mastery of non verbal communication can lead to success. Your mother, as well as mine, said many things that molded your childhood and can help you in adulthood as well. Recall those heart -to-hearts- you will probably recognize the advice that will help you become a more effective communicator. I call them "Mom's Rules."

Mom's rule#1: " Always Look at Me When I Speak to You".

Mom expected your full attention when she was talking to you, just as your colleagues, clients and boss do. Direct eye contact is essential in gaining rapport in business relationships; it conveys a message of openness and honesty. Your colleagues, clients, Professor or boss want to communicate with someone they can trust.

Mom's rule#2: " Stand Up Straight."

Mom told you to "stand up straight" because slouching made you look lazy. She was right; standing tall portrays authority and commands respect. Presence matters at all times and your body language sets the tone before a single word is uttered.

Mom's rule#3:"Hold Your Head Up"

This is a classic "Mom Rule". Our mother's job was to help us become confident individuals. The business world can often cause insecurity, but confidence sells and is often the name of the game. You must sell what you have to say to achieve your goal. A confident speaker is an effective speaker.

Mom's rule#4: "Always Use Your Head"

Remember when you would get angry with your brother or sister and you would stomp around and make faces? Mom would scold you and say, "Use your head! Acting out of anger only makes things worse." This makes sense in professional relationships as well. Life often throws situations at us that instigate anger. If a colleague makes you angry and you act irrationally, your reputation could head down a troubled path. Mom didn't want you to pout or throw a tantrum; your boss or your Professor would not appreciate that attitude either.

Mom's rule#5: "Wear your Best dress"

To be accepted as a professional, you must dress professionally. " Dress for success" to create a positive first impression.

Call these rules secrets, pointers or guidelines, but by following Mom's five simple rules you can perfect your non verbal communication skills and help polish your professional appearance. Mom's constant hounding was a mystery while you were young, but heeding those reprimands allows you to be assertive in business relationships.

C.V. Preparation

What is a Curriculum Vitae?

A resume is a resume is a resume…Despite the fancy name, a Curriculum Vitae is simply a specific sort of resume, the style of which is preferred by candidates for medical, academic, teaching, and research positions. What are some differences between a general resume and a Curriculum Vitae?

• Since most candidates who use a CV have an educational background directly related to the positions they seek, education is always featured first.  Even after twenty years of research, your degrees and the schools where you earned them will overshadow your experience.
• CV’s almost never list an objective, and seldom have a long narrative profile.  They are sometimes diagrammatic, giving exceptionally brief listings for each experience.  Your credentials and preparation will have to speak for themselves.  If you want to make a more elaborate argument for your candidacy, you must do it in your cover letter.
• CV’s are properly more understated than business resumes, and any hint of braggadocio or other self-congratulation is likely to backfire on the author.  Similarly, CV’s should look rather plain.  Save the bells and whistles for another time.  When they are nondiagrammatic, CV’s can contain blocky job descriptions of some great length—but the emphasis is always on content, not form.
• Name dropping is more common in CV’s than in resumes.  For example, if you performed research under a certain professor, you would probably include her name and title.  Science and academia are small worlds, and it is likely that a prospective employer will have heard of a given specialist in her own field.  Similarly, if you went on clinical rotations at a given hospital, name it; your future employer might have hospital privileges there.
• Unlike resumes, CV’s can run on for pages and pages.  They should, however, be very neatly organized, with clear headings and distinct conceptual divisions, so they can be skimmed as easily as a two-page resume.
• In addition to the usual catalog of degrees and job histories, CV’s often contain many more categories of information.  Experience may be divided between headings for TEACHING and RESEARCH; education may be divided between DEGREES and CONTINUING EDUCATION or ADVANCED TRAINING; publications may be divided into sub-categories of BOOKS, ARTICLES, CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS ABSTRACTS, BOOK REVIEWS, and UNPUBLISHED PAPERS.  How you organize this material determines its impact on your reader.

What information should I include?

The organization and presentation of your CV is extremely important.  Your presentation will be judged largely on the number and nature of listings.  Material that you may think of as irrelevant may end up cinching your presentation.  For example, if you gave fourteen lectures in the last year, list them!  If you are fresh out of school, it is better to let the search committee know exactly what you have done and, by inference, what you can do.

As with any other resume, review your total universe of material before deciding what to include, what to feature, and what to omit.  Review all potential data in the following categories:

Degrees Dissertations Theses All other college studies Continuing education Training Specialization Expertise Profession Interests Employment Class projects Research

Study abroad Teaching workshops Clinics Seminars Conferences Symposia Publications Translations Presentations Papers Lectures Exhibitions

Volunteer experience Service Languages Laboratory skills Technical skills Computer skills Licenses Credentials Honors Scholarships Fellowships Assistantships Grants

Appointments Consulting Practica Awards Additional Activities Sports Travel Bibliography Addenda Affiliation Pro bono Committees

After compiling this raw data, organize the information on your CV in accordance with your desired impact on the reader.  This should govern which information you present and the order in which you present it.

Bibliographies longer than two pages, or any other category with more than two pages of information, should be separated out from the main body of the CV.  Of course, different disciplines have different protocols for bibliographic data and you will need to learn and follow those for your profession.  Bibliographies should run in reverse chronological order like everything else (as a general rule).

Note: CV information provided by From College to Career, by Donald Asher, Ten Speed Press, 1992.

The Electronic Curriculum Vitae

As you prepare your curriculum vitae and its accompanying correspondence, it is essential that you prepare two copies of your material; one for people to read and one to be scanned by a computer.  Scannable CV’s focus on clearly defined format and content rules which are determined by Optical Character Recognition (OCR). OCR creates a text file in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange).  Next, artificial intelligence reads the text and extracts the information it needs.  For a CV to be scannable it has to be clean and crisp with dark type—preferably standard fonts—so that OCR can recognize every letter.

How do I write a scannable Curriculum Vitae?

• Use the language and acronyms appropriate for the field in which you are seeking entry.
• Use commonly accepted headings for the sections.
• Use active verbs when noting responsibilities and skills.
• Include keywords when describing your skills, education, and experience; be specific.
• Be honest and succinct.
• A CV may exceed one page, as the computer’s ability to scan it is not affected by length.

How do I produce a scannable Curriculum Vitae?

• The original should be letter quality.
• Use a standard typeface in a font size of 10 to 14 points.
• Use standard spacing; letters should not touch.
• Avoid using italics, underlining, lines, graphics, two-column format, or boxes.  Emphasize using bold or full capitalization.
• Your name should be at the top of the first page, followed by your address beneath it.  Each phone number should be on a separate line.  Successive pagesshould have your name as the first text.
• Do not fold or staple.

Note: Electronic CV information and various CV samples provided by  How to Prepare Your Curriculum Vitae, Acy L. Jackson, VGM Career Horizons, NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company, 1997.

Do you have a sample of a Curriculum Vitae?

At the end of this packet, there are examples of regular and scannable Curriculum Vitae formats.

Where can I get additional help?

Career Services career counselors will be happy to answer any questions you may have about writing your Curriculum Vitae. 

SUGGESTED READINGS

If you would like further information on preparing your curriculum vitae, consider the following books. 

How to Prepare Your Curriculum Vitae, Acy L. Jackson
From College to Career; Entry-Level Resumes for Any Major, Donald Asher
The Academic Job Search Handbook, Mary Morris Heiberger, Julia Miller Vick
On The Market:  Surviving the Academic Job Search (Serial), Christina Boufis, Victoria C. Olsen   

Etiquette 101: Writing to a Professor in a University about research interests.

Basic etiquette for students about writing to faculty about their research interests.

I frequently receive email from lot of applications who wish to pursue graduate study in Computer Science/Engineering at UMBC, JHU and different universities in the US. Instead of replying individually to these messages, I have created this page to collect my personal advice on this matter. These are my own personal views, and certainly should not be viewed as official policy of UMBC, JHU. Having mentioned that, I have tried to be as accurate as possible.

My goal in writing this is to help you, the foreign graduate student applicant, better understand the process of applying to US graduate school, and to be able to provide the best possible representation of your capabilities. The Department of Computer science/ Engineering/ Sciences is actively interested in enrolling foreign graduate students, since they bring unique skills, and diverse viewpoints to our program. We derive considerable strength from the many active foreign graduate students currently studying and performing research at US universities.

It's helpful to have some background on the financial implications of a foreign student being admitted to US Universities.

Since UMaryland is supported by the State of Maryland, students who are Maryland residents have significantly lower tuition and fees than non-residents. Students who are US citizens can become Maryland residents after a year. Foreign students who do not hold a US green card cannot become Maryland residents. It is very difficult to get a US green card.

The net result is that foreign graduate students cost about 1.5 to 2 times as much as Maryland resident students. From a Professor's perspective, this means that nearly two Maryland resident students can be supported for the same cost as a foreign student. Supporting a foreign graduate student for an entire 4-6 year PhD program requires raising approximately USD $120k-$220k in grant money, depending on many factors, including whether the student receives summer support (increase), how quickly they advance to candidacy (decrease), and whether they already have a Master's degree (increase), and how quickly they finish. Admitting a graduate student is a significant financial commitment.

Foreign Students and English Expression

One common issue with foreign students is their ability to express complex technical ideas in English, in both written and verbal form. This is a very complex activity even for native English speakers, and is doubly so for people whose native language is not English. Research in Computer Science involves investigation into complex technical issues, and then writing up these results in the form of workshop, conference, and journal papers. Writing a dissertation (typically 5,000 - 60,000 words) is a requirement for receiving the PhD degree. Writing articles and giving presentations at technical conferences are critical elements in developing a reputation in a research community. Written and verbal communication are central activities in Computer Science research. If you don't like to write and give presentations in front of groups, you should think seriously about whether you want to go into research.

From a research advisor's perspective, having non-native speakers as students frequently means that any written document by such students requires an additional 1-2 reviews just to get the English expression correct. Even after putting this additional effort into the document, it is generally of lower quality than a document produced by a native speaker. This is due to issues such as less interesting choice of words, less varied sentence structure, and poor control over the rhetorical structure of the paper.

Who Makes Admission Decisions for Graduate Students?

In the Science/Engineering departments, all admissions materials are digitally scanned, and made accessible via a Web-based system that allows the faculty in Sciences, Computer Science (as well as Computer Engineering, and Electrical Engineering) to see and review all files. Each file is reviewed by multiple faculty members. Generally students are admitted when they are either visibly outstanding and exceptional students, or when an individual faculty member makes a personal commitment to accepting the student, and providing financial support. Administrative staff typically have a advisory role in admissions decisions, usually by informing faculty that there is a student who might be a good fit for their program.

The most important point is individual faculty make graduate admissions decisions.

Basic Guidelines

Since foreign graduate students cost twice as much, and frequently produce research papers of lower quality than native students, it is critical that applications for graduate study address these two issues. From a research advisor's perspective, a foreign student needs to be outstanding and exceptional to justify the extra financial and time cost (all those extra paper reviews take time) of admitting a foreign student.

There are several things you can do to improve your chances of gaining admission. Contacting a faculty member is critical, since they make decisions on who is admitted. However, when contacting a faculty member, there are several key points to remember:

1. English expression must be perfect. Consider the following excerpt from an email I received from a prospective student:

I did my undergraduate studies at {XXX} University, one of India's the most famous universities with a history 100 years, and kept on ranking in the upper 10 percent among 92 students in the department.

Just in this one sentence there are at least four grammar and expression errors. This clearly says to me that the student does not have a firm command of English expression, and their papers will definitely need multiple reviews. As a faculty  I want to bring in students who will make less work for me, not more.

2. Show a clear and sincere interest in the faculty's research area. Faculty have very specialized research interests, and are looking for students with demonstrated capacity to perform excellent research in their specialty. If you approach a faculty member and say that you want to perform research in an area outside their specialty, they will show little interest. Additionally, faculty often indicate research interests that are very broad. I personally state that I have a research interest in "Bioinformatics." However, this is a very broad field. My more specific interest is in data mining. Hence, if you send me email stating you're interested in Bioinformatics, that is much less interesting to me than an email stating you're interested in data mining in Bioinformatics.

Of course, just listing a few buzzwords doesn't impress much either. Some emails I receive appear to be form letters, with a fill-in space for research interest buzzwords. These are pretty easy to spot, and don't demonstrate any sincere interest in performing research in that field. If you want to rise above the crowd, you will identify potentially interesting faculty, then go and read one or two of their recent papers. This will give you a very good idea of their research specialty (you may find you don't like it!) and will allow you to write a customized letter that speaks directly to that faculty's current research interests.

Here's another example email I received:

Checking into the web site, I have found that your research areas cater to my type of research interests.

I interpreted this as follows. First, the student doesn't know or care what research they want to perform, since they didn't state their research interests. This is a red flag, since such a student might be accepted into the program, chew up a year of grant support, and then discover they are really interested in some other research area and switch to another research group. While students often do switch research areas as their interests mature, as a Professor I look to reduce the possibility of this happening, since this is disruptive to a research agenda.

Second, the prospective student obviously didn't do their homework. They didn't bother to read the faculty web site enough to determine the  current research interests.

Right now you may be thinking, "Reading all these papers takes too much time, especially for a preliminary email." This is true, it does take more time to really understand the research agenda of a faculty member. However, by applying for graduate school, you are asking a professor to make a large financial and time investment. My attitude as a faculty member is, "Why should I admit a prospective student who is not willing to spend 1-2 hours to determine my current research interests?" On the flip side, you are looking to make a commitment to a particular research area, and this can have significant impact on your career and happiness. Doesn't it make sense to have a good idea of what you're getting into?

3. Use an ASCII-representable name in your email if your native language is ideographic. A lot of spam email has "from" addresses that are not ASCII. Many faculty receive over 100 spam email messages a day. To ensure your message isn't ignored as spam, use an informative Subject line, and an ASCII From address.

4. Check to see how many students the professor currently has. Research groups are hard to scale up. Generally, faculty members do not like to have more than 3-10 students. If a faculty member has a lot of students already, even if you're Albert Einstein they still might not be interested.

Few pointers for the Actual Application

If you have decided to formally apply for graduate student in Computer Science in US graduate school, you will be asked to provide a personal statement (an essay), letters of recommendation, GRE and TOEFL test scores, and your undergraduate transcript.

Personal Statement

By now it should go without saying that the English in the personal statement needs to be perfect. Have a native speaker review your essay. Pay money to get such a review, if necessary. I frequently see high GRE verbal and TOEFL scores accompanied by a poorly written personal statement. This says to me that the student takes tests well, but still has problems with written English expression.

In the personal statement, I personally look for evidence that the student has the capacity to perform high quality research. Specifically, I look for evidence of critical thinking, and discussion of prior relevant research or project experience. I also like to see students make a strong case for why they are well suited for graduate study.

Many prospective students write about how they have wanted to study Chemistry and receive Nobel Prize since they were a small child, and how it's a lifelong dream and ambition. In extreme moderation this is fine (1-2 sentences at maximum). However, it is reasonable to assume that nearly all prospective students willing to spend the time and effort to apply to the Dept. of Chemistry for graduate school have a deep and sincere interest in Chemistry. One deduction you can make is that spending valuable space in your personal statement on this matter does not differentiate you from the other applicants.

I personally would like to hear about the difficult aspects of some project you worked on. Tell me how you displayed excellent problem solving skills, were a leader, or showed initiative. Especially if you have done research before, tell me about that research experience, and what you learned from it. Finally, tell me why the university you are applying is the best place for you to study. There are many universities in the US; why is that particular university the best match for you?

Don't Send Every Award You've Ever Received

Last year, I heard one student sent a copy of their karate black belt certificate as part of the supplemental materials for their application. While this is a commendable achievement, one that implies a significant degree of discipline, it doesn't say very much about the student's ability to perform graduate studies. In fact, it's a negative, since it indicates the student doesn't have the critical analysis skills to determine what information can truly help their application. Certificates likes these will not add credibility to the application and finally end up in the trash. If you send supplemental information, make sure it is directly relevant to the pursuit of graduate study in the department you are applying for.

Make Sure Your Letters Arrive on Time

The recommendation letters are critically important to your case. Make sure they arrive on time. Letters from academic sources are preferable to those from industry, and a letter from an advisor on a research project is the best, so long as it directly addresses your performance on the research project, and your skills as a researcher.

Make Your Point Fast

In the preliminary review of files, the typical application receives 2-8 minutes of consideration by each faculty member that reviews it. Follow-on reviews are typically more detailed, since there are fewer files at this point. Personal statements are first scanned, then carefully read if they seem interesting. Your personal statement should ensure that the most important points are made in the first 1-2 paragraphs.

You may be thinking, "This isn't very fair. I'm going to spend hours putting together my application, only to have it reviewed very quickly." In defense of the practice, I'll make two observations. First, we receive many hundreds of applications, and must make rapid decisions on them. In order to provide timely response to applicants, each application cannot be reviewed for very long. Second, after reviewing hundreds of applications, faculty get very good at making rapid assessments of academic records. Does this mean we never make mistakes? No. It's an inherently error-prone process, since it involves making highly subjective decisions based on a small number of data points about a person's future academic abilities. Predicting the future is hard.

Hopefully you've found this information useful. My sincere best wishes to you in your pursuit of graduate study in US!

Information for new graduate students from India

Glad to know you! and Congratulations on getting admission here.

I wrote this piece of information for people who are coming to UMBC for the graduate programs initially. This information is based on my own experience and also based on the information I collected from different people and resources so that it is of value to someone who is coming here. Now this information can be used by any student who is coming to any grad school in US (not necessarily UMBC) and most of the information and guidelines will be applicable.

This is for a person wanting to go fairly well equipped from India. If you have some sort of support in the place of your destination [e.g.:relatives, friends etc.], you can definitely prune this list. Almost everything listed below, and more, is available there [often better quality and cheaper and more appropriate for local use]; but you'll take a while to discover where to buy them; and you may also take a while to save up for them. Sooner or later, you'll  replace many things you take from India, with their local equivalents. This list assumes that you'll cook yourself, which otherwise may not be the case, if you are going to stay in a dorm [hostel]. The estimated budget for the items listed below, could range from Rs. 20,000 to 40,000. In addition, you are likely to spend approximately Rs. 50,000 [which will vary from one airline to other] on an ECONOMY ONE-WAY air-ticket and Rs. 40,000 to 50,000 [$1000, appx.] for your RBI approved dollars. You'll need part of these dollars for your deposit and rent on your housing. It is recommended that you take at least $1500 as it may take a month's time for you to collect and encash your first scholarship cheque. Apply for all local scholarships/loan fellowships to assist with travel [if required]. This list may be biased towards a male single student (Vegetarian/South Indian) on scholarship. Make appropriate changes if you are not. In any case, I am sure that this information will be useful. I would appreciate your comments/suggestions for improving this page

Things to be done (in general)

• Collect "No Dues" from School.
• Apply for the transcripts
• Inform all concerned of your permanent address : (office, department, Post Office, friends ...)
• Close your Bank Accounts.
• Return all borrowed material & take back all things that you lent out.
• Get your International Driver's Permit

Following materials must be presented to the Consular office by you at the time you apply for VISA

• Form I-20 or IAP-66 (obtained directly from the University you will attend).
• VISA application form (available at the consulate).
• Two passport size photographs
• A valid passport.
• Evidence of financial support
• Visa fee

If Financial assistance has been awarded by the University, please enclose letter from the University to that effect.

You may apply for the visa within 90 days prior to the reporting date mentioned on the I-20. Thus if the reporting date shown on the form I-20 is  September 5, you may apply for your visa between June 5 and September 5.  The Visa office is open from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday.  No prior appointment is  necessary to apply for a visa. If you need additional information please call  the Visa section at American consulate, Madras between 2 and 4 pm on weekdays.

Starting off from the point you get an aid, the steps to be taken  are listed below.

• Send your acceptance letter by three modes - FAX, phone, letter, email.
• If you are going to an arb. Univ renew your app.s to other Univs.
• Bump any jobs you may have got.

Getting the Visa :

For students with full financial aid this is no problem at all.  Even then these tips will make it all the more peaceful. When you go for the visa dress decently. Avoid any Americanisms.  Speak slowly and clearly. Don't appear tense and don't look desperate. Self-confidence helps. Go along with a friend having a vehicle (just in case you have to go & get  something) . They should never feel that you will have any sort of difficulty - language, finance, racial, religious, etc.

You should be able to convince them that you will come back to India. If they ask you, points in favor are :

a) only child (if that is really the case!)

b) immovable property in India  (can take a proof document)

c) orthodox family,

d) brought up in rural  atmosphere

e) lots of relatives in India; none abroad,

f) mom, dad won't come to USA,

g) field of interest not available in India;(tricky one though..If they ask..if the field of interest not available in India, you might not even come back as there are less opportunities in that field of endeavor in India..So be prepared to answer that).

h) change of field not possible in India.

i) interest in teaching (if you are genuinely interested..). Please do not just fake just to get the visa.

Actually all this  won't be required - just in case they decide to have an interview with you, these tips will come in handy.
But just in case if they plan on interviewing, these might come handy. Do not go at 5:00 A.M. in the morning & wait.Avoid Mondays and Fridays, Wednesdays are preferable.Go sometime before and get the form for this (you can take the filled form).

Things to be taken with you when you go for the visa

       a) signed I-20 form
       b) filled visa application form
       c) two passport size photos (take some glue)
       d) passport
       e) admission & aid letters
       f) TOEFL & GRE scores (original + photocopy)
       g) Photocopy of your grade cards

Emigration Clearance

Get this after the visa. You can get this from a venue other than the place of issue of the passport- by showing that your place of residence falls in the jurisdiction of that  passport office. In Madras, the passport office is located on the II Floor, Shastri Bhavan,  Haddows Rd...
Take the following things with you -
       a) Passport
       b) ECNR (Emigration Clearance Not Required) form - get it from your travel agent, avoid line at passport office
       c) Original of the Provisional Certificate (PC) - to show
       d) Photocopy of the PC

Procedure in brief :
At one counter show the filled form & get a slip; go inside and show your documents at the checking   counter; pay  Rs.20 (check the amount, don't know whether it is the same amount now!) at the cash counter; collect passport next day with ECNR stamp.

Suggested timings :
       I day 11:00 to 11:15 A.M. (submit)
       II day 4:50 to  5:00 P.M. (collect)

Getting permit for $750

This can be got from any bank authorized to do so (need not go to RBI for this). You can get this within a month of the date of the flight.  The following documents have to be taken along to get the permit : Passport + copy, air ticket, I-20 student copy + copy, grade cards + copies, PC + copy, XII std pass/mark sheet + copy, aid & admission letters + copies, bank advance/ any other form of payment.  You may take part of the $750 in currency notes - upto $50 is okay (legally upto $100 allowed).

Travel Booking & Tips

The next thing to do is blocking tickets (this implies no financial commitment). This can be done via travel agents. Make sure the Travel Agent is good  (examples of dependable travel agents are - Travel Corporation of India (TCI), Parrys Travels, All India Travel Agency (AITA) - Parsn Complex) Block flights  with many airlines/agencies. Put pressure on the agencies and get as much info as possible. Much before the flight call the airlines themselves and confirm  your ticket.  Indicate whether you want Asian Vegetarian Meal (AVM),non-smoking section, etc.

• Cross-check everything the travel agent says.
• Most airlines offer Frequent Flier programs (United Mileage Plus, where you get credit for the miles you travel [i.e.after a certain # of miles of flying with that airline you get a free ticket]. You don't have to pay for enroling in these programs. Enrol in such programs.  - Delta, British Airways, Lufthansa, United.
• Avoid change of airline. A direct flight is the best. If change of airline can't be avoided, leave at least 4-6 hrs gap between the scheduled arrival of  one flight and the scheduled departure of the connecting flight.
• Baggage is usually safe with a single airline - change of airline sometimes leads to misplaced luggage. Some airlines don't take care of baggage transfer- you may have to personally carry it (check this while booking).
• Do not trust an Indian Airlines connecting flight (in case you use IA allow  atleast a day).

Packing

• Start your packing well in advance.
• Buy two good boxes - they should be able to withstand a lot of mishandling.
• They should be as large as possible within the size limitations (however most  airlines are not very strict about baggage size). Put identification marks and  labels both inside & outside the boxes (apart from this the airlines will also  provide you with adhesive labels). Boxes with independent top & bottom are preferable.

Baggage/Box specifications

As an example the Air India economy class baggage specifications to the USA are given below. Note the specs. may be different for other countries/airlines.2 pieces of baggage with total linear dimension (l+b+h) not exceeding 270cm  (106"). Moreover the total linear dimension of each piece should not be over 158cm (62"). The weight of each bag should not exceed 32kg (70lb) [note: they are not particular about this] Carry on baggage : In addition you can carry a bag with linear dimension not exceeding 115cm (45") onboard (fits beneath the seat).  For most other airlines the baggage specifications are similar (confirm) If you are taking a break outside USA/Canada, contact your travel agent or airlines for details. Do not carry any sharp things along with you as they are usually detected as weapons.

Things to be kept in the boxes

• Copy of all certificates/documents (originals in hand baggage).
• Important apping materials (SOP, reco etc)
• Necessary books/notebooks (some suggested books are - a good dictionary/thesaurus, a booklet for units conversion)
• Copy of address book/telephone book/diary
• Some stationery and related items suggested (not absolutely necessary - just for the first few weeks) are : common items + rubber stamp with house address + airmail covers + few Indian razor blades for cutting work + screw driver.
• Indian postal stamps - for sending letters through someone coming to India.
• Medical history files.
• Gifts (suggested: rollable pictures, handicrafts, etc)
• Non-technical books (fiction/religious). [note: second-hand story books are  inexpensive in the US]
• 1 pair leather chappals, 2 hawaii chappals (+ extra straps)
• Soap (bath), toothbrushes (slightly costly in the US - 1 or 2 bucks) etc
• Cassettes,CD's

Clothes

Usually clothes are machine washed once a week (laundromat) - hence one week supply of clothes (+ one week backup) is needed.  Get all clothes little loose  - clothes may shrink in machine wash & you will probably grow  fatter(thanks to the potato chips, coke, Pizza and all the Junk food).

• 14-15 sets of undergarments, socks, handkerchiefs
• 5 sets of good shirts, pants
• A good swimming trunk + few shorts
• A tie + 1-2 belts
• 3-6 ordinary towels (Turkish ones start stinking)
• A bedsheet
• Lungies/dhotis/pajamas
• Thermal underwear (2-4)
• Extra woollen sweaters
• Sleeveless woollen sweaters are enough for warm places
• Woollen socks not recommended if not going to a cold place
• Second hand alarm clocks are cheap in US.
• Don't take Indian files (empty) or punching machines - filing system is  different in the US (3 holes, A4).
• Don't take paper.
• Don't take raincoats.
• Don't buy purse (wallet for carrying cards can be bought in US)
• Wear your shoes to save space in the box. If needed buy only leather shoes  (other types of shoes are cheap in US). For some weather conditions Indian  leather shoes may crack.

Don't worry yourself if you can't bring any of the stuff listed above - most of them are available pretty inexpensive in the US (made in China). Exceptions are leather goods, formal wear. In a month or two you will be in a position to get anything you want (unless you are not on financial aid).

Things to remember
Get a copy of your syllabus along, as sometimes you may end up having prerequisites and you could waive it by proving you have covered such topics as usually the course requirements maybe covered by parts in the courses we do.

You require your provisional or degree completion certificate (sometimes they do not accept a provisional from some universities), which has to be submitted at the graduate college. So if you happen to come here as soon as you graduate, apply for it.

When traveling if you are a vegetarian specify for vegetarian food (specifically mention no food or no fish) on your flight. Keep your cabin baggage as light as possible, during transits you may have to walk long distances. It would be good if you could get a trolley.

If you could you can try for a International Driving Permit (Driving License) Dental checkup, go for it atleast a 15 days in advance to avoid last moment confusions Eye sight check up, and if you have sight get a spare as they are usually expensive here. A TB test is also advisable as if they ask you to get one done here, it is also expensive and not only that their tests are sensitive and usually we Indians test positive for it. Carry money as travelers' checks(Note: cheques are spelt as checks here), safest and convenient method of carrying money.

What to Get and What Not

If you intend to cook Indian food then we would suggest getting along a pressure cooker and any flat-bottomed vessels that you would feel comfortable using.

• You could get along some masala powders, pickles etc.
• Here usually we wash clothes in Laundromats (maybe once in 10 days) so get clothes that would suit our washing conditions, as usually they are rough and tough. <br>
• Get atleast 10 to 12 sets of under garments, socks (usually you get better ones here but you can get some to get started).
• Get a good alarm clock (that sounds loud).
• Do not get any stationary items like (staplers, punchers etc).
• You should buy a good pair of sneakers, as you have to walk a lot here.
• Do not get along any electronic items here as the voltage is much lower than in India.
• A good school bag, a Visa folder (to hold cards), a wallet/ purses (leather goods are usually expensive here).
• Get some medicines which you think would be useful or any common health problems that you have you could get some basic medicines for headache, stomach ache, indigestion, fever etc.
• You could get along some Indian music cassettes/CDs etc that you enjoy.

What should I bring from INDIA?

Books are the first priority. The list of books, being huge, is not provided here. Select the courses you are planning to take and find the corresponding books for those courses. If you don't find the books corresponding to the courses that you intend to take then you may request some of the ISA members from your department for help. Please do not ask Indian association about courses you may take. You are advised to have the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) injection, and get a certificate if possible for all the vaccinations you had when you were a child. Hepatitis-B vaccinations are also advised, but it takes 3 injections over 6 months. Consult your doctor on all this.

Medicines are pretty expensive here. Do get some medicines from home, especially if you have some known problem.

Get proper prescription for those medicines you bring along. Its very important as you might be asked at the airport and do get a small note as to what medicine to take for what illness.

This list of other items has been constructed according to the personal experiences of people who have come here. So, may be some important items are missing or are inadequately specified. Hence, personal discretion is highly recommended. Also if you feel something is not here then please do send us an email and we will try and post that info asap.

	Item	Qty	Comments
A	Clothes #
1	Full Sleeve Shirts	4
2	Half Sleeve Shirts	4
3	Formal Trousers	2
4	Blazer (Informal) / Suit (Formal) Suit Recommended.	1	Optional
5	Tie	2
6	T-shirts	5
7	Jeans	3
8	Shorts / Cargos / Bermudas	4
9	Belts	2
10	Traditional	1	Highly Recommended
11	Sweater	2
12	Pyjamas / Night Suit	3
13	Under Garments	14	'Cos you will do laundry once in a week-10days
14	Towels	3	No Turkey, sometimes it shrinks
15	Handkerchiefs	8
16	Blanket (Light Weight)	1	Optional, depends on your baggage
17	Single Bed Sheet	2
18	Bed Cover	2
19	Pillow Cover	3
20	Woollen Gloves	2	Leather & wool
21	Jacket	1	Don't worry about it. Buy it here
22	Thermal Underwear	-	You can buy it here.
23	Caps	-	Optional
B	Footwear
1	Chappals / Sandals	1	Traditional Footwear
2	Slippers	1
3	Formal Black Leather Shoes	1
4	Casual Sport Shoes .	1
5	Shoe Polish	1	For Formal Shoes
6	Shoe Polishing Brush	1
7	Socks black for formal shoes	2
8	Socks White	12	Cheaply Available here.
C	Miscellaneous Items
1	Glasses / Contact Lenses	3	Must. Optics very expensive here.
2	Contact Lenses Solution	-	Check for yourself
3	Stitching Kit	1
4	Alarm Clock	-	Buy electronic here, as batteries r costly
5	Camera	-	Optional
6	Walkman	-	Optional
7	Recorded Music Cassettes	-	Highly Recommended
8	Wallet (to hold Credit Cards also)	1	Recommended
9	Hangers	-	Don’t bring. Cheaply available
D	Toiletries
1	Shaving Blades / Cartridges	12	Available here.
2	Razor	1
3	Shaving Cream	-	Cheap here
4	Shaving Brush	1
5	After Shave Lotion	1
6	Trimming Scissors	1
7	Tooth Brush	2
8	Tooth Paste	1
10	Comb	2
13	Hair Oil	2
14	Nail Cutter	1	Don't forget this but make sure it is not in carryon
16	Talcum Powder	-	Optional
18	Shampoo	-	Cheaply available
19	Bathing Soap	1	Cheaply available
20	Washing Soap	-	Don’t get it. Cheaply available
E	Cooking Hardware (Be sure that all vessels are Flat-Bottomed, b'coz u have electric stoves here)
1	Pressure Cooker 3 Litres	1	Bigger the better
2	Spare Dead Weight Valves	1
3	Spare Safety Valves	2 or 3
4	Spare Gaskets	2 or 3
5	Frying Pan (Non-Stick)	1	Very good Qlty
6	Spoons Small Size	3 or 4
7	Big Spoons / Spatula	2
8	Steel Plates / Dishes	2
9	Steel Glasses	2
10	Pakkad / Tongs	1
11	Kadhai	1	Big size
12	Utensils / Patelis	3	Medium Size
13	Tea Filter / Galane	2 or 3
14	Tea Making Utensil	1
15	Knife (If u get one, don't keep it in Cabin Baggage!!!)	-	Good Quality
16	Cutting Board	1
17	Cooking Book	1	Learn from your mom quickly.
F	Cooking Groceries (Remember, All the items except the Masalas are recommended only if u have luggage space.)
1	Tea Powder	2 Kg
2	Instant Coffee / Nescafe	-	Cheaply available. (Folgers)
3	Turmeric Powder / Haldi	250 gm
4	Mustard Seeds / Mouri / Mohari / Ri	250 gm
5	Red Chilly Powder	250 gm
6	Garam Masala	250 gm	Even more if u come from North-India
7	Dhane Powder	250 gm
8	Jeera Powder	250 gm
9	Jeera	-
10	Asofotida / Hing	1
11	Sambar Masala	2	Bring as much as u can, as this will turn out to be your Staple Food!!!
12	Cholle Masala	1	Recommended
13	Pav Bhaji Masala	1	Recommended
14	Dals	½ Kg	Each
15	Elaichi / Veldoda	100 gm	Optional
16	Clove / Lavang	100 gm	Optional
17	Papad	-	Optional
18	Aachar / Pickles	-	Bring many properly packed.
19	Tamarind Powder / Cocum / Tamarind Paste	1	Required
20	Sugar / Rice / Salt	-	Please Dont bring these.
21	Rava / Suji	1 Kg	This is very helpful in beginning
G	Stationary
1	School Bag	1	A Little Expensive here
2	Ball Point Pen	2	For initial use
3	Refils	1
4	Bonded/Clutch Pencils	1
5	Sharpner	1
6	Eraser Pencil	1
7	Clutch Pencil (0.5 mm)	1
8	Lead Box (0.5 mm)	2
9	Steel Scale 6"	1	Optional
10	Stapler	1	Dont Forget these
11	Stapler Pins	2 Box
12	Punch	-	Pls. don’t Bring. 3 holes punch Reqd here.
13	Scientific Calculator	1	Replace the batteries without fail!!
14	Cello Tape	1	Optional
15	Glue Stick / Glue	1	Optional
16	Sketch Pen	-	Optional
17	Note books / Papers / Files / Folders	-	Do not bring.
H	Books (apart from course-work)
1	Oxford Concise Dictionary	1
2	Books about India		Optional
3	Religious Books	-	Optional.
I	Medicies (must bring)
1	Vicks (Vaporub & Inhaler)	1
2	Balm (Amrutanjan, etc)	1
3	Iodex	1
4	Dettol	1
5	Some Band-Aides (wash proof)	10
6	Iodine	1	Optional
7	Burnol	1	!!!
8	Painkiller tabs like Combiflam, Brufen.	20-30	They dont go waste
9	Drugs and Antibiotics (for common fever & cold etc)		Crocin , Amoxyciillin, Disprin .
10	B-Complex tablets
11	Vaseline	1	Especially for ppl coming in winter
	And all the specialized medicines that you take. And, the things we missed.
J	Miscelleneous
1	Recent Photographs / Negatives		Remember!!! Memories are the best company.....
2	General Photographs
3	Indian Calendar	1
4	Handicraft Items
5	Gifts	-
K	Documents (Not limited to these)
1	Passport / Photocopies		Leave a copy in each bag.
2	Admission Letter		Leave a copy in each bag.
3	I-20 & VISA photocopies		Leave a copy in each bag.
4	Credentials		Leave a copy in each bag.
5	Transcripts		Leave a copy in each bag.
6	Recommendation Letters		Leave a copy in each bag.
7	GRE / TOEFL Score Sheets		Leave a copy in each bag.
8	Medical Fitness Certificate		Leave a copy in each bag.
9	Health History Form		Leave a copy in each bag.  (Provided by UMR)
10	Vaccination Certificate		MMR, TB test.
11	Medical Prescription of all medicines		Leave a copy in each bag.
12	College Leaving Certificate		Leave a copy in each bag. (Optional)
13	Foreign Clearance from Income Tax Dept.		Leave a copy in each bag.
14	International Driving License (I.D.P.)		Optional
15	Receipts of traveller cheques		One copy in each baggage
16	Enough Money		Cash with some change.

Frequently asked questions

1. Will I get admission with a GRE score of...?

Admission for a specific program does not necessarily depends on the GRE score alone. Different programs have different minimum scores. Make sure you have good verbal score in GRE (maybe around 500 or more) and also a decent TOEFL score, other wise you will end up taking some English improvement courses. So do all the homework in India. You can contact the specific department and the Professors there to enquire about the possibility of your admission.

2. I've got admission to UMBC. Should I go, how good is UMBC?

The ranking varies every year, and it varies for every department. The current ranking of UMBC maybe obtained from one of the rankings list (for e.g. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/coworks.htm). It was relatively easy to get funding here, though very few students come here with aid, but due to the sudden increase in the number of incoming students, it is becoming harder by the day.

3. I haven't got any assistantship as of now.

Very few except for Ph.D students come to UMBC with funding. You can 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. UMBC is a pretty decent campus, and there a lot of on campus jobs available but again now it is harder to get as more students are joining. 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.

4. What are my chances of getting financial aid when I come to UMBC?

It is very difficult to predict that! The funding scene differs from department to department. The students here would not know one's chances of getting financial aid. It is better to contact the specific department and the Professors there to know about the chances of getting a financial aid.It varies with the indvidual person s academic record and industrial experience.

5. Whom to contact for getting financial aid?

TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIP (TA) POSITIONS:

Every semester, the TA positions in UMBC are awarded by the respective departments and not by the professors (as many students think). Students have to apply for a TA position by filling the application forms available with the concerned department, once the person reaches here. This means, you cannot apply for these positions when you are in India. As far as my knowledge goes, the applications forms are not available online on the respective department's web pages.

The various factors that are considered for granting the TA position are:

SPEAK TEST / TSE Scores - If you have not appeared for the TSE, then I 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 UMBC. 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 month, it is suggested that you should enroll for it as soon as you reach UMBC, so that you don't have to wait for months to get a date for the test.

Under-graduation GPA - Anything above 3.5/4.0 adds to your chances.

Recommendation Letters - By this, I mean the letters from the UMBC professors (who may like to have you as his/her TA) and not the recommendation letters that you have got from your school professors.

Facts: A person has hardly got a TA position in the first semester, unless the person has been committed a TA position in the I-20 itself as a form of some financial aid/support from UMBC. 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 want to see what courses have you taken in UMBC and hence for what courses, you can be considered as a TA. So scramble starts from the second semester to grab the few positions. You compete with Ph.D students as they are awarded the positions first.

RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP (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 in the previous semesters. 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 UMBC web pages) when in India and can explore if he/she responds and offers some thing. The university website (www.umbc.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. Can you check my admission status? Do I need to submit some other documents...?

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 Student Office can provide the details of the documents. We can just provide an overview!

7. Can you let me know the names and email addresses of people in XYZ department?

EKTA cannot arbitrarily give out names and email addresses of students. However, we will post names of students who themselves have volunteered to have their names and department listed on the web page. You may contact them.

8. When are decisions made regarding admissions?

Depends on which semester 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 ADMISSION FORM DETAILS, TRANSCRIPTS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND OFFICIAL TOEFL SCORE.
ONLY AFTER receiving these, will your packet (Transcripts, GRE score, Letter of Recommendation, Statement of Purpose, Resume, etc) be forwarded to the respective department.

9. Can you tell me the pre-requisites that I will have to take?

Sorry again! We are not the student record analysts! Please contact the respective department for all information related to academics. Besides, the department will have to look at your transcripts to determine that.

10. I have got some pre-requisite courses, which I think I have already done!

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.

11. 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.

12. What if I decide not to join UMBC?

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.

13. What is this Yahoo group I've heard about?

EKTA is involved in having a Yahoo group of the new incoming students.

14. Where can I find official information related to Visa issues?

The best place for official information regarding Visa issues is the US Consulates in India. There are 4 Consulate offices in India at New Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai.

15. Flight Information

Dulles, VA and BWI being a major US port of entry, most of you can take flights from India to BWI or IAD. This will avoid any hassle of taking domestic connections from New York, Chicago, or other airports to Baltimore. Try to come to Baltimore by coming to IAD or BWI preferably directly instead of taking domestic connections.

16. What if I miss a connection? 

Inform the airlines and try and get the next flight. Call in and let us know so that we will know the exact time you will be coming in, so that we may alter your pick-up plan.

17. Immigration and Customs

Port of entry is the first US city where your incoming international plane lands. In most cases, a flight attendant will distribute customs declaration forms and immigration forms before the plane lands at Atlanta. Fill all these out, while on the plane. The forms include questions about the contents of your luggage. Penalties for incorrect declaration can be severe, and you would not want to get caught up in a verbal interaction with officers, just after landing. One important note here, please do not scratch or over-write anything, ask for a new one and surrender the old one.

Hence be pretty honest and write the details as questioned. So long as pickles and spices are packed and sealed in a proper manner, they can be classified as non-perishable and dehydrated, and you may declare them as such. Well, hopefully you shouldn't fall sick here. Medical procedures are a pain in the neck here...so be healthy...Once you are out of the plane go straight to the immigration counter - rush  for them to beat the queue/line. It might take 0.5-1 hour here. Keep your I-20,  passport, admission & aid letters ready. They might ask a few questions like -

Is this your first time in the US ? Student ? F-1 visa ? Which Univ ? They will attach an I-94 card to your visa.

18. Luggage Handling

Even if your luggage is booked through to your final destination, it will be off-loaded at your port of entry. Dulles, VA or Baltimore, MD, being the port of entry and your final destination too, you should not face any problems. In case your port of entry is not Baltimore, make sure you check your luggage and that it is loaded in the connecting flight.

It is your responsibility to pick up the entire luggage off the conveyor belt and take it through the customs area. Cart your baggage to nearby Customs. If asked tell them that you are a  student, F-1 visa, school, dept., coming to US for the first time If asked to open the baggage do so slowly - do not mess up the place.  If asked about the  "podi"s( Eg. Chilli Powder) tell them that they are "dried Indian spices" to make traditional  Indian food like curry.  Rarely they might ask you to go to the agris. dept.  nearby - that is a pain.  If asked about "vibuthi" tell them that it is holy  Hindu powder used for prayer. 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!!

19. Lost or Delayed Luggage

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.

20. What documents do I need to carry while traveling?

Carry your Passport; I-20, cash, traveler’s checks and entry permit (in its original sealed envelope) 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.

21. When should I come to the University?

Date of joining university 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.

22. What is Tuition fee at UMBC?

The info regarding tuition fee is available at http://http://www.umbc.edu/gradschool/funding/tuition_fees.html. All the international students have to enroll for a minimum of 9 credit hours. Students having GA/RA/TA are required to pay resident tuition. Most of the times people who have TA/RA have tution paid by the department / Professor. Other students (even those with on-campus jobs) have to pay non-resident tuition.

23. Do we HAVE to live "on-campus"?

No! Not at all. Almost all the international graduate students live "off-campus". It is much economical and convenient to live off-campus. The off-campus accommodation is available at walking distance from the university and there is no problem in commute whatsoever. Unlike most of the other cities in United States, there is a great shuttle service which runs between the campus and neighboring city Arbutus where most of the students lives.

24. Can I work off-campus?

Students on F-1 visas are not allowed to work off-campus. Under extenuating circumstances this restriction may be waived, but only with prior permission from the Immigration and Naturalization Services, and that too only after completing nine months of studies here. 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.

25. What do I need to do once I reach UMBC?

Your first important thing is to meet the Foreign Students' Advisor in the International Student Office (ISO). They keep a record of you (passport, visa details etc). In case of UMBC, contact  Drs.John Lorch, Arlene Wergin... if you have questions....

When you leave the US (temporarily or permanently) you have to go to the IES office again.

Just a quick reminder to those of you who plan trips home for the holiday break:  please make sure that you have with you all the documentation you will need to return upon the completion of your journey (valid visa stamp, passport, signed I-20 and, to be safe, evidence that you have been pursuing a full course of study, this last item would rarely be asked for, but it's good to have a copy of your transcript just in case).  When you come to IES office for a signature on the back of your I-20 (most of you are F-1 visa holders) please have ready a copy of your transcript so that the office people can see at a glance that you've been maintaining a full course load and can quickly sign your I-20.  If you have any questions about this, please call or e-mail.

Arlene Wergin                                                         
Director
International Education Services                            
UMBC                                                
Fax 410-455-1130
Ph. 410-455-2624
[email protected]

Things to do once you are here:

Get your Identification card (UMBC).

• Get your UMBC e-mail account activated by going to Office of Information Technology.
• Attend the Orientation program.
• Open your Bank Account.
• Contact your department and your adviser.
• Get an apartment to live in.
• Get your social security number
• Get in touch with someone from EKTA who can help you out initially.
• Start having a good time at UMBC.

26. What should NOT be brought from INDIA?

Excessive winter clothing - We get cheaper and better quality clothing here. Don't worry; there would be enough time for you to cover yourself up.

Organic Edibles - Something like fruits, vegetables or meat products. You will face trouble at the customs. Pickles are ok but definitely NOT fruits!

Loads of formal clothing - Just unnecessary! Shorts and T-shirts are the order of the day here.

For Women, excessive jewelry -Again, the same reason as above, it isn't appropriate for daily wear, but good only for special occasions.

Utensils -You gets most of them here. They just occupy a lot of space, and of course, weigh a lot. If you are bent on packing you bags to their fullest, then you could possibly get a truckload of Indian delicacies for the Indian-grub-starved desi junta!

Electric appliances - which work on 220V. Forget about their working, you cant even plug them in.

27. What are other important things I need to know?

International Students are NOT allowed to work Off-Campus through out their stay. No exceptions. If caught, deported directly.

On Campus Jobs wont waive your tuition. You need to still pay the out-state (non-resident) tuition.

Graduate, Research and Teaching Assistants pay in-state (resident) tuition.

Health Insurance is COMPULSORY. The ones bought in India are NOT valid here.

Medical examination to be done in India as specified in the documents, is compulsory, don’t take risks, you may be asked to do them here at a cost. And get them filled in that place itself.

Give us your travel plans in advance, so that we can arrange for your airport pick-up your initial temporary accommodation.

28. Miscellaneous:

Some Advice:

Please take all facts and calculations in 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. Each one of us gets an average of 10-15 emails per day!

This is a bad phase in this nation's economy 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.

Finally, 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.

A Guide To American Conversation:

• The telephone is never engaged, it is always busy

• You don't disconnect a phone, you simply hang up

• You don't stop at signals, you halt at the lights

• You don’t pass out from a university, you graduate

• You don't accelerate, you step on the gas

• If your tire is punctured, it means you have a flat.

• There are no petrol bunks or petrol pumps, there are gas stations

• You never post a letter, you always mail it

• You don't stand in a queue, you are in a line

• You no longer like something, you appreciate it.

• # is not a hash, it is a pound sign.

• There is no full stop at the end of a statement, instead you find a period

Currency:

• Penny = 1 cent

• Nickel = 5 cents

• Dime = 10 cents

• Quarter = 25 cents

• Half Dollar = 50 cents

• Silver Dollar = 100 cents

American Terms and Their Indian Equivalence:

Apartment = flat
Battery = cell
Beat up = worn out, shabby (said of a thing)
Beat around the bush = avoid an issue
Been had = to have been taken advantage of
Big shot = a supposedly important person or someone who thinks he/she is
Big deal = anything important, exciting
Bike = cycle
Break the ice = make a beginning
Buck = dollar bill
Bombed = see "high"
Boot = trunk
Booze = alcoholic beverage
Bummer = a term to designate that something undesirable has happened
Cab = taxi
Cash = paying someone with currency rather than a check
Check = cheque
Check out = look over a situation
Cilantro = coriander
Collect Call = a telephone call where the recipient of the call pays
Cookie = biscuit
Cool or neat = slang term denoting approval for something or someone
Cool it = calm down
Cop = slang for policeman
Cut it out = stop it
Crack up = to lose emotional control in laughter
Date = to go out with someone; also the person with whom you go
Down = to feel depressed, sad
Downtown = Central Business District of any American city
Down to earth = practical, straightforward, (person)
Drive one up the wall = drive one nuts; to make one very nervous, or upset
Drop = to withdraw from a course on or before the set date
Drugstore = Pharmacy/Chemist
Eggplant = Brinjal
Electricity = current
Elevator = lift
Eraser = rubber
Fall for = take a strong liking for
Fed up = disgusted with, or tired of
Fender = bumper
Flammable = inflammable
Flashlight = torch
Freak out = to lose control of oneself, go crazy
Gas = petrol
Give a ring = to call on the telephone
Go to pot = to deteriorate
Grass = slang term for marijuana
Gripe = to complain
Hang up = in reference to the telephone it means do not hang up the receiver
Hang in there = keep trying; do not be discouraged
Hassled = troubled by
Have a lot on the ball = to be capable, talented, or efficient
High = intoxicated ("loaded") from liquor or drugs
Hit the sack = go to bed
Hood = bonnet
Hung up = to be in conflict over a problem
I.D. = identification
In a nutshell = very briefly and concisely
Jock = an athlete
Keep your shirt on = be clam, be patient
Know the ropes = be familiar with the details of an undertaking
Lemon = bad buy or purchase
Loaded = to get intoxicated
Long Distance Call = STD/Trunk call
Make ends meet = budget within one's income
Make up = (1) to apologize after a fight or disagreement
(2) To do an assignment after it was due
(3) Cosmetics a woman uses
Mailbox = post box
Mid term = test given during the middle of the quarter
Motel = inexpensive hotel
Motorbike = motorcycle
Muffler = silencer of a car
Okra = ladyfinger
On the house = free, no cost
Old man = slang term for father
Once in a blue moon = seldom, infrequently
Out of it = (1) somebody whose mind is far away or preoccupied
(2) Somebody not fitting into a certain group
Out of the question = unthinkable, impossible
Over my dead body = not if I can stop it!
Out of sight = term of approval denoting something exciting or very good
Panhandler = beggar
Payphone = public telephone
Pedestrian Crossing = zebra crossing
Peanuts = groundnuts
Phony = someone who is insincere, also fake
Play it by ear = to respond to circumstances as they arise
Play second fiddle = be second in importance
Pop-Quiz = a test given with no prior warning
Pop/Soda = aerated drink/soft drink
Pot = a term used for marijuana
Psyched up = to mentally prepare yourself for something; excited about something
Pull one's leg = to tease someone
Pull strings = use influence
Pull the wool over someone's eyes = deceive or mislead someone
Put someone on = to tease or try to fool. "Are you putting me on?"
Put your foot in your mouth = say something you regret having said
Rip off = to steal; charge an exorbitant price for some item
Redneck = hillbilly
Restroom = toilet
Returned Check = bounced cheque
Run around with = be friends with
Screwed up = confused
Shook up = upset
Show = movie or film, cinema
Sidewalk = footpath/pavement
Skip or cut = not go to class
Stoned = to get high on grass
Straight = one who goes along with the norms of society, conservative
Subway = underground railway system
Take a rain check = to postpone an invitation, accepting it for a later date
Take for granted = to assume
Through the grapevine = through gossip
To Go = carry out (especially referring to food)
To the max = to the maximum or greatest degree
Traffic Light = traffic signal
Trash Can = dustbin
Uptight = worried, tense
Under the weather = sick, not feeling well
Windbreaker = windcheater
With flying colors = with victory or success
Wasted = an extreme lack of energy. Also can mean "high"
Ya'll = you all
Zee = the letter "Z"
ZIP Code = postal code
Zero in on = focus or concentrate on