The ISA at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln consists of a small band of tightly knit, ever helping and fun loving Indians. You will find all shades of the spectrum among us - bookworms, freaks, morons, geniuses, single, couples... you name it! Though most of us are graduate students in technical disciplines, we also have students from other disciplines.

This letter represents our views only. We are not held responsible for any information in this letter that may become outdated due to circumstances beyond our control.

• Come early: to Lincoln, preferably at least one week before the scheduled start of classes. That will give you plenty of time to search for an apartment and an on-campus job. You would also be able to attend the orientation program (makes you feel at home and allows you to get to know the university. You will have to take an English Proficiency Exam (similar to TOEFL) which is administered a week before the classes begin. You cannot get a job until you get a social security number and that takes about a week. So come early.
• Transportation: There are two airports nearby, Omaha and Lincoln. You can fly into any one of the two. We cannot pick you up from Omaha. Hence, as far as possible try to fly into Lincoln (LNK) only. To be able to pick you up from the airport we need to have the following information- Your Name, Date of Arrival, Flight Number, and Time of Arrival; at least a week in advance of your arrival, rest would be taken care of by the members of ISA. For few days, until you find an apartment you would be staying with us. Please email the above information to any of the ISA members in Lincoln (email ids given behind) or contact any one of the ISA members (who are in INDIA for vacation) listed behind. You can contact any one of them to answer your questions too. Their contact numbers are given behind.
• What to Bring: The weather in the land-locked, Lincoln-Nebraska is similar to the one of a desert. There are four seasons- Fall (Aug-Nov), Winter (Nov-March), Spring (March-May) and Summer (May-Aug). You would be coming to Lincoln during Fall, hence you would require some warm clothes. The days are pleasant but the nights are very cold. During Winter the average temperature reaches to –20⁰F, and the wind chill to –50⁰F. Hence you might need nice winter clothing.
• • Clothes: Get warm clothes, casual wear and formal wear (though not used much, it is required during presentation, seminars etc). Try to buy a pair of thermal wear, a sweater, and if you can buy a good quality Jacket (It can be bought here, a good one for $50 or more). For casual wear get T-shirts, jeans etc.
  • Books: Bring all relevant American Textbooks of your field. Indian editions are much cheaper than their American counterparts.
  • Foodstuff: Bring a pressure cooker, few utensils (flat bottom ones preferable), masalas, pickles, dal, etc (for initial use). We have an Asian store and an Indian store in Lincoln.
  • Health Tips: The fee for dental and optical checkup is very costly. Hence make sure to get a thorough dental checkup. Students with spectacles, get at least three extra spectacles. They are very costly in the US.
  • Entertainment: Get cassettes of your favorite songs, and also the latest. We often play cricket here. If you have any equipment please try to bring them along.

• Assistantships: are available on a very competitive basis. Different departments have different rules for giving assistantships. However one thing is certain, you must prove yourself to obtain one.
• Miscellaneous: The on campus-jobs pay $5.15/hr to $8.00/hr. You can work for 20 hours in a week. By doing so you can earn up to $400/month. The apartment rent ranges from $400-500 for double bedroom apartment, and $250-400 for a single bedroom apartment. A double bedroom apartment, is usually shared by four students (rent per student on an average would be $150). To get an apartment near to the school, it is advisable to come early. It also helps you in finding a campus job easily.

Committee members of ISA whom you can contact in Lincoln