Be open-minded as to how different things are going to be. You are also going to start a life with newer responsibilities, that too amongst new people… So yes, be open-minded.
So, the first things I did after coming to US, once I had a place, got a SIM card for my phone, open a bank account and applied for a credit card. My Indian phone didn’t work, so I had to buy a new phone overnight. If you are not sharing an apartment with someone who already has electricity and Wi-Fi set up, that is also something you would need to do. The university orientation also helped me figure out most of the official stuff. The thing that surprised me most was the quarter system. I did not know such a system ever existed. This was very different coming from a semester system. It is very fast-paced. You have to parse through a lot of information in a shorter time. It is also useful because you have more diversity in what you learn over that short time. One thing I like about UChicago PME is that it has very close ties with other institutions both on campus and off campus.
Inspiration to choose the US
So I am from a lower-middle-class family in Kolkata. I was always interested in science, but I was torn between literature, painting and science. I had two teachers from my high school who strongly motivated me to do what I did next, which was study physics at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata. IISER Kolkata is a research institute where the focus is on basic sciences. The subjects taught are physics, chemistry, maths, biology, computer science and geology. In my third year, I applied for the DAAD Fellowship, which led me to Germany to do research in ultrafast optics. And then I went back to Germany again to finish my master’s thesis.
I was very interested in experimental optics and most of the cutting-edge research at that time was being done in a lot of labs that were abroad. That’s how I applied for grad school and got accepted to the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME). After talking to Asst. Prof. Alex High, in whose lab I now work, decided to come here.
Admission process and visa process
One of the big things that any application for a PhD programme requires is a research background. I did summer internships in three different places throughout my five years of undergrad – I recommend that to create a CV that will help your application.
The first step in the application process, of course, is taking the GRE and the TOEFL. Most US universities’ applications open around mid-September/October. You have to fill out an application form, list out courses, put your grades in there, your research experience, and your test scores from the GRE/TOEFL. You usually need three to four letters of recommendation from people you have worked with during your undergrad – this is where it is really helpful for you to do research outside of your university or with different professors. Once you apply, there’s an interview call, and then the results are announced.
I also highly recommend that students reach out to individual professors via email (at least 2-3 months before the start of the application process). There’s never any harm in emailing and establishing a more personal connection.
Once you’re accepted, you have to send in an official transcript from your university. Once you have your I-20 from the institution where you’re going to do a PhD, you should immediately apply for a visa. And then once you have a visa, which is the F1 visa, you start applying for where to stay. There are usually communities available within the university or resources that will tell you where to look.
Settling into Life Abroad
I already had a friend at the University from my undergrad. He put me in touch with the person who became my roommate; he also picked me up from the airport and helped me navigate all the initial responsibilities, so that was a relief.
Managing my finances was extremely new to me. When I lived in a hostel, food and accommodation were included. I never had to worry about how much money was going where. It was a very definitive cost of living. Here, it was different. I had to figure out how to acquaint myself with all the official documents and complete all the necessary responsibilities. After setting up bank accounts and submitting the documents to ensure my salary got deposited there, I had to put money away for rent, electricity, Wi-Fi, and groceries and learn to save/invest the rest.
Advise to manage their finances
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The basics first – a bank account, a credit card, and a good budgeting practice in place to track your expenses.
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Cull out money for the essentials – rent, bills, groceries, internet, etc. Build your credit history, but responsibly.
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Set some funds aside for emergencies, and learn how and where to invest. Learn to file your taxes and understand immigration responsibilities.
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Attending your university orientations helps a lot with figuring out the many different things that you are new to in a different country.
The author is a Graduate Student Researcher in Molecular Engineering from the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, US
