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Admitted? What Next? |
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Namaste!
Manthan would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your acceptance
to the University of Tennessee, popularly called UT. We look forward to welcoming
you into our ever-growing and exuberant organization, Manthan.
About Us
Manthan is an organization of, by and for the Indian students at UT. Our aim is
to help Indian students, meet each other and to get comfortable in a new place,
and also to promote understanding of our culture on the UT campus. We organize several
activities for the Indian students, like movies, potlucks, festival celebrations
(Diwali, Holi etc.) and picnics. This is a good way for Indians to meet each other
and socialize. Non-Indians are also welcome to join us in all our activities to
learn more about our culture.
Moving into Knoxville
Manthan arranges for the transportation of the new Indian students from the
airport to a temporary accommodation. Please note that we will be able help with
this transportation only if you arrive at the Knoxville Tyson-McGhee airport
(Airport Code: TYS). Please let us know about the arrival date, time and flight
details as soon as you know these details. (Fill the online Pick up form)
Housing
Manthan provides temporary accommodation to the new students till they move
into their permanent apartments. Most students prefer to stay in University apartments
since these are a lot cheaper than other non-university affiliated apartments.
Indians usually stay at one of the following
University apartments:
Sutherland & Golf Range These apartments may be furnished or unfurnished, carpeted
or uncarpeted. You also need to decide if you want a double or a single bedroom
apartment. You can get a double bedroom apartment only if you have a roommate. Both
have to be 21 years or older and/or grad students (if you are a grad student and
under 21 you are eligible to live in the University apartments). (Please see below
for rent details).
University apartments are in great demand and are filled up quickly. Hence, if you
decide to come to Knoxville, we highly recommend that you send us your complete
information so that we can go ahead and reserve apartments for you.
The procedure is as follows:
1) First of all you need to decide whether you want a single bedroom or double
bedroom apartment. If you choose to have a double bedroom apartment you will need
to have a roommate. The e-group is a good
ground for roommate searching. You can also look up the
classifieds on our website to
put up a request or to find a roommate. Manthan does NOT do roommate matching.
You and your roommate must decide who will be the primary and who will be the secondary.
Essentially, you should decide on this based on who will be arriving at UT first.
If you will be here before your roommate then you should be the primary. The primary
is the one who will sign the contract, get the keys and check-in. The secondary
will not be able to check in and get the keys to the apartment without the primary.
Once you decide who will be the primary and who will be the secondary DO NOT
change this decision as it will cause problems for us here and the housing office
will not change things.
2) After you have made that decision, fill out the housing application and
send it as an attachment via email to manthan@utk.edu.
(You can get the application online by visiting the
Housing page.
3) When we get the application form from you, Manthan will turn this in to
the Housing office. The fee for this application is $15 and Manthan will
pay this amount for the time being. You will have to PAY US BACK as soon
as you get here. Housing assignments are done on a first-come-first-served basis.
4) The Housing office will process these applications and if your application
is approved an apartment will be reserved for you. So when you get here you have
to go to the Housing office and sign the contract and pay the rent etc. The person
who is the primary will have to do this. The secondary CANNOT, since the
apartment will be in the primary's name.
Do keep in touch with us through email if possible, so that we can help you with
the process.
Transportation
Knoxville
Area Transit (KAT), a bus service in Knoxville, provides frequent services between
the apartment and school at a nominal cost of $35 per semester. This is the option
that most Indian students choose. Groceries and other essential facilities are located
very near the apartment complexes and KAT provides services to these locations too.
There are also a couple of Indian grocery
stores nearby.
Climate
The climate in Knoxville is moderate when compared to most other American cities.
The temperature will be about 90° F/35°C in summer and about 10° F/-12°C in winter.
Knoxville also gets snow for a couple of times in January. Since most Indians find
it difficult to adapt to the winter climate, it is advisable to have protective
clothing including jackets, glouse, muffler etc. While these are cheaper in India,
we suggest that you buy them here, since these items are of much better quality
here.
Assistantships and On-Campus Jobs
There is no guarantee that you will get an assistantship after coming here, if you
haven’t already got one, contact your department. These assistantships may assume
the form of teaching, research or graduate assistantships and may pay anywhere between
$500 - $1500. There are also possibilities of getting on-campus jobs.
Expenses
The following table gives a rough idea about various expenses.
| Initial settling expenses |
$800-$1000 |
| Tuition |
$1000 (with assistantship) $10000 (w/o assistantship)
(will vary) |
| Groceries / month |
$150 (Depends on your living style) |
| Phone / month |
$100 (Depends on your living style) |
| Utilities (Electricity bill) / month |
$40 (summer) $80 (winter) |
Rent / month (These range include
the costs of 1BR and 2BR Apts, furnished or unfurnished) rent/2 for 2BR
* inclusive of utility charges |
Sutherland
Golf Range
|
$ 482-515
$ 475-504
|
| Miscellaneous / month |
$100 |
Miscellaneous
UT is not just about studies. There is plenty to do here. There are $1 movie
theaters nearby where you can watch some not-so-recent movies. Cricket is popular
with the Indians at UT, so if you are a cricket fan and want to get any equipment
with you, please do!
Also, please make sure to bring your traditional attire (saris, salwar-kameezes,
ghagras, kurta-pyjamas, shervanis, dhotis etc.) to add color to the Indian get-togethers.
Our festivals are a great way to showcase your talents as well. So if you are a
singer, dancer, musician, anything let us know and bring along any of your equipment
or costumes if possible. You'll have plenty of opportunities to flaunt your skills!
Students with I-20 Problems
Click here if you are having trouble with your I-20.
Contact Information
Click here to view contact information for each department
Things to be brought from INDIA
Suggestions for things to be brought from INDIA
(Download text version)
Dress
Formals: One suit (Optional), ties (1/2), shirts and trousers (2/3), traditional
saris/kurta.
Casuals: Jeans (3/4), T-shirts & sweats (6+), cotton shirts (3+), shorts
(for outdoor, indoor, sports use) (2/3).
Footwear: Sneakers, formal shoes, leather chappals /sandals, bathroom slippers.
Winter wear: Sweaters (at most 2), muffler/ scarf, woolen cap.
Undergarments: 15 sets of undergarments and socks, preferably cotton.
Miscellaneous: Towel (2+), napkins (1/2), leather belts (2+), handkerchiefs
(6+).
Linen: Bed sheets (double bed size, 2), pillow covers (big, 2). Get a thick
blanket. Comforters (multi layered thick blankets) can be bought here.
Winter jacket, winter gloves, caps, windcheaters, tracksuits, good sweaters, comforter
are better to be bought here. Leather jackets are not needed for this place (its
optional); u can buy sweatshirts (don't worry u will get to know it soon), and other
winter accessories for cheap here.
Undergarments decide the frequency of your laundry, so make sure to bring a lot.
The washing machines are quite big and u can do your laundry once in 2-3 weeks.
So u can save both money and valuable time.
Kitchen
Cooking Utensils: Non-stick pan (1/2), non-stick tava, pressure cooker (for
2 people)(get spare gaskets and safety valves)
Others: spoons, forks, knives, cups, glasses (2 each), cutter plate, a melamine
(microwaveable) set (Optional) consisting of plates, soup-bowls and regular bowls
(2 each).
Condiments and spices: garam masala, pav bhaji masala, chole masala, sambhar
& rasam masala, haldi, chill powder, jeera, dhania. Dhal for 1st month, coffee,
tea..
Others: pickles, papad, homemade snacks etc.
Toilette: Toothbrush, toothpaste, tongue-cleaners, soap, a complete shaving
kit,(all in a toiletry bag), shampoo, talcum powder etc.
Medicines: Medicines with prescriptions for standard minor ailments like
fever, cold, cough, stomach-ache etc. Also personal medication and medical history
papers. Antiseptic cream, relaxyl etc. Spare eyeglasses/ contact lenses. (Get the
eye prescription too!) Get a complete medical checkup done before getting here,
including a chest X-ray.
Study Materials & Stationary:
Your calculator, micro tip pencils + refills (2), good pens (2), eraser, stapler
& staples, Indian calendar, backpack. (Most of the stationary is optional. You can
also buy it here).
Other: Needles & thread, buttons, nail cutter, tool kit, umbrella, sports
equipment if you play tennis, squash, swimming.
Entertainment:
Your favorite Indian/ Western music cassettes/CDs, walkman (optional), your favorite
books
Personal: Family photos, 'Indian' ethnic stuff (gifts/personal use) An up-to-date
address book of all your acquaintances/ friends/ relatives in the USA - Canada region,
photos of deities (if religious-minded)
Airport Pickup Form
Click here to view the Airport Pickup Form.
E-groups
Yahoo E-Group [utkfall2007] has been formed for the incoming students. We highly recommend
that you become a part of this E-Group by subscribing to it, since this will help
you in sharing information and in choosing your roommates. However, Manthan does
not take any official responsibility for the information passed on via the E-group.
Subscribe.
Arrival and pickup info (Will Open for FALL!!)
Watch this space for future information.
Things to be done after landing in Knoxville.
Try to do these things before the International House (IH) &
department orientation starts. (Useful to have a
UT map.)
1. Go to the IH (1623 Melrose avenue - near the Hodges
Library) to open your INS file. You will also require a letter from them
to get the all-important Social Security Number (SS#). [The IH will tell
you if you first need to register and what document syou will need to get this letter.]
2. Go over to the Neyland Stadium (you can't miss it.
It is close to the money wall- which again you can't miss because of all the ATM
machines) and get your Student ID. Please take your Passport and
I-20 with you.
3. If you haven't been allotted an apt or need to make some
changes (eg: rooomate change or transfer application), go over to the University
Housing office (405 Student services building) and they will be able to give
you information. Make sure you have your ID number (not card) and housing
documents (if you have already been allotted your apt).
4. Once you have gotten your apt, go to the Vols Connection
(room 9, Humanities building- Basement) to get your Phone connection. All those
staying in university apts can only have this phone connections. (sorry.
You can't get Sprint PCS or AT & T connection in Univ. apts.) You will have to take
your housing contract package for this. It usually takes about 4 -5 days to get
the connection. YOU WILL HAVE TO BUY YOUR OWN TELEPHONE INSTRUMENT.
5. After you have moved in to your apt (WITHIN 2 DAYS
TIME) and if you move into any other apt except Kingston, you will need to
go to apply for the utilities connection (electricity and water). Please
check with your apt. office, whether they will FAX the contract to
KUB. If not, you will have to go to the KUB office to get your electricity and
water connection (KA rent is inclusive of utilities). The KUB office is in Downtown
and you will have to take the orange line Trolley. You can catch this from
the moneywall. And you can ride it for FREE.
NOTE: Please ask the driver to tell you when you get to the KUB office. You
will have a little walk round the block to get there. DO NOT hesitate to
ask for help from the driver for directions. You will have to take your housing
papers.
6. Go to the Bursar's office (211 Student Services Building)
to get the secret PIN number. You will need this 4-digit number for registration.
Please take your ID card with you.
7. Once you get the SS# letter from the IH, you will have to
go to the SSN Office on Kingston Pike by taking the bus No. 11.
You will have to take your I-20 and Passport, along with the IH
letter.
NOTE: IH will issue this letter after submitting the offer letter given by the employer.
8. Some Banks require that you have your SS # before you open
an account. But Please check with individual banks. Here too you will have to take
your passport and (maybe) I-20 also.
9. Go for as many IH orientations that you can attend. They
are very useful and informative and fun.
If you need any help and clarifications, just ask your
seniors.
Enjoy your time in UTK !!!! :)
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