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We hope the above information is useful to you. Whether you are coming from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka we hope you will feel the warmth of our welcome. If you have other questions and concerns, do contact us.
Browse the Members Directory to contact students who may be able to guide you in departmental queries.

CLOTHING:
Winter in Kent is very cold, with medium to heavy snowfalls on and off throughout the season. Hence we advice you to keep $150.00 to buy a good coat once you get here. Spring and Fall are cool seasons and sweaters may be needed. Summer months are warm. Please bear these seasonal changes in mind while packing. There are not many occasions for which a suit will be required in the first year (except in the business school ).

FOOD:
Almost all Indian students cook and entertain their friends. Indian spices can be bought here, but we advise you to bring your own stock since spices are expensive and not all of them will be according to your culinary tastes. Sealed and labeled spices are generally no problem with US customs. All daily need items are available in stores here easily accessible by free campus bus service.
Many of us have found Indian pressure cookers to be extremely useful (remember to get extra safety valves, weights and gaskets).

HOUSING:
Both on-campus dormitories and off-campus housing are available. Most graduate students stay in off campus apartments. We suggest that you decide housing arrangement only after you get here. We could host you in our apartments or in the dormitories here till you get settled in your own place. For more details on on-campus housing, visit the KSU Housing website.

EXPENSES:
Please bring at least $1,000 for your initial expenses. You will need this amount, if not more. Even if you are on an assistantship, you will need to pay your first month’s rent, deposit for apartment, electricity, telephone and health insurance before you receive your first pay check, which would probably be on the 25th of the month.
If you wear contact lenses or glasses, you must bring extra pairs. Cleaning solutions are cheap, but eye wear can be very expensive. Dentist visits are not covered under student medical insurance, so try to get a full dental checkup before you depart. There is a health center for free primary checkups, but you are better off getting some antiseptics and basic medicines.

CONTACT:
While contacting us here in the U.S., please, remember that letters make take anything from two weeks to a month to reach the US. While making phone calls, please remember that the difference between your local time and US time could be as much as ten and a half hours. It will be best for you to arrive in Cleveland, from where we can arrange to pick you up (please inform us at least a few days in advance). You will find that Kent is a beautiful place with a sprawling campus that is also one of the safest in the U.S.