Preparations to US (Any Question On US Unis Go Here) [Archive]

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b_ronick

09-03-2004, 11:52 AM

chenghau

09-03-2004, 12:12 PM

just wondering..

what preparation should we make few days before we fly to the united states?
any person from the university that we need to contact before we depart from malaysia?
and is there anything that we should anticipate when we reach there?
where would we stay when we arrive there since if i am not wrong, we arrive a few days before the orientation?
and when do we meet up with our academic advisor?
is it advisable to return to malaysia in our first year during the breaks?
for the fall semester freshmen such as i, should we get winter clothings here or in the states?

hehe thanx..

Isn't it toooooooo early to ask so?

Anyway, the person to contact should the any upperclassmen (whom you guys call SENIORS, but indeed might be freshmen, sophomores, juniors) from the school you are going to attend. They should be able to give you more accurate, if not most accurate, information about the life there.

About your pre-orientation housing, some schools let the students to move into the dorms in advance, some don't. Answer - Contact your school/SENIORS.

You will meet your academic advisor on registration day, if not a few days before it.

Probably better to get it here because you could find more varieties. Also, more suitable to the weather here. Some places are just too cold, ie Boston which reached -18 to -25C last winter. Is it a surprising news? It was to me. Indeed, last year was the coldest
winter here (according to my housemaster).

__earth

09-03-2004, 12:26 PM

eat all you can. coz Americans dont know how to eat.

chenghau

09-03-2004, 12:33 PM

eat all you can. coz Americans dont know how to eat.

Oh ya, thats quite true...

Preparation :-

1. Enjoy your life in INTEC as much as possible while you still can. 2. Appreciate your friends more, if you have never done so.
3. Eat as much as possible, even the food in Akasia/Cemara, because you might never have chance again. You will miss them here, don't worry. Seriously, you will...
4. See KLCC or KL tower as often as possible...
5. Go shopping as often as possible...
6. Crap with friends as much as possible...
7. Sleep as much as possible...

What else...

topdog

09-03-2004, 12:51 PM

I once had a fly in my Ayam Halia
In a huge hostel called Cemara
But I do concede I still miss it
For Yanks truly don't know how to eat!

chenghau

09-03-2004, 01:06 PM

I once had a fly in my Ayam Halia
In a huge hostel called Cemara
But I do concede I still miss it
For Yanks truly don't know how to eat!

Just reminded me the fly in my drink.

Thirdshifter

09-03-2004, 01:18 PM

you guys went to ITM first? i mean lived in the hostel etc?

topdog

09-03-2004, 02:56 PM

you guys went to ITM first? i mean lived in the hostel etc?

yeap uitm section 17 formerly known as pppitm

b_ronick

09-03-2004, 03:12 PM

are the ppl there friendly and stuff?
how long did you all take to adapt to the new place?

gesar

09-03-2004, 03:13 PM

I have been wondering about the same thing too.
Should we get the laptop and handphones from US or should we get them here...? :?:

I heard from my uncle who had migrated to Canada that laptops are pretty expensive over there comparatively to Malaysia. :( Meanwhile for handphones, we can register for a line and pay a slight amount to get the phone we want...Is that true? :D

For the winter clothings...my uncle said that we can get better quality in America...if you want fashion or updated clothings then go over to the North America...We can get cheap clothings too from the second hand sales...

Thirdshifter

09-03-2004, 05:34 PM

you guys went to ITM first? i mean lived in the hostel etc?

yeap uitm section 17 formerly known as pppitm

Aight, i know my Brother had to go to PPP/ITM as well. I think it was called ADP(american degree program) back in the days.

littlebigone

10-03-2004, 01:37 AM

I heard from my uncle who had migrated to Canada that laptops are pretty expensive over there comparatively to Malaysia. :( Meanwhile for handphones, we can register for a line and pay a slight amount to get the phone we want...Is that true? :D

refer to the other thread for advice on computers, laptops and handphones (cellphones). I don't think many of the carriers support SIM cards yet so I think you'd have to get it from here anyways.

chenchow

10-03-2004, 02:13 AM

yeah, contact seniors...and if you can't find your seniors yet...Find it via ReCom (where else if not ReCom.org?... hehe)

For those government sponsored scholars, MSD will be at port of entry to pick you up and from there on, contact the Seniors, as defined by Cheng Hau.

uni official? Generally nope, but check out your uni. Some universities, have international orientation, which i think give you a good opportunities to know friends from all over the world. A portion of the friends that I know today, come from Prepare, the International orientation in Cornell.

What to anticipate? I guess if you haven't been to US and have the fanatical thinking that US is completely different from Malaysia, you will be in for a surprise... I guess those metropolitan cities in US would just be like our KL...perhaps, NYC and some other cities in grid, which will be the main difference, but buildings wise, same like KL... To those who are going to suburb, prepare to see countryside... Those are nice~! Gorges, waterfalls, apple farms, plantations etc...hehe

And I fully agree... To those in Cemara and Akasia, enjoy yourself thoroughly...Those memorable time back then...soccer at middle of the night, chatting non-stop, playing FIFA etc... are wonderful memories, not including those tea tarik and other mamak stall food...

chenghau

10-03-2004, 03:03 AM

Don't expect too much hi-tech from USA. In fact, other than internet connection speed, I see nothing really great in daily's technology, ie, the subway system in some places. The subway system here might not be as new as PUTRA LRT. Ohya, if you have been to Singapore, you will really feel that the subway system (specifically, in Boston) is really outdated.

__earth

10-03-2004, 09:51 AM

Also learn this. A state situated south east of Michigan sucks. Especially around the city of Columbus. :twisted:

chenghau

10-03-2004, 11:26 AM

Also learn this. A state situated south east of Michigan sucks. Especially around the city of Columbus. :twisted:

Ohio?

topdog

10-03-2004, 11:35 AM

yeah ohio kids have cooties.

chenghau

10-03-2004, 12:42 PM

Have the decisions of admissions come out yet?

tree007

10-03-2004, 01:53 PM

for Ohio State Uni.. yeah.. decision out dy...
but the big ones.. nah... in 1 or 2 weeks time gua.... hopefully....
sigh.. now OSSP quiet down dy.. no new uni stuffs.....

ohya.. for those who noe her, our beloved Pn Suriana resigned dy.. sniff... gonna miss her...so now need advice from officer dunno turn to who dy.. En. Sharim? :P

budakkerek

10-03-2004, 02:06 PM

yeah ohio kids have cooties.

topdog, taufiq is SO gonna kill you LOL :wink:

sim_min

11-03-2004, 04:24 AM

topdog

11-03-2004, 04:29 AM

hahah sim min i was wondering what the hell 'dy' was too....until i realized it's how we malaysians say 'already'...:D

b_ronick

11-03-2004, 08:54 AM

Have the decisions of admissions come out yet?

the only admission decisions that are out are

michigan ann arbor
case western reserve university
washington university
SUNY Bufallo
iilinois university
stevens institute of technology
penn state university
RIT
michigan state university

and a number more...i can't really remember what are the others..

__earth

11-03-2004, 09:07 AM

im not degrading anyone. but being somebody from A2, I can't resist the following expression.

OMFG!!! THERE're PEOPLE GOING TO MICHIGAN STATE???? What are the spartans majors? FARMING?

for some reason, i can't wait for the football season to start.

aight. enough school spirit. anyway, what's RIT?

chenchow

11-03-2004, 09:25 AM

_earth, what is A2?

I think RIT is Rochester Institute of Technology

jiinjoo

11-03-2004, 09:36 AM

eat all you can. coz Americans dont know how to eat.Second that! You'll also have to buy lots of maggi mee because after you come here you'll need to pay taxes (in bundles of maggi mee) to your seniors. Tax rates varies.

b_ronick - just curious, for the schools you mention, do you know how many students are going there from malaysia this year? and do you know how many sponsored, how many not etc.?

Here's one thing you probably want to do, judging from my own experience. Spend more time with your family, your relatives, your friends, instead of that box and the box underneath it or on the floor, yes this one, the one you're staring at now, yes, the one that has this message on it. Things change, people come people go. Some of those you see during this period of time might be your last. Some people might have changed by the time you get back. Cherish them, especially if you treasure them in your life.

b_ronick

12-03-2004, 12:23 PM

the admission rate huh?
i'm not really sure..sorry..
but i think there are like, if i am not wrong
michigan ann arbor- over 20 ppl
SUNY -less than 20
CWRU-around 20 as well..
but do not fully trust this info i'm giving you cos' it's just like an estimation..
the rest i'm not too sure

and the other unis which the results of admission are out are
marquette university
purdue

DecentMerson

12-03-2004, 04:40 PM

chenghau

12-03-2004, 05:03 PM

tree007

12-03-2004, 05:44 PM

haha!! Kem Bina Insan postphoned!!!

reason: election
rationale: dunno?

any1 out there who wanna figure that out?

and da.. georgia tech.. admission rate ok lah.. just got 2 rejected. the rest admitted. i think..

chenchow

12-03-2004, 09:48 PM

gal_flower

12-03-2004, 09:52 PM

kem bina insan...

like u said..
reason: election
rationale?
they say coz of the campaign thing no such activities can be carried out...
as for the truth (if there is one)
i do not care!!
so much work to finish this week...n the next...n the next...

i really need an opinion abt getting laptop n camera n phone..
lets juz say i'm totally clueless...

as for those who got accepted to michigan state uni...
hey...it's safety net k...
the rest no news yet...
n its not even my choice of safety net...
suriana n jpa pick one...
n sharim...
wow...i'm never seen anyone blurer (correct spelling?) than him...

cemara/akasia aint the best place to be rite now...
dengue cases...
suspected ones n confirmed ones as well...
2 ATU student went back home...
they keep fogging...but i see no results...

chenchow

12-03-2004, 09:53 PM

This is from Avangard. Thank you for posting. For other US universities related issue, please stick to this topic, ok? Don't stand a new topic. Thank you.

Avangard: Anyone, from Texas Austin Universityhere? It is my first choice university (decided by JPA, not me!). Eventhough i am not accepted yet, but the chance is high. So.. i just want to ask if anyone out there, who have some experience in attending university in Texas, plz tell me about the your experience there, coz I am not really interested in attending Texas university (not 4 seasons state). Plz tell me.................

chenchow

12-03-2004, 09:57 PM

I see the rationale why Election can't have Kem Bina Insan. Most of the officers at Kem Bina Insan will be trained as returning officer by SPR. That's how the election worker are gotten. So, it would be almost impossible to have it then.

Plus, even if you have the Kem Bina Insan and they are not involved, they would need to go voting and most of the Kem Bina Negara etc, their officers come from all parts of the country and they need to go back their hometown for voting.

laptop: guess you don't need it... Computer isn't really necessary for everyone... So, judge by yourself... But many people can't live without it.

camera, guess digital...get it online.

phone: your room should have one... If you really need hp, then only get one... not really necessary lar..

chenchow

13-03-2004, 12:43 AM

Answer from topdog on Texas:-

not from texas austin, but i know there are a few longhorns here. i'm sure they'll be happy to answer your questions.

texas is a great school. top notch engineering school. great weather too. never been to austin, but i heard it's a great city.

4 seasons? 4 seasons is fine until the time comes when you have to walk to class in zero degrees Fahrenheit weather!

wwhong

13-03-2004, 02:33 AM

texas? pretty good football team

chenchow

13-03-2004, 03:02 AM

From the introduce ourselves thread:

gesar: thanks for the information but is UC Irvine the same as UC Davis? well, I hope I can get into UC Davis, the result will be out on March 15 and then more messages will be posted here to ask the seniors...hehe...hope you all dun mind...

munhua: Like Jenny, I'm majoring in Biotechnology, also hoping to go into Forensics. I'm applying to University of California Davis, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Pennsylvania State University. Any seniors in these three universities? I would really like to get to know everyone better...

gal_flower: i applied to mich state uni, brandeis uni, u of chicago, upenn n yale...results will be out soon..scary...i'm majoring in biochem...
any seniors out there doing the same major?

chenchow

13-03-2004, 03:05 AM

To gesar: UC Davis, Irvine are all part of University of California, which include UCSan Diego, UCSan Francisco, UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, UC Santa Barbara etc.... Feel free to post more questions here!

Munhua, there are definitely some seniors at Penn State. RIT, not too sure, but definitely 2 students are doing Biotech stuff in University of Rochester...same town... UC Davis, not too sure...

gal_flower, I think there are some people who are doing biochem out there.... There are Malaysians at all the unis that you are applying... I like Penn campus a lot... Looks nice~! Although Stanford and little Ithaca campus is not bad too~!

windy_city

13-03-2004, 04:48 AM

err... on top of that:

Georgia Tech is out... not many admitted...
all of them who apply to Purdue and Penn State are accepted...
UIUC about 20 of them(applied on their own)....
those who applied thru JPA are still pending...

IVY LEAGUE - earliest on April Fools' Day....

and here's a question.... why UIUC post a lot of info about their campus to the admitted students- on housing, on campus and lots of contacts of seniors.... the UIUC even gave out water tumbler as souvenirs to those who applied under JPA..

while UMich is nonchalant..... just the LOA package and that's all....

marketing strategy???

Most probably marketing strategy!!!
UIUC is getting poorer so as other state shool thank to the ever rising living standard here.
My tuttion fees is increased for about 5.6% next fall, but my school said it is normal compare to the other top private reaserch universities in US. What a good reason to add extra bruden to the students!!! (the tuttion fees increase about 5.5 to 6% everyyear here)

But dun think you will get a decent stuff or souvenir such as a water tumbler if you get accepted to any of the expensive private universities.
Because for them money is just too imporatnt to be wasted on sth like that, they rather use the money to buy some new atomic particle accelration gizzmo or sth like that, sorry to disppoint you, u will not receive any souvenir on April fool when the result come out :D :D

windy_city

13-03-2004, 04:54 AM

JiinJoo, I thought maggi mee is widely available in US? In this little kampung of Ithaca, I could get "Product of Malaysia" Maggi Mee easily from Wegmans (no Wal-Mart here)... even roti canai can get too...

I think most unis will send you bundle of stuffs, after you get admitted... Good Luck to all of you still waiting for admission results!

No maggi mee is certainly not widely available here, all they have is ramen which taste like salt water noodle. Definatell will bring maggi mee or indo mee here, they serve as very nice snack or supper when you get bored with the burgers and cheese here. Get them, it is highly recommend food to bring here!! You can even share with you American friends who haven tasted any nice and decent noodle apart from their salty ramen. :D :D

chenchow

13-03-2004, 05:32 AM

chenghau

13-03-2004, 06:07 AM

really? that's wierd.... Burger? Guess I haven't eaten more than 2 burgers a year in Ithaca...perhaps burgers were the stuff i take when i go travel...

Go dining hall... Guess you will have sushi, koey teow soup, fried rice, ho fun, korean food, dim sum, even pulut hitam etc...

Now I know why Ithaca is such a nice place. Dining hall here offers

1. Stir Fry
2. Wrap
3. Burgers
4. Salmon
5. Pasta
6. Some western soup, which doesn't taste good to me
7. Pizza
8. Bubble tea (yay!!)
... And many others, mainly Western food...Sori la, if you want Eastern food, don't go dining hall.

jiinjoo

13-03-2004, 07:19 AM

My friend, Cornell has one of the world's best school in hotel management - I would imagine that comes with catering and all the high-class food (like Maggi) necessary to run the school :D :D

Anyway, just for the record, in Pittsburgh and SF you can still find Indomee, but not Maggi. Recently there'a new introduction of freezer roti canai from some Malaysian company that works out pretty well too. Back to Maggi mee. Our current routine here is to ask a friend to fly all the way to Florida to buy us Maggi mee. And it cost $2.50 for a pack of 5, which compared to the prices of other instant noodles (e.g. $0.17 for Indomee, $0.10 for Ramen) is way way expensive. But then no one does Laksa flavor like real Maggi mee from Malaysia.

(I hope I dropped enough hints by now.......)

__earth

13-03-2004, 08:58 AM

hey, i need maggi mee too!

MarquisX

14-03-2004, 12:22 AM

Hey Avangard (is that right?) I understand why ppl don't want to go Texas. All those stories of cowboys, horses and gunfight, well...BS!

Austin is a big city, NOT as big as Chicago, NY or LA, but it is BIG. People are quite nice and the chicks are smokin' hot!!. For a big city, the crime is quite low and the city have cops roaming around the streets..so it is safe. Living expenses? quite cheap compared to some cities. I can't explain Austin in detail, you gotta check it out and make comparison.

UT of Texas is en excellent PUBLIC university. In term of education system whatsoever, i think UT system if similar to the northern public colleges. UT-Austin is the biggest university in the US, in term of student attendance. We have 50000+ (not sure what the actual number is) students, imagine that.

anyway, if you are really interested in coming to UT, maybe you should ask my friend, William. I think he gives the best explanations/reasons why you should go to UT. email him at willkg@<hidden>.

DecentMerson

14-03-2004, 12:59 AM

hey, i need maggi mee too!

hahaha... i think i know what to pack for my luggage ....i whole luggage bag of instant noodle....

but indomie- mee goreng asli is the best.....

2 packets of indomie + 2 eggs.... really nice... and really cheap tooo....

__earth

14-03-2004, 10:12 AM

hahaha... i think i know what to pack for my luggage ....i whole luggage bag of instant noodle....

but indomie- mee goreng asli is the best.....

actually,a girl from wisconsin, did the same thing. at first i thought it was a joke but she was serious when she told me that.

windy_city

14-03-2004, 10:27 AM

Why so many people are against Ohio!!
But i do agree with _earth, the school that is situated around Columbus suck big time!!!
:roll:

windy_city

14-03-2004, 10:36 AM

I think you guy, those ATU 10 people, can get the contact list of your senior from En Suhaimi or Sharim. They should have the contact list for at least a senior for all the university that have a malaysian student. You can directly contact the senior straight away. Anyway, for the private student, you still can just use RECOM to seek help. I think most of us here are gladly to help!!! :D

chenchow

14-03-2004, 11:10 AM

On contacting seniors, you can try to get via ADFP office or get via ReCom, odds are we know someone there...

And also make full use of ReCom Web Links. There are links to about 130 Malaysian Associations worldwide and I think we have links to at least 50 Malaysian Associations in US. From those M'sian Assoc website, you will get the contacts of the seniors there~!

Use the weblinks!!! It is a fantastic resources! If you have come across a university where we don't have a Malaysian Assoc link and you know about it, please kindly let us know! Thank you!

__earth

14-03-2004, 11:12 AM

Why so many people are against Ohio!!
But i do agree with _earth, the school that is situated around Columbus suck big time!!!
:roll:

wow. i thought only us michiganers have issues with the people down south.

chenghau

14-03-2004, 06:57 PM

Did anybody think of getting a digital camera before coming to US?

DecentMerson

14-03-2004, 10:10 PM

i just got mine.... Canon Powershot A70....quite nice and useful for such a deal...

i bought mine for RM 1388...with another 128mb flash, 4 AA Canon rechargeable batteries with charger...

why???

littlebigone

14-03-2004, 11:36 PM

chenchow

14-03-2004, 11:42 PM

On the questions posted from the Introduce Yourself thread.

Whether a student can change major or not?

I think you would need to go through some process and I agree with masterofnone that it would be easier to go through the process while you are in Malaysia, but that doesn't mean that you can't do it. Silverblue has gone through the process from Chem Eng to Operational Research and Industrial Engineering.

I think what you major in, is not what matters most. You can definitely graduate without having any interest in the major you are doing, especially if you are studying in US, where liberal education is the norm. I am majoring in electrical and computer engineering and I have to admit that I have little interest in it. That doesn't mean that I have to just stay sad and doing nothing for my 4-year here. You can definitely pack your schedule with courses from anything that is in your mind. Take the courses that you wish to take, rather than only the courses that you have to take.

On Sze Xian's question on biochem, I don't really know much. She is applying to Brandeis, Penn State, UMich and UIUC. May be some seniors there can shed some lights or anyone that know more about biochem.

And on Sze Xian's question on how to choose a university. I think university ranking is just a small part of your selection. Make sure you select based on whether you would fit into a particular university, whether the program there suits you, whether there is other consideration, like you have other major interests that could well be served in another university. There are many considerations.

And no matter which university you are going, the opportunities available are definitely beyond what you can make use of. It is just how much opportunities that you can make use of.

On digital camera/laptop or other electronic appliances, if you want to compare price, go online and check and compare. For instance, if you want to know the prices of a computer, check some sites like Dell.com . For digital camera, check sites like camerabeach.com or perhaps other sites. This will give you a good impression of what is the best price available and how does that compare to prices back in Malaysia.

chenchow

14-03-2004, 11:44 PM

From gesar:

Hello, this is my first time to post a message here...

I would like to ask if there is any seniors studying in University California Davis currently? I just wanna find out the weather and if the school is good for researches especially biotechnolgy...

I heard from my Uncle staying in Canada that the weather in California is great and mush better than other place but its a small town... so wat are the main things that one usually do over there...and I've looked through the website, many students ride bicycle over there...so does that means that we can have our own bike too?

Do we need any winter clothings? or any long-johns?
Then, i want to ask if we should buy our own handphones and laptops as in we buy them here in Malaysia or in US?

I think that's all for now, thankz......I hope someone can clear my doubts....thanks

chenchow

14-03-2004, 11:51 PM

I would agree that the weather in California is good... On the town, I don't really know... Main things one usually do in US? I think it is up to you. The campus is full of opportunities for you to explore and to get full involvement. Any campus will have too much activities, for you to get involved.

For instance, Cornell itself has over 800 student organizations on campus and even among pure international student organizations, there are about 200 of those. So, there is no reason you can't find any activities to attend. You do not need to join any organization to attend their major event and there will always be events every day or at least every weekend.

Bicycles, of course you can have it, if you wish, even cars...

Winter clothing, i am not too sure about the weather there, but I am pretty sure you don't need long-johns... Even a weather in Ithaca, doesn't require long-john.

On hp, guess most people get in US. Most are in the range of USD30-40 per month and you get some minutes free in the day time and after 9pm is free within US. Calling US is cheap, you can get your phone cards online. Usually at a rate of like 3 cents per minute for calling house phone in Malaysia and around 5-6 cents per minute for calling cell phone. A site that I always use is www.phonecard4sale.com . There may be other sites that others use.

On computer, check previous post.

littlebigone

14-03-2004, 11:57 PM

I think what you major in, is not what matters most. You can definitely graduate without having any interest in the major you are doing, especially if you are studying in US, where liberal education is the norm. I am majoring in electrical and computer engineering and I have to admit that I have little interest in it. That doesn't mean that I have to just stay sad and doing nothing for my 4-year here. You can definitely pack your schedule with courses from anything that is in your mind. Take the courses that you wish to take, rather than only the courses that you have to take.

I'm sorry chen chow, I have to disagree with you here. Not everyone is like you.

Pick your major carefully. You are going to do it for 4 years. Make sure that it's something that you like and something you would be able to handle academically. The second part is important because if you don't handle stress well, you'd end up having a terrible time anyway. I don't think that your undergrade is a good time to prove that you could do some tough major just as a process of self discovery.

However, I think that you should not limit yourself to just your courses from your major. Expand your horizons by dabbling in things outside your major, even outside of your college.

windy_city

15-03-2004, 12:27 AM

Hi, there are about 6 seniors in UC Davis now (ATU8 and ATU9)!!
Alll gal!!! Yeah, and beautiful one somemore!!
hei hei. Ok get back to the topic, i think En Sharim should have their contact, anyway, if you cannot get them from OSSP, give me your email and i will ask those gals to contact you ok!!
Hope that help!!!
Anyway, I think they are in holiday now, but if you cannot get the contact list from OSSP, just contact me, and i will try help you contact them!!

windy_city

15-03-2004, 12:35 AM

Gesar again, sorry i did not notice ur second question!!
About the weather, yeah California has good weather, but beware, it can get as hot as Malaysia, especially now in Spring, it is already feel like summer there.

About long john , I dun think you need it in Califonia, I dun even have those, even I live in place where temperature can drop to -20C sometimes. It all depend on you, whether you are tough enough to bear the chilly wind and icy cold weather.

About small town, UC Davis is situated in a small town, but it is a nice town, near sacramento , so if u are big time Arnold fans, maybe you can have a chance to see him in person.

That all, hope these little bit of info help, but i storngly suggest you get in contact with those gals to learn more about UC Davis.

chenchow

15-03-2004, 12:55 AM

windy_city, why don't just invite your friends in UC Davis into ReCom~! Join this wonderful big family of ReCom~!

I agree with littlebigone.

However, if you are in the case of having selected a major and you are in your 2nd year and it is too late to switch, take it in all strides... yeah, tertiary education is to "Learn How To Learn". That's always my 2nd favorite quote, after "Malaysia Boleh~!"

dinna_g

15-03-2004, 02:12 PM

just a note, if you're buying electrical appliances from Msia to be brought to the US, make sure you get the correct powercord or adapters.

Remember US uses the 110V @<hidden> 50Hz... i think...or something like that. And also US uses different type of socket.
Good point! Usually, mobile electrical appliances i.e. laptops & digicams are compatible with 100V-240V, so all you need is an outlet adapter. Try to get the outlet adapter in malaysia because it is way cheaper.

Cheers!

jiinjoo

15-03-2004, 02:36 PM

Long Johns are Irritating! Eww......

I've never found it useful. On top of that, there isn't much space(1) between my pants and my leg, and my leg needs to "breath". I'd rather you invest in a good pair of "ski-pants" (or any water proof pants as long as it is padded) if you're thinking of playing in the snow / skiing. Otherwise, if you're live my(2) kind of life, jeans and shorts pretty much does it 8)

(1) freedom of movement e.g. when you squat
(2) read www.phdcomics.com - it's close enough

Do we have a "Major talk" board here where people of similar majors can come together to describe what their major is about, and let the newbies have a better idea so as to help them choose, or are we going with "post to the forum"?

topdog

15-03-2004, 03:12 PM

i have never worn a longjohn...i don't even own one.

15-03-2004, 03:43 PM

first i should admit that i'm a bargain hunter (for tech/electronics stuff). do realize that not everyone has similar passion, interest or time to do market/product reseach.

if you're willing to put in time and effort into looking for great deals, yes, you can get significantly better laptop deals here in the US (unless you have special connections in Malaysia, then that's a different story altogether).

i'd also like to point out that some models of laptop (which you may like) are available in Asia but not in the US.

another point is to find out details about warranty/repairs etc if you intend to purchase a laptop from Malaysia for use in US.

gesar

15-03-2004, 09:32 PM

Thanx for the replies....So, are there any UCDavis's seniors in the Recom site? :D

:wink: After reading windy_city's msg...I'm not that worried anymore...well, at least now I have a rough idea of wat the weather is like and how the place is like... :)

erm...just curious...wanna ask if the weather will ever drop to a low temperature? How cold can California be? :?

And wanna ask about the housing... As we all know, we are recommended to stay in campus for the first year...but are we given the housing or its up to us?

windy_city

15-03-2004, 10:04 PM

As you see, most guy dun wear long John, but i think my gal friends do wear it. so iutdeoend on you, but as a guy, i just feel troublesome to wear it. I think there is a UC Davis senior in Recom, but i thiunk she is on her Spring break, so maybe she dun have time to reply you.

Anyway, dun worry, California temperature seldom drop to that temperature, so what if does??
Nvm, a jeans, a sweater and jacket will do.
New England weather is like shit, it even snowed during Spring!!!

chenchow

16-03-2004, 02:57 AM

gesar, you need to apply for housing and watch the application deadline. Some unis provide guaranteed housing for freshman, whereas some don't. So, for those unis, it will be first come first serve basis...

topdog

16-03-2004, 03:03 AM

yeap make sure you apply for housing on time. check the university housing website.

if you're curious about weather, check out weatherundergound.com (http://www.weatherunderground.com). you can search for weather records for almost any city in the world. site has pop ups though, so be warned.

gesar

16-03-2004, 03:10 PM

erm...thanx about the weather, housing and 'long-johns' info...hehe... :oops:

well, i want to ask about the housing...my further question is can we choose our own housemate or roommate? :D As far as I know, certain unis do allow that but is it more advisable to have a local housemate or roommate? 8O

I would like to ask the seniors another thing...did you all manage to travel around US? do you travel during the summer holidays? and how did you travel? by plane, car, bus...???? :D , well, I can't wait to travel around US for sure...that's the most anticipated moment...hehe :oops:

erm...windy_city, do you know the UCDAvis senior? when will she be back from her holiday? Is it possible to get her email from you?

chenchow

16-03-2004, 10:11 PM

Mun Hua, you have the freedom to choose whether to stay on campus or to stay off campus. It is up to you for most universities. Only some very few unis actually require you to stay on campus. I lived on campus for the past 3 years and I think it is wonderful opportunities. Living on campus allows you to mingle with more people~!

gesar, on choosing housemate or roommate, it again depends on the university. I would say that most universities have international living center, which caters to international students. So, if you go there, the transition will be less. However, sometimes, it will be good if you stay at general dorm and get to mingle with Americans for the first year, before living in International Living Center.

Traveling. Most of us travel during spring break, summer, fall break, thanksgiving, and winter. Guess the 5 hols that we have. How we travel? Depends on where we want to go ... If the place is very far, plane will be desirable. If you can drive and have some people to share driving, car can be an option. If not, bus is not bad too...

mullenious

16-03-2004, 11:50 PM

michigan sucks.. at least ohio st8 football player went to the nfl draft this year(gamble).. last two year korg kalah dgn kite jgk hahhaha.. konklusi: jgn poyo sgt

-=buckeyes=-

topdog

17-03-2004, 12:00 AM

eheheh someone noticed my sig! mullenious, u dah grad ke? semangat buckeye masih membara nampak;) kasi lah intro sket.

wwhong

17-03-2004, 01:51 AM

michigan sucks.. at least ohio st8 football player went to the nfl draft this year(gamble).. last two year korg kalah dgn kite jgk hahhaha.. konklusi: jgn poyo sgt

-=buckeyes=-

yeah, ohio state players are good. who wouldn't say that with the number 1 rush defense in ncaa (before playing michigan)?

but your players that went into nfl draft this year got their ass kicked in big house just few months back, remember?

sorry folks, this is what will happen when the biggest rival in college football met.

no hard feelings ok?

littlebigone

17-03-2004, 01:52 AM

Living on campus allows you to mingle with more people~!

on meeting people, I think it is actually entirely up to you how open and friendly you want to be. I agree that it might be easier to meet people if you live on campus because there are always dorm events, and stuff like that. But even if you live off-campus, there are always campus wide events, clubs, blah blah blah. Or if you know the right people, you could even explore a different side of america.

silverblue

17-03-2004, 08:20 AM

I think the best plan is to live at a different place every year, cos it's good to experience different environments and meet different people, which will definitely spice up your abroad experience.. My original plan was like this:-

Freshie: International Students Dorm or Program House
Sophie: General on-campus dorms
Junie: Rent a house off-campus and live with non-Msian friends!!
Senie: Study Abroad in UK!! hehe

well...I guess 3/4 of my plan came true!! ;)

silverblue

17-03-2004, 08:31 AM

Long Johns are Irritating! Eww......

Can you believe it's snowing so very hard now here in Ithaca? Urgh.. it feels more like Winter Break than Spring Break here!! :(

Anyway, the best tip to brace the cold is to dress in many many many layers! Trust me... when it's outside, u'd wanna have thick layers protecting your skin from the drying and freezing wind but when u go inside, u'll be sweating profusely!!

So wear 1) a shirt 2) a sweater or cardigan 3) another jacket if really cold 4) outer jacket or coat or down

You don't really have to wear double layer pants though (lol).. as long as ur pants isn't one of those tight-fitting jeans (u gotta leave some air in btw to keep u warm). ;)

chenchow

17-03-2004, 09:32 AM

Would like to ask those ATU 8,9,10 people, to help answer the questions in Scholarship Threads. There have been a number of questions about the group interview process that you guys have undergone. So, hopefully you guys can help answer the process. And if you have the contacts, hopefully you guys can help to invite more friends, especially who are studying in various countries into ReCom to make it even more international~!

Again hope that some of you could answer those questions on the group interview process, since there are a number of Form 5 leavers who need such information~!

chenghau

17-03-2004, 10:58 AM

The information about the recent interview format (2002 and 2003) has been posted under "scholarships". Check it out and do not hesitate to post any further questions.

ChengHau

tree007

17-03-2004, 12:37 PM

yo ATU seniors!!

now that most ATU10'ians have received at least one uni's LOA, En. Sohaimi recommended that we start applying visa (guys lah )..

so so.. last time (ATU 9? ) did any1 like guide u guys how to apply visa? or were u on ur own? what r the important procedures besides those found on the instruction sheet of the visa app? how did u guys submit the visa app? thru MACEE or go embassy personally? u all got ponteng class to get there ah?

hehe.. hope u guys can help out.. thnaks alot!!

b_ronick

18-03-2004, 02:57 PM

since tree007 brought up the visa thingi..
i would just like to ask which visa did most of the seniors here chose?
the F1 or the J1?
which one would the seniors recommend?
and what is the advantage and disadvantage of each of the visa..
thanX!!

chenchow

18-03-2004, 10:17 PM

I think most seniors are on F1, although I don't really know much about the difference... F1, you can work on campus for up to 20 hours per week during school term and up to 39 hours per week during breaks. You can have 1 year of Optional Practical Training in US.

I think it is better to stick, because if you select F1, your university will send you the I-20 for F1, which is necessary when you apply. And if you select J1, your university will send you IAP-66 (if I am not wrong, this name has been changed). So, if you change, it is going to delay your visa application process.

I think about food, it depends on where you go... I believe you will be showing "Wow" on your first day here at dining hall, if you come Cornell. I won't guarantee you will feel that the dining hall is perfect, after eating 4 years here, since the food menu is rotated every couple of weeks or so. Different dining hall has different food, but most will have some entrees, koshers, salads, fruits, soups, deli, grill, pasta, pizza, chinese food, international food, desserts, ice cream, waffle, drinks, cereal, etc. And on certain days, there will be sushi, wings, nacho, taco, korean food, dim sum(yeah, real dim sum), etc.

For those coming Cornell, Kurma and Rendang will most likely to be in Cornell dining menu next year. And every semester, there will be a cross-country dinner, where a famous restaurant will be invited to cook on campus. Just relishing the 5 huge oysters, it is so great~! A gentle reminder, average freshman Cornellian gains 15 pounds.

To those applying Cornell, am sure you guys know about online tracking. Your decision should be there too once it is out. So, no harm check daily from next week... Good Luck~!

https://admissions.cornell.edu/login/default.cfm

gesar

18-03-2004, 10:21 PM

i wanna ask about the visa application...erm...well, we just received the news that the male students have to apply now meanwhile we girls can only apply during May.... :D well, they say we for sure can get the visa...is that true??? :?

can I know how do we apply the visa thingy? :D :D Are we supposed to wait for Pn Suriana to preapre the thing for us or we are supposed to go there ourselves and get the information needed? :wink: What stuffs do we need to apply our visa?hehe....pls reply...thanks!!

Avangard

18-03-2004, 10:46 PM

Thanx to all who have reply to my question. I just want to know the difference between Semester system and Quater system used in US university. Which one is better? :?: ,
:?

chenghau

18-03-2004, 10:59 PM

To Avangard,

For Semester system, you have two semesters - fall and spring , and summer session(optional) in one semester year.

For Quarter system, you have three quarters - fall, winter, and spring, and summer session(optional) in one semester year.

Both have pros and cons. For quarter system, you might take less subjects in one quarter. But you would feel that you have tests/midterms more frequently than those who have semester system. This is because a quarter is shorter than a semester in general.

I heard that quarter system has more holidays? No sure about this, but someone can justify it.

Sem system is more popular in schools in New England or Southern part of United States, ie Ivies....

Quarter system is more popular in schools in Northern part of United States, ie U Chicago, Northwestern, also Stanford...

chenchow

18-03-2004, 11:00 PM

>>ElansarGelmir: Haha, living in a 'high class' prison in Section 18 is indeed not to be termed as enjoyable. Sigh. Who am I to complain? Just looking forward to going to the States. By the way, what kind of food are served in the Universities? Do you guys just eat salads and sandwiches? Coz' I heard from several guys that's all they have. Gosh, I hope I won't turn into a vegetarian there. Hehe. Anyway, do you peeps play Bridge there?

I think most of us who have gone through that, have the same feeling as you, but once you get to US, you will think back on your best part of life....Cemara and Akasia... Those are really wonderful time, really... All the stuff that you have gone through together there seems more memorable...

I still remember the number of nights, we sneak out to have supper at sunway, subang... the numerous times trying to sneak out of cemara in shorts, playing soccer at night, computer games, all those activities there, all the long chats, care-free life... That would be your most relaxing time of your life at least for the next few years, enjoy it first~!

On food, check above posting in this thread. Just 3 posts above.

Bridge? You can definitely play. I know of people who play mahjong every weekend. Free time is precious, so do something you like. I spend my free time in ReCom~!

chenchow

18-03-2004, 11:03 PM

I would think that both the systems (quarter or semester) has its own good and bad. I think in terms of total study days per year, it is about the same. It is just whether it is 2 longer semesters or one shorter semester.

I know that a course in one semester in Cornell is typically covered in one quarter in Stanford and the syllabus is about the same, so you can imagine the workload in Stanford... It is a great campus~!

chenghau

18-03-2004, 11:10 PM

For people who want good food, you had better pray that you get into Cornell. Gosh, they have the best food on campus, as of what I have heard, although I haven't tried it. Varieties in food aren't something you can simply find in US colleges, with exception of the best school in Hotel Management - Cornell University (and few other schools.)

chenchow

18-03-2004, 11:13 PM

I heard that Boston University has a pretty good campus dining too.

littlebigone

19-03-2004, 01:46 AM

On food, if you like to cook, then get to know your local asian markets. That's where you're probably going to find most of the ingredients to cook. Sometimes, you may need to improvise and use substitutes though as not everything may be available. I think however, ingredients for most chinese style dishes are easily found. For Indian food, may be a bit harder. And for Malay food, I thnk most times you'd just substitute the curry powder with a made-in-India one. It's pretty amazing what you kind find here. Once we found frozen "fresh" pandan leaves.

screw3d

19-03-2004, 04:08 AM

chenchow

19-03-2004, 06:39 AM

I hope topics on studying in US can keep in this thread, so as we don't have it everywhere, ok? Thank you~! This is so that it is easier for others to read the questions and responses too~!

This is from thread Food For Thoughts:

ElansarGelmir: Uhmmm.... One BIG question that keeps bugging me ... How much does an average meal cost in the States? What do you guys (the seniors) have for meals, usually? Salads and sandwiches only?

screw3d: Here in SC an average fast food meal is about $6, which would get you a burger, fries and drinks in McDs, Burger King, Jack in the Box etc.

Almost any other semi-decent restaurant would charge at least $10 per meal. It is probably different for other places though. There is, of course, no upper ceiling for the price of food!

Sometimes it's worth taking meal plans, sometimes its not. You gotta ask your seniors about that, and sometimes it's mostly personal preference, eg. for me, I cook, since it's much cheaper this way and I prefer more cash to spend on other stuff.

Actually, I find that the price of food is something like.. just change from RM to USD.. like if an egg costs about RM0.20 in Malaysia, then it's about USD0.20 here!

>> chenchow: thanks for posting in ReCom~!

phantom

19-03-2004, 07:42 AM

i thought mc'd meal costs only USD 3.50..(mac chicken+french fries+coke)..

even the usual mc'd sundae costs usd 1 here.

only when you crave rice and walk into chinese restaurants,you need to pay around usd 5-7.

owh yeah,where you plan of buying your meals matter too.

in usa,they are plenty of food where you only to open it from a box,placed them in a microwave and voila,in few minutes,you have dinner ready.some of this food costs less than usd 2.(wal-mart for sure..imagine getting chicken+green beans+crushed patato)

dont worry about food,you'll survive.i used to have the same trepidation

i guess food is not a huge problem. it's cheaper here.tell your tongue to be flexible,you'll survive.

the only worry you should have is exploding and clad with lipids.

that's that.hope it helps.

chenchow

19-03-2004, 09:27 PM

For dining hall price, this is the price tag at Cornell for on-campus. Breakfast $5.+ , Lunch $9.50, Dinner $11 . However, there are places offcampus that you can get meals at $3 or so.

Meal plan price is like $2200 (for 1 semester) if you take super flex, where you can eat whenever you want. I think it is about $2000 per semester for 14 buffets.

JPA allowance structure is as follow:
1. Staying offcampus and not eating meal plan : 100% of allowance
2. Staying on campus and not eating meal plan: 60% of allowance
3. Staying offcampus and eating meal plan : 60% of allowance
4. Staying on campus and eating meal plan : 20% of allowance.

Allowance for Kadar A is USD674 and Kadar B is USD607.

You can choose any meal plan under JPA.

There are lots of job opportunities. Library, cafeteria, caterer, researcher, lab operators, clerk, webpage designer, etc... There is no limit on how many jobs there are. You can work from first semester, or rather after you get your SSN, which is about 1 month after you arrive.

gal_flower

19-03-2004, 09:33 PM

thanks for all the enlightenment about food in US..
like my ALG frens taught me: iche bin immer hungrig
which means: i am always hungry...if i'm correct..
cant live without food...
n my frends think i'm a bottomless pit....
i juz happen to be hungry quite fast....
well...i know tis probably is a funny question...
(translated from hokkien) eat can full one or not there?!

chenchow

19-03-2004, 09:57 PM

I think it really up to you. Most universities give you the flexibilities of trying out and then you can choose to drop it.

I would advise that you guys take up the meal plan for the first year first and then evaluate for yourself whether you like it or not. And also take to the seniors in your particular universities, to see the condition over there.

wesleyanne

20-03-2004, 11:14 AM

all this talk on food reminds me of the infamous Freshman 15 :) beware...hehe ;)

chenghau

20-03-2004, 02:36 PM

It is said that one will gain 15 pounds in his/her freshman year in college.

gesar

20-03-2004, 02:38 PM

hello, thanks to all the seniors for all the information.....you people have slightly cleared our doubts. :D 8O ....erm....Just wanna ask right, if we ever take up the meal plans, then maybe certain days when we don't have the time to eat, will we be penalized? We have to pay before hand right??? :D :?

lonewolfhan

20-03-2004, 04:10 PM

Hmm.. what concern me the most is "CHinese FOod" problem... will we have a chance to taste it ? Hmm.. plz tell us the answer is "Yes.."...

at Cemara and Akasia we oso suffer ade .... what will happen if we have to suffer in US ???

ElansarGelmir

20-03-2004, 06:13 PM

JPA allowance structure is as follow:
1. Staying offcampus and not eating meal plan : 100% of allowance
2. Staying on campus and not eating meal plan: 60% of allowance
3. Staying offcampus and eating meal plan : 60% of allowance
4. Staying on campus and eating meal plan : 20% of allowance.

Do our parents need to chuck in some money to us as well? The $$$ seems quite little to me.

and ... can we gain access to curries or chillies there? Tom yams? Dunno how I am going to survive there without hawker food...

ElansarGelmir

20-03-2004, 06:17 PM

Just wanna ask right, if we ever take up the meal plans, then maybe certain days when we don't have the time to eat, will we be penalized? We have to pay before hand right???

Can we have our friends to pack the food for us if we can't make it to the meal on time? Are we allowed for second helpings?

Oh yeah, how's the food? Edible? Filling? Sorry for asking too many questions at once, but I'm very eager to know. Food and $$$ is the main concern...

littlebigone

20-03-2004, 07:31 PM

hey...food is not important seriously...don't get so worked up about it.

"Chinese food" is a big US fad i think. It's everywhere. But bear in mind that it may taste a little different as it has been prepared to suit the US tastebuds. Asian food in general is easy to find, especially if you're in a campus where there are a lot of asians. Here in Cornell we have a street with a thai, vietnamese, korean, and chinese restaurant. All on the same street!!!

On the issue of money and parents, well I have never had my parents send me money. I make it a point not to. You'll have enough money as u have housing and food paid by JPA. If you need more money to support any crack habit that you pick up here, get a job or rob your local bank. If you're in a small town, the security shouldn't be that great. Easy pickings.

ElansarGelmir

20-03-2004, 11:18 PM

You'll have enough money as u have housing and food paid by JPA.

Ermmm... Ok, can I safely assume that I'll receive about 300 USD if I stay and eat on campus? Which means... I have about 10 USD to spend a day... Wouldn't that makes our budget tight as well? I mean, yeah, we shouldn't have those 'go-for-movies' habit, but heh, am i supposed to hermit myself in the campus everyday? How about printing stuffs? Or club fees? Then the 10 USD will perhaps go down to -10 USD per day, ain't I right? Please correct me if I'm wrong... Thanks, big guys... :D

DecentMerson

20-03-2004, 11:38 PM

ElansarGelmir

20-03-2004, 11:50 PM

if u stay on campus and have a meal plan, 80 % of your monthly allowance is gone... then u will only have USD $ 130-150 left...

Uhmm.... Isn't 20% of 600 USD == 300USD? Or at least they stated there 600 USD in the JPA letter

DecentMerson

21-03-2004, 12:25 AM

chenghau

21-03-2004, 01:23 AM

Yes, only 120USD a month for kadar B, and around 134 for kadar A.

Printing? I know that most schools have free printing in some labs, although some might limit you up to 40 pages in a week.

120USD is just sufficient, provided that you don't go to restaurants THAT FREQUENTLY. Most of money I spent so far is on computer stuff and food especially. BTW, I know somebody who manage to get a cellphone with just 120USD allowance a month. Isn't that amazing?

silverblue

21-03-2004, 01:33 AM

It's really not that hard to get a job on campus u know... that'll ease up ur financial worries a little...Almost every Msian I know at Cornell has a paid job of some sort..

I got myself two jobs during my 2nd semester... one paid a low $5.15/hr and another paid $6.05/hr. But they were easy peasy jobs where u just had to sit there and do hwk (receptionist mah - yeap, u get paid for doing hwk! haha)...

Come my 3rd sem, I'd upgraded to a more skill-based job (computer lab operator and chapel program coordinator) which each pays till about $8+/hr. I get paid about nearly 20 hrs a wk (20 hrs/wk is max working time allowed during the term. 40 hrs/wk is max for summer) although I do 'real' work (aka - no study during work) for about 5 hrs/wk (yeap - 15 hrs free pay! haha).

I guess it's all a breeze if u are clever enuf to find 'smart' jobs!! ;)
I'm sure every uni has a 'Student-Jobs Services' website or something like that. Otherwise, just go around libraries or depts asking if they are hiring!

silverblue

21-03-2004, 01:44 AM

ElansarGelmir

21-03-2004, 01:58 PM

hey.... are u joking or wat... 20% of 600USD is 120....
50% of 600USD is 300.....

Yeah, sorry.... Miscalculation.... my mistake
Oh yeah, so how are we going to survive with only 120 USD a month?

But yes, the weight gain will be pretty fast if you are not one of those guys named 'Kenny' who never gains a pound although they eat enormous amts of food (i'm saying that cos 4/5 of the 'Kenny's I know are as skinny as a lidi!! lol).

LOL! How true. We have a Kenny in ATU 10 who's skinny as well ... Next time i should call my self kenny too ... :wink:

BioTEch_GizMo

21-03-2004, 05:14 PM

Ummm one question about working in the US. If we want to work in the US eg. lab assistant or any jobs in the campus, do we have to say yes to the question in the VISA form ( Do you intend to work in the US?). And what if they ask us during the interview...should we say yes? Thanks...... :roll:

ElansarGelmir

21-03-2004, 05:25 PM

Yeah, the visa thingy ........
Are they brutal towards Malaysian students? What kind of questions should we be prepared, or at least be aware of? Hope you guys can reply ASAP

DecentMerson

21-03-2004, 05:27 PM

About the food issue, it's good to take the meal plan during ur 1st sem. Eating at dining halls is a really really good way to socialize and make new friends!!

But yes, the weight gain will be pretty fast if you are not one of those guys named 'Kenny' who never gains a pound although they eat enormous amts of food (i'm saying that cos 4/5 of the 'Kenny's I know are as skinny as a lidi!! lol).

But definitely try the next few sems cooking. It's quite an essential skill to pick up and u'll feel proud of yourself! :D And yeah, it'll save u quite a bit of $$$...

hahaha.. i think biochemist and nutritionist can start a research on whether the different names cause ppl to eat/gain weight differently...

but isn't cooking very time consuming and need all the electrical appliances such...

oh yar, when u say cooking, u have to stay offcampus rite???

and may i know any seniors who plan to get a car(drive there and also bring it back after 4 years)??? wat are the required procedures....??

chenghau

21-03-2004, 07:45 PM

Q: Do you intend to work?
A: NO (If you stay yes, then bye bye...see you in UiTM/UTM)

Last year interview, they did not ask tricky questions. Some sample questions:

1. Which university are you going to?
2. What's your major?
3. Is your brother still studying now? If so, which school?
4. What's your father occupation? and blablabla

Some questions that weren't asked but should be aware of:

Q1: Do you intend to stay in USA after graduation?
A: Nope, I am a sponsored student, and I need to serve my government once I graduate from my school. (To show strong tie between you and your home country.)

Q2: What is your purpose to go to USA?
A: To pursue a Bachelor Degree in blablabla..

There are more questions you should be aware of, but I can't remember. Perhaps other seniors can correct me/suggest more questions. Thank you...

chenghau

21-03-2004, 07:49 PM

oh yar, when u say cooking, u have to stay offcampus rite???

Nope, some dorms have kitchens. You can cook there if you want to.

gesar

21-03-2004, 10:33 PM

So U mean The kitchen is shared???? 8O :cry: :?

ElansarGelmir

21-03-2004, 10:43 PM

Huh? So u can cook there .... But are there any restrictions of what can be cooked and what can't? There's this Michigan State U. Rep came by and told us that cooking is strictly not allowed in campus as they afraid will catch fire .... Perhaps in some unis, u can do that, but in others... u can't... ???

screw3d

21-03-2004, 11:10 PM

I cook anything I want in my (university) apartment in USC.

Different policies for different places I guess.

What's the point of having a kitchen if you are not allowed to cook there??

hungwei

21-03-2004, 11:36 PM

Speaking about cooking, do you guys out there just dump all the ingredients into a cooking pot, wait for a few minutes, then ta-da, dinner is served?

I'll like that kind of life where cooking is as easy as eating.

Might it be some special cooking apparatus which could make it posssible?

ElansarGelmir

21-03-2004, 11:51 PM

I think it's more to cooking instant noodles ....

chenghau

22-03-2004, 01:49 AM

What to cook and how to cook?

Depends on my mood and time. If I am happy and FREE, then I cook...Last winter, I cooked for one or two weeks? This semester I barely cook because cooking (not instant noodle or pasta) takes more time than eating at dining hall. After cooking, you need to waste much time in cleaning the kitchen too.

kIdd0

22-03-2004, 10:04 PM

sze_xian

23-03-2004, 02:10 PM

hey people... was just wondering if there are any Brandeis seniors out there??? ........ can you guys help me out and tell me how's life over at Brandeis??? thanx!!! :D

ElansarGelmir

23-03-2004, 02:43 PM

Yeah, If i got Wisconsin Madison and Brandeis, which is better? According to OSSP's Gourmen Report (dunno how reliable it is), Wisconsin ranks 4th and Brandeis 15th for Biochem, and WIsconsin 9th while Brandeis 48th overall... But still, I think i will be heading for Brandeis ... but dunno why ... can anyone give his or her two cents? Especially seniors in Wisconsin and Brandeis...

__earth

23-03-2004, 02:47 PM

:?: Hmph, have been seriously wondering bout some of the $$ problems that i would encounter in the States... since that im a person who spends like almost everything i find in my pockets... im seriously concerned... wut are some of the more common banks available in the states? particularly Ann arbor, MI coz most probably i shall be heading there... wuz wondering, are there any American banks based here in Malaysia in which i can call up my dad to bank me some $$?? btw, how do you guys usually ask money from your dads anyway? They mail money order or sumthin? or through bank transactions?

hey kiddo, increase your font.

About banks in ann arbor, you don't have to worry about it. you may worry about it once you get here.

however, usually, the money is wired from some bank in msia to some bank in ann arbor. The same case is true everywhere. *THIS* might not be true in columbus, OH. Those buckeyes are a little bit primitive. :twisted:

in malaysia, there's bank of america - one at Jalan Sultan Ismail, KL and the one in Labuan. However, its not really convenient for you to open an account with BoA if you are coming to A2.

Honestly, I've never heard anybody doing a mail order. but then, its could just be me.

windy_city

23-03-2004, 09:34 PM

There is 2 seniors in Brandies there, one of them is your lovely (like what Yan Min said) OC during orientation last year.
I don?t know much about Brandies, I just know it is a small school in a small town founded by Jews. About Wis. I think there are tones of senior that can help you guys, I bet ReCom has a lot of U Wisc. seniors right, just wait for their reply, for Brandies, I will ask that senior to join the ReCom, so that he can answer your question. A word of caution, Gourmen report is very very very ^100 outdated. Dun even trust what they rank there, things change a lot in a few years, I think the more trustable ranking should be the US news or the Princeton review. I think Dinna post the link some where in this forum before. Even my American friends dun know what Gourmen report is, they do know US news and Princeton Review, because the 2 ranking did influence them and their counselors in helping them decide what schools to go.

Yeah, If i got Wisconsin Madison and Brandeis, which is better? According to OSSP's Gourmen Report (dunno how reliable it is), Wisconsin ranks 4th and Brandeis 15th for Biochem, and WIsconsin 9th while Brandeis 48th overall... But still, I think i will be heading for Brandeis ... but dunno why ... can anyone give his or her two cents? Especially seniors in Wisconsin and Brandeis...

windy_city

23-03-2004, 09:58 PM

Before i forget, a reminder
dun look too much into the ranking, consider other stuffs like location and social life also. I think Princeton review will give u a beter picture on the other "stuff".
For example, big city university, like NYU, Columbia, U Chicago(but i dun think U chicago is considered a big city school, it is still 45 minutes away from downtown chicago)
Or maybe you wan to party a lot then consider UIUC, Syracuse, these 2 are among the top 5 party school.
So be wise and make your decision carefully!!
Good luck!!

windy_city

23-03-2004, 09:58 PM

__earth

23-03-2004, 11:41 PM

UIUC is a party school?

LOL! the biggest joke of the day! their town is comparable to west lafayette!

but between brandies and u of wisc, i recommned wisc. high standard, well known, a real party school, nice town and LOTS OF MILK!!!

sorry, can't resist that milk part.

chenghau

24-03-2004, 02:06 AM

I would strongly recommend Brandeis. Brandeis is located just 30 minutes away from Harvard, and around 40 minutes away from Boston. You can get to Boston city easily with free shuttle service provided by Brandeis. The school is a private school, and it is really small. Hence, you get to know your proffesor really well, and you can make a lot of close friends.

Yes, Brandeis is well-known in its Biochemistry. Indeed, all people I know there are doing Biochemistry. Party? Brandeis rocks! What I heard from my friend was that he went to parties in Brandeis so frequently in first semester.

Plus, I am living somewhere near Brandeis too! =) Just kidding...

windy_city

24-03-2004, 07:25 AM

But according to the Princeton review Ranking and few American friends of mine, that school is really a party school, it is in the middle of no where, but there are a lot of Frat and Sorority there, and that made it a real party school. Maybe you just never experience the party atmosphere there.

topdog

24-03-2004, 07:44 AM

i think it's safe to say that all major public universities have very, erm, lively frat or house parties. i mean, out of 30,000+ students, there's got to be some parties right? (intentional understatement, heh). about uiuc being a party school...i don't know. it's probably the same in any other public university. you probably won't find engineering or math students partying like crazy, but if you want to have a wild time, you definitely can. i myself have only been to a handful of parties in my 3 years in ann arbor. partying's just not my cup of tea. but at least i can claim to have tried...oh...never mind.

b_ronick

24-03-2004, 02:43 PM

so..if we cannot depend on the rankings of the unis using the records of gourman and usnews..
then what can we look at to determine which uni is the best for us?
what should we look at then?

and should we consider ranking in the major or ranking overall?

chenghau

24-03-2004, 04:06 PM

I would suggest you not to consider ranking at all.

To me, a good school does not mean one that ranks top ten, either in your major or overall. The school that fits you best is a school that can provide you many oppoturtunities and help you in pursuing in whatever you want in coming four years.

Some love research schools. Some prefer schools with low student-faculty ratio so that they get personal attention from the proffesors. Some prefer schools in a city so that they get chance to see the BIG world.

I would recommend that when you are in doubt, try to think what you want to do in coming four years. What is the point of going to so-called TOP ten schools or ivy leagues if you can't pursue your dreams there?

What you might find helpful to do is to find out more about the schools you are considering and talk to the students there. By this, you should be able to create a ranking that works best for yourself.

ElansarGelmir

24-03-2004, 06:44 PM

There is 2 seniors in Brandies there, one of them is your lovely (like what Yan Min said) OC during orientation last year.

Sorry, I'm a second intake, so i dun get the chance to know the seniors there ... :(

Well, I dunno how those guys rank the the universities, but I think i have a higher affiliation to Brandeis. Somehow, some of my friends convinced me that Wisconsin is the better Uni for Biology coz it has all the research facilities there (of course, it's a farm ...).

In your opinion, which is better, a bigger uni or a smaller one? Brandeis is a rich uni, but i dunno how's the facility there. Are the rules there strict? What about Wisconsin's? I have to compare this 2 unis thoroughly.

Anyway, thanks for some useful tips. Do you guys have the contacts of those who are studying in Wisconsin and Brandeis? Can I have theirs? Thanks again :P [/quote]

ElansarGelmir

24-03-2004, 06:54 PM

Some love research schools. Some prefer schools with low student-faculty ratio so that they get personal attention from the proffesors. Some prefer schools in a city so that they get chance to see the BIG world.

I prefer schools with good food, and perhaps convenient facilities ... Of course i prefer a school that has a traditional culture, but Brandeis is a school where its students always pray (so say the Princeton Rivew).

I would strongly recommend Brandeis. Brandeis is located just 30 minutes away from Harvard, and around 40 minutes away from Boston. You can get to Boston city easily with free shuttle service provided by Brandeis.

I heard that the beauty of Boston has been devastated by some projects going on which can stretch for years. Is it true?

gal_flower

24-03-2004, 07:24 PM

i agree wif the seniors tad rankings r rubbish...

well, i did a research essay on college rankings for advanced writing...n i found out tad rankings r pure crap...

like the seniors say...
decide wif ur heart....ur desire....
wad u want from ur uni life...
wad kind of life u want...city life..or vice versa...
someone told me tad the standards in us colleges differ very little...
so juz toss out those rankings for a moment if u r deciding btw 2 closely-ranked college n decide wif ur heart...(still haf to satisfy jpa anyway)...
no matter where u go, u r bound to haf fun...
tads wad i believe... :wink:

ElansarGelmir

24-03-2004, 07:32 PM

like the seniors say...
decide wif ur heart....ur desire....
wad u want from ur uni life...
wad kind of life u want...city life..or vice versa...
someone told me tad the standards in us colleges differ very little...
so juz toss out those rankings for a moment if u r deciding btw 2 closely-ranked college n decide wif ur heart...(still haf to satisfy jpa anyway)...
no matter where u go, u r bound to haf fun...
tads wad i believe...

Ya lar, but i have no idea about life in Wisconsin or Brandeis yet... Dunno which uni suits my lifestyle preferences more ... sigh. gal_flower, do you know much about Brandeis?

P.S. what did Datin Minda comment on your research paper?

chenghau

24-03-2004, 11:39 PM

To ElansarGelmir,

It is said that Brandeis students pray a lot because many students there are Jewish. It won't force you to pray , don't worry. This is United Sates of America..

=)

windy_city

25-03-2004, 12:17 AM

windy_city

25-03-2004, 12:42 AM

The best way is, look at everything, look at ranking(but dun take them too seriously), talk to your senior there, do some research on your. Yeah, it will take a lot of time, but you huys are quite free now, i think the research and time are worth it since you are going to decide where and what will you do in the coming 4 year.
For me, i will definately choose Brandeis, i just like small school, public school with big faculty-student ratio is not my cup of tea. I think private school will have more funding and generally more competetive than public school. Plus i think it is important to get into a small class and get to know your profs and stuffs, like in my place, i even can sit down and eat lunch with my last sem. prof. and i usually talk to them when i bumped into them in the cafe or sth like that, i like the personal attention i get. So it all depend on you!!!

so..if we cannot depend on the rankings of the unis using the records of gourman and usnews..
then what can we look at to determine which uni is the best for us?
what should we look at then?

and should we consider ranking in the major or ranking overall?

topdog

25-03-2004, 07:12 AM

Ohh there is one university with the worst food served in the whole US.
But i dun think i dare to tell you which one, cause I am afraid people will kill me. :D
But some hint, it is a big ten school, party a lot, very good at EE(but the fod is universally agreed as the suckest in all university)!!

since you're afraid, i will say it out loud. it's the university of illinois at urbana-champaign. i've been there a couple of times and yes, the food sucks...even worse than michigan's (which is already quite bad). to be fair though, every wednesday they have some special theme dinner at a particular dining hall, which is quite good. the catch is you have to wait in line for at least an hour just to get in. i was there. :D

about choosing a school...i truly believe that it does not matter where you go for your undergrad degree. i would go as far as to say just choose the school you like.

i know there's really no way for you guys in malaysia to visit campuses before deciding on a best fit...so just choose the school you like. ask around for opinions, but ultimately the decision is yours.

one more thing i would like to add: disregard usnews rankings. it's utter bullshit. it's meant to sell magazines. gal_flower would agree.:)

if you have to look at rankings, i think gourman's report would be at least worth a look. another rankings worth a look is the one done by the university of florida. it measures research universities according to objective criteria, or so they say. link: http://thecenter.ufl.edu/

lonewolfhan

25-03-2004, 09:36 AM

Mm... May i ask for seniors' advices ??? I have been admitted to Northwestern University and Washing University.... which one should i choose ? I know that Northwesetern is better and the ranking is higher... but some told me that WASHU is mroe selective on the students admitted... ( my letter states that i was amonmg the 1350 chosen from 20000 applicants.. dunno true onot ! :P ) ..

Still waiting for CORNELL result though... but dun have much confidence... the result will be out on 1st April,... i applied to Brown too... so far no news.... :cry: I think i wont get any Ivy league Uni ade....

windy_city

25-03-2004, 10:39 AM

Since you already said it out loud, yeah, UIUC serevd the worst food in the world. The food suck so much, so if you are looking for university with good food, you should know what university to aviod from :D !!

Ohh there is one university with the worst food served in the whole US.
But i dun think i dare to tell you which one, cause I am afraid people will kill me. :D
But some hint, it is a big ten school, party a lot, very good at EE(but the fod is universally agreed as the suckest in all university)!!

since you're afraid, i will say it out loud. it's the university of illinois at urbana-champaign. i've been there a couple of times and yes, the food sucks...even worse than michigan's (which is already quite bad). to be fair though, every wednesday they have some special theme dinner at a particular dining hall, which is quite good. the catch is you have to wait in line for at least an hour just to get in. i was there. :D

about choosing a school...i truly believe that it does not matter where you go for your undergrad degree. i would go as far as to say just choose the school you like.

i know there's really no way for you guys in malaysia to visit campuses before deciding on a best fit...so just choose the school you like. ask around for opinions, but ultimately the decision is yours.

one more thing i would like to add: disregard usnews rankings. it's utter bull$#!+. it's meant to sell magazines. gal_flower would agree.:)

if you have to look at rankings, i think gourman's report would be at least worth a look. another rankings worth a look is the one done by the university of florida. it measures research universities according to objective criteria, or so they say. link: http://thecenter.ufl.edu/

sze_xian

25-03-2004, 08:58 PM

if you have to look at rankings, i think gourman's report would be at least worth a look. another rankings worth a look is the one done by the university of florida. it measures research universities according to objective criteria, or so they say. link: http://thecenter.ufl.edu/[/quote][/quote]

bout the Gourman's report thing someone said that it was backdated and not worth looking at..... so, is it or is it not reliable???

ElansarGelmir

25-03-2004, 09:09 PM

I think the safest option for us is to depend on the senior's opinion and advice... We dunno for sure how's the life there going to be. We can't really tell from pamphlets or brochures... Only an insight feedback from the seniors will tell us.

I dun think i'm going for ranking ... Rather, i think i'll go to the Uni which i think i will fit into. I think Cheng Hau has told me something useful about small unis. Thanks dude!

kIdd0

25-03-2004, 09:30 PM

hmmm... seniors out there... just wondering.... since the fall enrolment is just months away, i was wondering, how different can the weather be there? Hmmm... some say that in places like Michigan and Wisconsin, even your ears might drop off due to frost bites during winter! and how hot would the summer be there? as hot as malaysia? or even worst?

DecentMerson

25-03-2004, 11:24 PM

yup... same question here....

i just need some verification on the weather in Michigan....

the winter is really scary... and u really need to cover up(dressed like a penguin)...

in the summer, the sun is strong but the heat is not....is about 15-20 degree Celcius....

izit tru??

topdog

26-03-2004, 02:17 AM

i guess i take back the comment about gourman's report. i think it has a bit more value than usnews...which i would use as toilet paper.

michigan has harsh, bleak, frigid winters. but you get used to it. check out weather underground (http://www.weatherunderground.com) if you want to look at temperature trends. it can get hotter than malaysia in the summer, no kidding. but unlike malaysia, it's not humid.

26-03-2004, 07:29 AM

hey james (topdog),
you get those hot blondes (as in your pic) in ann arbor, michigan? in prepartion for the trip, maybe some of you may want to prepare "how to date American girls".

26-03-2004, 07:51 AM

in a purely academic sense, go for the university which has a better department in what you intend to major in. if you're still uncertain, that's cool too. in which case you'd want to go to a place with fairly good departments all round.

however, i still think college life is the most important factor in decision making. you'll be spending the next 4 yrs at a particular place and you'd want to have a good and happy experience. alas, not even a campus tour/weekend stay can expose you to every aspect of college life. so it is really a tough call.

there's still hope though. talk to as many people as possible and gather their feedback about their college experience and try to make your best possible decision. also malaysians, coming from a multicultural background, are usually really good at adapting to new environments. i'm sure most (if not all) people will be able to find their own niche and build up a reliable social network fairly quickly.

topdog

26-03-2004, 08:18 AM

hey james (topdog),
you get those hot blondes (as in your pic) in ann arbor, michigan?

haha shien jin, i am going to jail for my sig. it's emma watson, hot 15-year old star of the harry potter movies...

it is widely acknowledged that "hot blondes" and "ann arbor" generally do not appear in the same sentence.

windy_city

26-03-2004, 03:24 PM

Since there is a lot of discussion about big state school and small private school, I would like to express my opinion about them here, hope this will help you guys out, but this is based on personal experience and opinion.( it maybe biased)

Public school vs. Private school.
Big public state school like Wisc., Mich, UIUC, Ohio has quite high student and faculty ratio, although some of these school have very good engineering program, you will have to attend big class (with over 300 people) for your freshman year, personal attention from you instructors is almost impossible. Some more these universities are located at small city or town, so you will miss a lot of big event and stuff that you get in a city.

Private school generally has small faculty to student ratio. I had an engineering class with 2 Prof. and 14 students before during my freshman year. Almost all of the classes in private school during freshman year are taught by a prof. or associate prof. compare to public school where some of the classes are taught by T.A.

Big city versus small town
I personally like universities situated in or near big city because they offer so many opportunities compare to small town universities. I just came back from a Jazz Pub with a few American friends, after we visited the Rembrandts exhibitions in the art institute. All of these experiences can only be found in big city. My friend (a Malaysians here like to go to Broadway shows in the city) which you cannot find in small town. Some of them like to go to concert, which is available all year round in city. Some of them like shopping, big city offer you tones of shopping places, right Dinna?? There are so many things to do and so many stuffs to explore in city compare to a small campus town. When you are fed up with universities activities or studies, just take a subway train downtown and find an activities you can enjoy, there are endless options. All of these make me like big city school so much. Universities like NYU, U of Chicago, Northwestern, MIT, Harvard, USC are some of the universities situated in or near big city and I think all these universities are a good place to go if you like big city life. Harvard, MIT, Northwestern are school in suburb, near to big city but still has the small town feeling, so it depend on what you want. School like Indiana, UIUC, U Mich are situated in small towns or cities that are quite isolated, they will offer you with the small town experience with forest and stuffs, so if you like the peaceful atmosphere, these schools will be suitable for you.

Maybe I am biased to wards big city private school, because I am in one of them. But seriously I really love the atmosphere and the opportunities this kind of university offer me. (The only thing I dun like here is life here is often very stressful because everybody seemed to be too competitive)

windy_city

26-03-2004, 03:42 PM

About the ranking stuff, just want to clear thing up, I dun think that stupid Gourman report is any good or better than US news report (Just to find out the truth, I do a few quick surveys from my American friend, and one of them is a Malaysian studying in a prep school US, she is the same bath as ATU 10 people, she is just waiting for the admission result like you guys) Most of them never heard of the stupid Gourmand report before, their high school counselor (who is in charge in universities stuff like Puan Suriana did) never even shown them that stupid report, the few ranking that is common is the US news, Brag(some report that sound like that), Princeton Review and another report which I forget the name already. These are the few common one, but basically their counselor encourage them to have campus visit before deciding on their choice, since you guys cannot do that, I suggest you guys get more info from the seniors there before making your choice, try to ask question other than academic stuff, try to get the BIG picture, if you get what I mean. Basically most of them go with US News and Princeton Review (this is recent info, not outdated at all, because they are all freshman) As for the Malaysian gal that I just mentioned, she said she has heard of the Gourman reports before, her advisors show her quite a number of report, but her counselor did not focus on Gourman report also. Anyway, she tell you guy to compare and contrast all the ranking that is available, she think that is the best way. Hope she gets in her top choice university, she is doing psychology.( hard to find Malaysian doing that here)

b_ronick

27-03-2004, 01:29 AM

thanx for all your replies..it has gave me an insight how US can be like..
i would just like to ask.. :?: :?:
is northwestern university a good school for chemical engineering?
any seniors from northwestern that can help me out by telling me how is it like in northwestern in terms of food, environment, the people and basically everything else that i should know..

what schools are really good for chem engineering?

another question..
i'm seriously having difficulty in choosing the suitable unis and this is worrying me. :(
altho i'm still waiting for another two more unis to reply, i would like help from seniors with guidelines in choosing the correct uni for myself..anyone can help me with this?

windy_city

27-03-2004, 02:00 AM

Northwestern University, the only private school in the big ten.
One of the suckest in term of football and basketball in the big ten, but we do make some surprise sometimes like beating Illinois in basketball and crushing Wisc. in football. But apart from that, we suck in sports.

In term of size, Northwestern can be considered the smallest in the big ten school, smaller that a lot of school, but the size is just perfect, cause you can walk to class everyday, dun need to wait for any bus to send you there.

The class size here are very small, you can get very personal with the Prof here. I can even eat lunch with my last quarter prof and chit chat!! In term of location, Northwestern is nicely situated beside the Lake Michigan; even Michigan people cannot see Lake Michigan as often as we do, hei hei.

It has a nice lake front park and 2 private beaches owned by the university, cannot wait till summer come, by then the beach will be crowded yeah!!
It is just 20 minutes drive to Chicago, the public transportation to Chicago is so convenient, you take the L(the subway), the Metra train(just like another subway train, but more expensive and faster), can even take the shuttle bus provided by Northwestern to go to the Northwestern campus in downtown Chicago. Campus that is situated near the city mean it provides you with a lot of opportunities that a lot of small town universities can?t.
For example yesterday night, I just went to a Jazz Pub after my friends and I visited Rembrandt exhibition in the art institute. (For more detail on big school and small school and about public and private school, pls refer to my earlier posting) Plus MSD Chicago is just a few block away from campus, so we always have opportunities to eat free home cooked Malaysian food. Plus anytime you need to fax stuffs back to JPA, MSD office is always there to help, hei hei.
The best thing is, we have the money making school, Kellogg (the best B school in the world) so if you want to minor in econ and stuff, here is a good place to do it.

About Chem. Eng.
I am not sure how we ranked, but one my Americans friends once told me, we either rank top 5 or top 10 in chem. eng.(he is doing chem. eng here) (btw, no Malaysians here is doing chem. eng.)

Food
Northwestern University has unlimited meal plan, u can eat all you want, we have make to order stuff too, dun worry, the food here is quite nice compare to some school. There is supper too, basically you can eat 24/7 with the unlimited meal plan, plus there are meal points for you to spend on grocery and stuff.

People
Basically there is no dominant international student population here. So basically you can see a lot of different student from different countries. A lot of ABC(American Born Chinese) here. Depend on how outgoing you are, you can mix with a lot of people here, luckily the Malaysians here has their own circle of friends, so you cannot see Malaysians BERKAMPUNG a lot here.

Study
Very stressful here if you want to get excellent grade, sometime it is almost impossible to get an A even you try your best, especially in a class where it is not curved. Anyway, work hard and play hard, then you will get a decent grade.

Facilities
The facilities here is very good, we have the usual stuff like libraries and stuff, we also have 4 Gym, a stadium, and you can watch any games that are played in Northwestern for free. I think in term of facilities, almost all universities have the same stuff.

Melo_15

27-03-2004, 01:51 PM

hey atu seniors, i need u guyz' help....
now, i have choices whether to go Georgia tech or wisc madison or ohio or Rpi....
hmmm im juz wondering ...is it tru that georgia has highest ranking among the 4? then....erm im taking mech engnerring....so is georgia better than wisc? i dunno la since u say cant depend on the ranking....n i cant make visit....then the website all same only....
so im counting on u seniors!! help me.....thanx!!

__earth

27-03-2004, 01:58 PM

If I were you, I'd go to Georgia Tech.

this is what I'd say on how you should rank the school

1. Georgia Tech
2. Wisc/Ohio
3. RPI

RPI is pretty much unheard of by most ppl regardless of the ranking (and omitting ppl at PPP of course :) ).

Melo_15

29-03-2004, 01:35 PM

hey thanx 4 ur help __earth! :D

b_ronick

29-03-2004, 03:11 PM

thanx windy_city..

another favor i need to ask to generally all the seniors as well as wind_city(whoever who can help me)

if i were to rank umich, wisc-mad, northwestern (these are what i have gotten so far) as well as stanford and cornell (still waiting for admission results) how would you rank it in terms the major i am taking, chem engineering..

and how would you rank it overall in terms of everything...food, environment, and basically what we would be facing for the next four years..

can anyone pls help give some guidelines...i'm still uncertain which uni to go to...
thanx ya all!!

topdog

29-03-2004, 03:37 PM

if i were to rank umich, wisc-mad, northwestern (these are what i have gotten so far) as well as stanford and cornell (still waiting for admission results) how would you rank it...
don't know anything about chem eng rankings, but overall, i would rank them like this:

1. stanford
2. northwestern
3. cornell
4. michigan
5. wisonsin

actually i think 2&3 and 4&5 is a toss up.

b_ronick

29-03-2004, 04:34 PM

thanx topdog...appreciate it a lot!!
anyone else got any other opinions on the question that i have forwarded?
thanx!!

xxx
....

tree007

29-03-2004, 07:13 PM

top dog: damn.. ur emma watson pic rox!!!!!

chenchow

30-03-2004, 12:54 AM

For b_ronick, I would put my choice as follow:

1. Stanford (that's obvious)
2. Cornell/ NW
3. Michigan/ Wisconsin

I basically agree with topdog on this. I would say that Cornell Chem Eng is pretty structured, so the flexibility is not as much as those in Electrical and Computer Engineering. The classes are pretty small, generally around 60 students for freshman and sophomore level classes of Chem Eng and the number will get smaller as students get to choose more electives.

I don't really know much details, so I will leave for raizz to share about it. He just went to Egypt for a conference. I know of another Chem Eng friend went to Nigeria for a conference/ study trip.

So, it is pretty good..

topdog

30-03-2004, 05:26 AM

for those who may be worrying too much about rankings, here is a letter from the then president of stanford university to usnews criticizing college rankings.

i have said it before and i will say it again. usnews rankings is bs. gourman is bs too, to make everyone happy. :) oh yeah, princeton review is bs as well.

:) good luck choosing your college! yeap, it's no easy task...

source: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/pres-provost/president/speeches/961206gcfallow.html

The following was a private letter from Gerhard Casper, president of Stanford University, to James Fallows, editor of U.S. News & World Report. With the permission of both, it since has entered the public domain.

STANFORD UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

GERHARD CASPER

September 23, 1996
Mr. James Fallows
Editor
U.S. News & World Report
2400 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20037

Dear Mr. Fallows:

I appreciate that, as the new editor of U.S. News & World Report, you have much to do at this moment. However, it is precisely because you are the new editor that I write to you, personally.

I emphasize you, because of your demonstrated willingness to examine journalism in the same way that journalism examines all other facets of society. And I say personally because my letter is for your consideration, and not a letter to the editor for publication.

My timing also is related to the recent appearance of the annual U.S. News "America's Best Colleges" rankings. As the president of a university that is among the top-ranked universities, I hope I have the standing to persuade you that much about these rankings - particularly their specious formulas and spurious precision - is utterly misleading. I wish I could forego this letter since, after all, the rankings are only another newspaper story. Alas, alumni, foreign newspapers, and many others do not bring a sense of perspective to the matter.

I am extremely skeptical that the quality of a university - any more than the quality of a magazine - can be measured statistically. However, even if it can, the producers of the U.S. News rankings remain far from discovering the method. Let me offer as prima facie evidence two great public universities: the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and the University of California-Berkeley. These clearly are among the very best universities in America - one could make a strong argument for either in the top half-dozen. Yet, in the last three years, the U.S. News formula has assigned them ranks that lead many readers to infer that they are second rate: Michigan 21-24-24, and Berkeley 23-26-27.

Such movement itself - while perhaps good for generating attention and sales - corrodes the credibility of these rankings and your magazine itself. Universities change very slowly - in many ways more slowly than even I would like. Yet, the people behind the U.S. News rankings lead readers to believe either that university quality pops up and down like politicians in polls, or that last year's rankings were wrong but this year's are right (until, of course, next year's prove them wrong). What else is one to make of Harvard's being #1 one year and #3 the next, or Northwestern's leaping in a single bound from #13 to #9? And it is not just this year. Could Johns Hopkins be the 22nd best national university two years ago, the 10th best last year, and the 15th best this year? Which is correct, that Columbia is #9 (two years ago), #15 (last year) or #11 (this year)?

Knowing that universities - and, in most cases, the statistics they submit - change little from one year to the next, I can only conclude that what are changing are the formulas the magazine's number massagers employ. And, indeed, there is marked evidence of that this year.

In the category "Faculty resources," even though few of us had significant changes in our faculty or student numbers, our class sizes, or our finances, the rankings' producers created a mad scramble in rank order, for example:

Down Last year This year Up Last year This year
Harvard #1 #11 MIT #6 #2
Stanford 3 15 Duke 13 4
Brown 12 22 Yale 10 6
Johns Hopkins 15 19
Dartmouth 18 24

One component of this category, "Student/faculty ratio," changed equally sharply, and not just in rank order but in what the magazine has presented as absolute numbers. Again, this is with very little change in our student or faculty counts:

Worse Last year This year Better Last year This year
Johns Hopkins 7/1 14/1 Chicago 13/1 7/1
Harvard 11/1 12/1 Penn 11/1 6/1
Stanford 12/1 13/1 Yale 11/1 9/1
Duke 12/1 14/1

Then there is "Financial resources," where Stanford dropped from #6 to #9, Harvard from #5 to #7. Our resources did not fall; did other institutions' rise so sharply?

I infer that, in each case, the formulas were simply changed, with notification to no one, not even your readers, who are left to assume that some schools have suddenly soared, others precipitously plummeted.

One place where a change was made openly was, perhaps, the most openly absurd. This is the new category "Value added." I quote the magazine:

Researchers have long sought ways to measure the educational value added by individual colleges. We believe that we have created such an indicator. Developed in consultation with academic experts, it focuses on the difference between a school's predicted graduation rate - based upon the median or average SAT or ACT scores of its students and its educational expenditures per student - and its actual graduation rate.
This passage is correct that such a measure has long been sought. However, like the Holy Grail, no one has found it, certainly not the "we" of this passage. The method employed here is, indeed, the apotheosis of the errors of the creators of these ratings: valid questions are answered with invalid formulas and numbers.

Let me examine an example in "Value added": The California Institute of Technology offers a rigorous and demanding curriculum that undeniably adds great value to its students. Yet, Caltech is crucified for having a "predicted" graduation rate of 99% and an actual graduation rate of 85%. Did it ever occur to the people who created this "measure" that many students do not graduate from Caltech precisely because they find Caltech too rigorous and demanding - that is, adding too much value - for them? Caltech could easily meet the "predicted" graduation rate of 99% by offering a cream-puff curriculum and automatic A's. Would that be adding value? How can the people who came up with this formula defend graduation rate as a measure of value added? And even if they could, precisely how do they manage to combine test scores and "education expenditures" - itself a suspect statistic - to predict a graduation rate?

Were U.S. News, under your leadership, to walk away from these misleading rankings, it would be a powerful display of common sense. I fear, however, that these rankings and their byproducts have become too attention-catching for that to happen.

Could there not, though, at least be a move toward greater honesty with, and service to, your readers by moving away from the false precision? Could you not do away with rank ordering and overall scores, thus admitting that the method is not nearly that precise and that the difference between #1 and #2 - indeed, between #1 and #10 - may be statistically insignificant? Could you not, instead of tinkering to "perfect" the weightings and formulas, question the basic premise? Could you not admit that quality may not be truly quantifiable, and that some of the data you use are not even truly available (e.g., many high schools do not report whether their graduates are in the top 10% of their class)?

Parents are confused and looking for guidance on the best choice for their particular child and the best investment of their hard-earned money. Your demonstrated record gives me hope that you can begin to lead the way away from football-ranking mentality and toward helping to inform, rather than mislead, your readers.

Sincerely,

Gerhard Casper

windy_city

30-03-2004, 05:46 AM

I am in Northwestern, but i thnk stanford will be st best, basically this is how i rank

1. Stanford
2. Northwestern / Cornell
3. U Mich
4. U Wisc.

Anyway, i did not say that there is no malaysian here, i just said there is no Malaysian doing chem eng. here. I am a Malaysian right??
Anyway, i think Chem Eng. is quite good here, I just ask around after u raise the question. Especially if you are interested in nanotech stuff, u will have a lot of oppoturnities do to that stuff too.
Plus Chem eng. here is quite flexinle, you can do dual degree easily. It rank quite high also.

Hope to see u here!!

if i were to rank umich, wisc-mad, northwestern (these are what i have gotten so far) as well as stanford and cornell (still waiting for admission results) how would you rank it in terms the major i am taking, chem engineering..

b_ronick

30-03-2004, 10:44 AM

thanx all..i really appreciate you all!!
thanx!!!

aquila

30-03-2004, 12:09 PM

stanford admission decisions supposed to be out today, correct? so who got in? and who didn't?

Apr 1 is coming guys! keep ur fingers crossed!

dinna_g

30-03-2004, 12:41 PM

i think stanford is overrated.. just because of the weather.. pergh..

tuinkle

30-03-2004, 03:58 PM

i think stanford is overrated.. just because of the weather.. pergh..

hmmm I can't comment about Stanford's reputation without being overly biased, but I think that having good weather is definitely a big plus. indeed the weather is part and parcel of the student experience.

for example, Berkeley shares much of the same weather as Stanford, but it's definitely not overrated. hmmm maybe it has to do with the public vs private institution matter?

30-03-2004, 07:18 PM

overrated? ouch. maybe in certain aspects we could be overrated. NOT basketball definitely. we're good. alabama just got lucky :P

if you ask me, what i like most about stanford is diversity. the good weather is more of a bonus :)

diversity not just in terms of skin color. but religion, political beliefs, economic status, social status, nationality, academic passion, personal interests, sexual orientation etc.

i'm not ultra-sociable or extrovert so i can't really go all out and meet random people. but living in a campus with the needed critical mass, my chances of meeting people of different background are greatly increased.

i do realize that the stanford community is probably not representative of the REAL america. nonetheless i get to see the wide spectrum of americans and that's really educational. seeing the diversity of the american society reminds me of malaysia. no joke. i was surprised to learn that race and religion are still pretty sensitive topics to discuss in public! and my american friends were telling me that they never had such great open discussion about these issues until they enter college.

(yah, i should be sleeping so i shall end my post abruptly ^_^)

DecentMerson

30-03-2004, 10:39 PM

jagganatha

30-03-2004, 11:03 PM

Good one DecentMerson, couldn have put it better. Also I would like to kindly know who are the seniors in UMich especially those majoring in Actuarial Science..Thanks a million :wink: :wink:

nashrick

30-03-2004, 11:13 PM

anything bout ohio state u or michigan state u? :?: :roll:

__earth

30-03-2004, 11:24 PM

there's one malaysian doing acturial but she is graduating this May. So, you won't have the chance to meet her if she goes back immediately.

As for the transfer, calculus, c++ are transferable but you'll have to meet the academic advisors to make sure. Some of the course in PPP are god-f useless.

And english classes, say goodbye to it. Michigan doesn't recognize it.

DecentMerson

30-03-2004, 11:35 PM

DecentMerson

30-03-2004, 11:40 PM

DecentMerson

30-03-2004, 11:43 PM

chenghau

30-03-2004, 11:53 PM

Apparently, transfer credit of ethics (in first semester or 2nd semester) is accepted by most schools.

topdog

31-03-2004, 12:06 AM

jus a question posted to UMich seniors....

can anyone of u enlighten us about wat courses are transferable??
is ethics transferable...

and I'm majoring in actuarial science... is Calculus transferable?

wat about C++ programming?

and writing?

and American Cultural studies...?

OOps... i should say a SET of questions....hehe ;P
actually, why worry which courses are transferrable or not? enjoy your time in malaysia la, don't worry too much.

for atu 5, calc is transferrable. c++ too (only c++ 1, for my batch). acs i think we transferred too. writing...i didn't have to take any writing courses in mich, so i assume i got transfer credit for that. i wouldn't say there's definitely no chance of transferring that...

Also I would like to kindly know who are the seniors in UMich especially those majoring in Actuarial Science
actually, there's a whole bunch of atu9 students doing actuarial science. in fact i think engin students have become the minority starting from atu9.:) i really only know one of them so i'll try to get her to visit this site and get the others to too.

dinna_g

31-03-2004, 12:16 AM

overrated? ouch. maybe in certain aspects we could be overrated. NOT basketball definitely. we're good. alabama just got lucky :P
sorry if i offended you but i realized that most applicants put stanford on top of their list because of the weather! it's pretty unfair right? i'm sure stanford is a great university in terms of education, diversity and basketball. sorry if you guys didn't make it to the final four..

chenchow

31-03-2004, 02:11 AM

On transfer credits, to those coming to Cornell, hopefully with the admission results are coming out, the courses transferrable are:-

1. Calculus 1( Require Cal 1 and Cal2 from UiTM, so if you just take Cal 1, you can study the material of partially cal2, you can ask me for the syllabus after you get in and take a test. The test is not too bad and if you get 70%, you will get the credit)

2. Cal 2(Require Cal 2 and Cal 3, so if you just take Cal 2, then you can study the entire Cal 3 syllabus, and take the test, same, 70% to get the credit)

3. Phys 1(if you take physics 1 in uitm, you should be able to transfer, if not just prove by test)

4. Phys 2(same case, i think it is easier to prove by test)

5. American Culture Studies accepted for transfer (bring your stuff)

6. Ethics accepted for transfer (bring your stuff)

7. Freshman Writing Seminar (Composition and Advanced Composition in UiTM are required for transfer. Bring your essays!!!)
(Even GP from Sg is not transferrable, but our UiTM Composition and Adv composition are accepted for transfer)

8. BM, Mandarin or any other languages you know, including cantonese. (Take a test and get up to 6 credits) (The tests are pretty easy).

9. Computer Science (Com Sci 1 & 2 in UiTM needed for transfer).

guess those are among the popular courses for transfer by UiTM students in Cornell, but, don't worry too much. You have 4 years here and you can easily take more than 200 credit hours over that period of time, without overloading yourself.

Kenny, a Petronas scholar, came without any advanced credit, and he almost finished his courses (with just 1 course remaining) after 5 semesters. And he is enjoying his last 3 semesters with tons of fun courses, from wine tasting, sailing, french, spanish etc...

jun_wolverine

31-03-2004, 02:48 AM

And english classes, say goodbye to it. Michigan doesn't recognize it.

ouch... all my sleepless nights trying to improve on my essay is wasted....hehehe :P :D

so... i can safely assume that even ethics courses are not transferable.....

so....('tic-tac-tic-tic-tac' counting on the abacus) i 'll have about 10 credits hours to be transferred at most... :wink: :roll:

i think i need to clarify a bit about english classes

actually the SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING in michigan DOES ACCEPT english credit....

however , LSA (Literature, Science and Arts) DOES NOT ACCEPT english credit

so if you are an engineering major........you probably won't have to take any english classes....this actually depends on what classes from INTEC you are transferring........and the syllabus...bla bla...

the confusing thing is:

when u get accepted into michigan, you are most likely going to be in LSA even though you are an engineering major...............
when u get here, you will need to finish up the prereq classes to get into engineering school.........then only you will be transferred to the engin school...........

so when you get here, talk to an ENGINEERING advisor about english credit....or any transfer credit
during orientation, you will be assigned an advisor from LSA........
and he/she won't know much about transfer credits for engin school...........i know a few freshmen here who are taking english classes....even though they did not have to..........
most likely it's because they did not ask the upperclass malaysian students ...........

one more very important thing to michigan bound engineering students...
if you have transfer credits from INTEC, you will NOT be considered a cross transfer student............
meaning that the GPA requirements to get into engineering school will be higher

you will be considered an external student and you can see the requirements here:

http://www.engin.umich.edu/students/prospective/undergraduate/admissions/transfer/external/index.html

to see the classes that can be transferred to engin school, look here
http://www.engin.umich.edu/transferdatabase/universititeknologimara/

if you need any more info...you can browse thru the engineering website......basically what you need to know is there....

peace

jiinjoo

31-03-2004, 08:45 AM

sorry if i offended you but i realized that most applicants put stanford on top of their list because of the weather! it's pretty unfair right?
It is the weather :P

If you want even hotter there are others like USC, UCLA, UCSD, or Texas ones like Rice, Austin, etc.

But then, how else would You chose - think about those who cares the least about school and studies, rather how much fun they could have while overseas? If it rains / snows everyday - how to play?

31-03-2004, 08:58 AM

wwhong

31-03-2004, 09:10 AM

well, good weather makes your mood better and improve your productivity. at least u get to enjoy some sunlight and warm weather when u r sick of studying.

i used to think winter is cool but it is not. with the snow and the cold temperature, it's only gonna make your life harder and i dunno about others but when come to winter, i tend to be lazier and become tired easier and sometime the only thing i wanna do is just sleep! maybe when winter comes, all animal tend to hibernate in some point? snow is nice when u look from your window but it's not when u have to walk on it and it's definitely not when u have to go out in a pretty heavy snow and the snow just keep slapping ur face.

the weather in midwest is just crazy. it can be pretty warm today and start to snow tomorrow. really sucks to be in this kind of climate.

come to midwest region like michigan and you will know what i mean.

aquila

31-03-2004, 10:37 AM

Talking about weather.... the weather here in NC fluctuates like crazy ok? Yesterday it was hot and sunny and today it was cold and wet. You'll never know what to wear when you want to go out.

However, the weather here is considered mild by MA, IL standards. Never gets below -10 degrees and snows a couple of times a yr only. So if you want to experience 4 seasons and yet not have to endure the biting cold, the South East may be a place to go.

It gets amazingly hot in the summer. Like Malaysia. hot and humid! And Duke, which has a lot of money, doesn't equip all dorms with AC, so if you're unlucky (like me) you have to get three fans (or more!) in the summer.

SpRInG

31-03-2004, 11:46 AM

hmm, there's a question i want to post to the seniors, but i'm not sure whether it has been asked before,

How do you people get your allowance there? I mean, how is the deal with the bank and stuff? What bank are you using?

chenghau

31-03-2004, 11:54 AM

Open a bank account, basically any bank account that YOU prefer. Then give JPA all the information like Routing Number, Account Number, Address, Phone ... of the bank. JPA has no preference in which banks to use as long as you can eventually receive the money.

Allowance comes in every 3 months. The allowance has come in time so far.

tree007

31-03-2004, 12:00 PM

wat about the money u get when u reach there, initialy....
do u get sth like a traveler's cheque? or bank draft? or sth else?

ohya.. did u seniors make a coat here b4 going? as in, a coat for guys to wear to formal functions etc....

chenghau

31-03-2004, 12:03 PM

We got a small amount of cash, and 1400USD traveller cheque.

I know that my seniors(ATU7) got more before they departed.

Most of us(guys) made suits before we came to US (for Prom nite actually), but so far I haven't worn it since I came here. Instead, my roomate was the one who wore it once.

aquila

31-03-2004, 12:07 PM

In US, there are semi-formals quite frequently. If you're a greek, you'll have tons of them. I am in selective housing and a couple other organizations, so I have a few. Semi formals are where you get the chance to wear pretty dresses and nice suits. Everyone looks quite dashing. Semi formals are always fun!

I met this guy who went to semi formals for 3 consecutive nights and he was complaining abt not getting work done. I had to keep myself from rolling my eyes. :P

chenghau

31-03-2004, 12:36 PM

Formal for Class of 2007 is coming soon. Wondering if I would go. If so, I will be wearing my suit for the first time here.

=)

SpRInG

31-03-2004, 02:26 PM

wah.... okay... so JPA has no preference over any banks....

so means that the cash and the traveller cheque will be given by the JPA before we leave isit? i mean, do we need to go to the bank and deal with them ourselves, or the OSSP or who will give it to us?

still quite a bit confused here...

anyway, thank you seniors........ and all who have contributed the information...

:lol: :lol: :lol:

chenghau

31-03-2004, 02:33 PM

We ATU9 went to JPA (bus provided by UiTM) to have talks from JPA,MAS, and Bank(forget which Bank already) and got our money there.

ElansarGelmir

31-03-2004, 05:41 PM

Wah, so tedious. By the way, how often you seniors come back when u are there? Annually? Or every 2 years? Which would be better? Stay there and enjoy? or come back to Malaysia?

chenchow

01-04-2004, 12:58 AM

On how often to come back, it is purely up to you. I would suggest you fully utilize your summers. Taking up an intern, research, some programs, anything, but just lazing around... If you can get something beneficial to do back home in Malaysia, then go ahead... I think it is the experience that matters most.

kIdd0

01-04-2004, 02:06 PM

windy_city

01-04-2004, 02:08 PM

Hmmm... when u guys say that the weather in midwest can in times get really bad... i am overly concerned bout the winters there... people say that it gets extremely cold... ermmm.... can anyone define how cold is extremely cold? Colder than standing in a freezer?

depend, it you are in windy city chicago, in Winter, the wind can be as fast as 60km/h and it is damn cold. Yeah it can be colder than stading in freezer, the temperature drop to -23Celcius before last winter!!
Happy freezing!!

orestes

01-04-2004, 04:47 PM

sally and cheng hau damn active in this community ar... bagus bagus...

chenghau

01-04-2004, 07:10 PM

Eh, siapa ni? Intro lah sikit..

tree007

01-04-2004, 10:05 PM

gee, btw, i've been seeing dunno wat "greek" stuff on the uni brouchures.....

wat's greek life?

ElansarGelmir

01-04-2004, 10:07 PM

Yeah, and what's IMHO?

aquila

01-04-2004, 10:12 PM

sally and cheng hau damn active in this community ar... bagus bagus...

I try Rafiq. :P

Greek refers to sororities and fraternities life. Greek is definitely an important aspect of social life in many universities, Duke included. I think half the folks here are greek or in selective housing. Basically these groups are where you find a group of people you really like, pledge to be with them for the entire 3yrs (u pledge at the end of freshman yr) and attend social events with them.

Of course, there's a general perspective that sororities are slutty and I agree that there are some which fit the description. There are also a few that are really interested in the entire "bonding" and "sisterhood" thingy, which I think is quite cool. Mr TH is in a frat, so ask him if you have further questions. I am in a selective house myself.

DecentMerson

01-04-2004, 10:12 PM

IMHO = In My Humble Opinion...
IMO = In My Opinion / International Maths Olympiad(hahaha)
FYI = For Your Information...

but What's Greeks life???

orestes

02-04-2004, 05:08 AM

Sally, did u have any trouble pledging? I saw a lady running around naked in the middle of the night as a requirement to enter her chosen sorority... things americans do... defy logic...[/quote]

windy_city

02-04-2004, 05:13 AM

she is not in sororities, she is in selected housing, but eing is in Frat now!!

aquila

02-04-2004, 05:25 AM

keen observation, max good job!

haha... pledgin is always a bit crazy... why eing had to dress up as a dinosaur n go around cambridge...

anyways, pledging starts on fri... they're going to make us stay up all night and wash their restrooms... damn! yea, a ton of other things... here's what i remember, i think we have to help them build the bench as well... n we have to jump from the rooftop to the chapel... i seriously have no idea how we're gonna do that...keep in mind the chapel is quite a few stories higher than all the other buildings...

windy_city

02-04-2004, 05:38 AM

My observation is always good, thank for the compliment!! :D :twisted:

Anyway, I dun see the point of me joining the frat here, maybe i will join some profesional frat, but not the normal frat, most of the frat is famous for drinking and sex!!
(sorry if I offend any frat members, this is what generally people think)
I have some friends from frats, some like to drink till they have a hangover. Frat, not my cup of tea.

But i think Eing has a nice experience in her frat!!
Maybe because she got a guardian angel russian bodyguard there!

DecentMerson

02-04-2004, 09:32 AM

Sally, did u have any trouble pledging? I saw a lady running around naked in the middle of the night as a requirement to enter her chosen sorority... things americans do... defy logic...

wow.... u mean u need to do these stuffs to get into selected housing.... cool... carzy and funk... :twisted: :roll: 8)

b_ronick

02-04-2004, 09:31 PM

since i just got rejected by cornell.. :cry: :cry: i guess i might be heading to northwestern..
are there any seniors in northwestern?

ElansarGelmir

02-04-2004, 10:10 PM

Do people have this general mindset of those who are in the frats and those who are not - like terming them the cools and the geeks? Or the macho and the losers?

chenchow

02-04-2004, 11:08 PM

b_ronick, there are a number of Malaysians at NorthWestern. Am sure there will be some others who will fill you up with their contacts!

b_ronick

02-04-2004, 11:15 PM

thanx...
i hope to contact the seniors cos i think i might be going there..still thinking i guess of which uni to go to

chenchow

03-04-2004, 05:53 AM

This is about visa...

I found this article from Sin Chew at this link:-
http://news.sinchew-i.com/article.phtml?sec=1&artid=200404020844

For those not reading mandarin, the main point is that:-

Applicants can go to US Embassy website to fill up DS-156 form, plus print out the form with security number...

At 7:30am to 10am, go to US Embassy. Bring the form to US Embassy. Those who fill up the form online will get priority for interview on the same day.

you will know on the same day whether your application is successful or not?

US Embassy did remind guys to apply early. Apply once you get acceptance, even before getting I-20 or DS-2019 form.

kIdd0

03-04-2004, 03:29 PM

Hmmm.... since the decision for FALL is like almost all out, hmm... i know of a few UMich seniors here who are quite active in this forum rite... hmm.... so this question is headed for them...

any pointers on housing at UMich? Which housing are u guys settled in?

bout the VISA thingy, one general enquiry, i went to the embassy the other day, ermm... b4 my turn, there were a couple of other JPA scholars who attended to the counter dealing with the same VISA applications and stuff... so i overheard the lady asking them on what sorta VISA they are applying for... i heard they say J-1... then the following few also said J-1... then when i finally reached my turn... the lady there did not ask me anything on what type of visa im applying for (i assume she chose J-1 for me) but my Uni clearly provided me with clearence for application to the F-1 visa!! so do i call them to make amendments or something? or do i wait when the clearence is in when i make my second trip there to submit my I-20?

topdog

04-04-2004, 03:05 PM

CyberJaya

04-04-2004, 03:14 PM

US bound students can now apply for visas online.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/4/4/nation/7693546&sec=nation

DecentMerson

04-04-2004, 07:10 PM

a bunch of us did our Visas online already...

and u know what the person there said? we are too early... hahaha

he said that we need the I-20 and only to go back after May 15...

after all the hurry.... now, they are delaying us... but the person (the interviewer) seems to be very nice to talk to.... and he says that, normally, student can get their visas within 48 hours...

jagganatha

04-04-2004, 07:20 PM

Ya I agree Decent Merson, they were indeed very nice. Actually they specifically mentioned that we have to submit any additional documents if needed 90 days before flight and for us as in UMich bound students thats about 25th May and later because we are estimated to fly around 25 August to make it for the orientation on 27 August 2004.. :wink: :wink:

ElansarGelmir

04-04-2004, 08:27 PM

The Polynesian is very discouraging to some of us... Fancy saying, "Wisconsin is very boring. You dun want to go there... " Poor Steve. Haha. But i like the way she handle our stuffs. Nothing required, except for I-20. No interview, no anything. Except that

jun_wolverine

05-04-2004, 02:29 AM

any pointers on housing at UMich? Which housing are u guys settled in?

i strongly suggest that you go for dorms (or as they like to call it here - residence halls) in central campus, like south quad, west quad or the hill area dorms. and send in your apps fast.

yeah topdog is right

for first year students, central campus would be better as almost all your classes will be in central...

however, if u feel like u wanna be close to malaysians...
then apply for north campus...

personally, the only advantages for me staying in north campus are :

1. all engineering classes are in north campus.
2. north campus housing (baits) has 12 month contracts...
so u dont have to move out during the holidays...u just need to move out once a year...not bad...

most of the dorms in central campus only have 8 month contracts and close during the term break...which means you have to find somewhere to tumpang ........

all the best

peace

wwhong

05-04-2004, 03:17 AM

I strongly encourage the wolverine newbies to stay in central campus also. 3 reasons

1) You gonna have most of your classes in central campus most of the time during your first year, so why bother to travel everyday from north to central? It takes about 10 minutes on average to travel from north to central by bus.

2) If you stay in the dorm in central, you gonna meet tonnes of new friends be it local or international. you dun wanna come all the way here and just hang out with m'sians, do you? I am not saying it's not good to hang out with m'sians but since you have the chance, why not go ahead and know more people?

3) Central is way much more fun than north. how much difference?look at the different scenarios below

central: lots of shops, lively, a lotsa people around (which means more hot chicks), more events (concert, cultural show, etc), more things to do.

north: lots of trees, quiet, usually no people walking around at night, very few events (some engineering seminar maybe), more squirrels, nothing fun to do basically.

Why I encourage you guys to stay in central for the first year? because i did not and I am kinda regret. There's no need to work your ass off during the first year (of course, if you are double or triple major then that's a different story), so go out and enjoy life. go watch concert, cultural show, party, hang out with other people, watch football,etc. If you are an engineering student, do not worry, you will have lots of time getting stucked in north campus when you are in coe.

If you are those kind of people who cannot stand even a little bit of noise or your purpose of coming here is just to study, then no doubt north campus especially baits is the best for you. If you want to experience different stuffs, stay in central. Do not apply to Oxford housing, even though it's in central but kinda far from the center of everything if you walk.

oh, i just realized i had written so much. just dun want you guys to have the same regret as I do. go blue!

b_ronick

07-04-2004, 05:46 PM

anyone here is from northwestern?
i need some seniors to talk to!!plz?

SpRInG

08-04-2004, 04:41 PM

Howabout Illinois (UIUC)?

Any seniors from UIUC joining recom?

chenchow

08-04-2004, 09:47 PM

There should be. There is a new thread on this http://www.recom.org/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=736#13838

For UIUC, go to their M'sian Students Assoc website. There are tons of Malaysians there.

b_ronick

17-04-2004, 11:52 PM

important questions needed to be answered..plz

do we need to get like ermm...insurance here before going to US?
and
i'm planning to go to northwestern and hopefully be flying in sept..so when we reach there do we need to contact anyone before hand or do we get there to the university from the airport on our own?
and
how would the orientation be like?
plz help..
thanx!!

chenchow

18-04-2004, 04:57 AM

Insurance will be gotten by JPA. For some universities, you may have a hard time to convince the universities that the insurance you have with JPA is good enough. For Cornell case, you guys need to get a letter from JPA about the insurance. They have experience in these, so don't worry. Check with your respective seniors on this case.

Everyone of you will reach LA first and Kak Roslawati and other Malaysian Students Dept officers will be there to pick you guys up. And then you will be on your connecting flight to which ever universities you are going. Typically, you will contact your seniors. Those universities, where it is possible for the seniors to pick you guys up, they will do so. Or else you can get the seniors to help you book a limousine, cab etc.

I would suggest that you get your seniors to get you guys a phone card in advance, so that you can call your parents, friends etc from LA.

In terms of orientation, it varies. However, there are typically 2 types of orientation. One is international students orientation and another one is general orientation. The activities will vary from university to university.

However, I think the main stuff will be that for international orientaiton, it will focus on getting yourself making the transition well. It is also a good opportunity to know other students. Many friends that you will eventually have will be those that you know during orientation. I would say among activities will be like: campus tour, academic orientation, life style orientation, checking into room, games and various mingling events.

For main orientation, there will typically be placement exams, various talks (i.e. basically each program, from co-op, study abroad etc), activities fair, meeting with academic advisors to select courses, various social events etc.

One thing that you may or may not have realized is that there is no compulsory events. So, basically if you want to go, then go. If not, then just don't go. I would strongly suggest that you try to attend as much as possible, especially those that you have interest on. It is definitely not possible to attend all, since many events coincide.

b_ronick

22-04-2004, 02:48 AM

thanx chenchow..that was a lot of info that i need..i'm pretty nervous about the orientation thingi now ..heheh..

newayz..i need help from northwestern seniors plz...
about housing...i need information as well as advice on this...
and of course transportation to NU when we get there..
plz..any northwestern seniors plz reply!!
thanx!!

Ic3b3rg

22-04-2004, 02:55 AM

hmm... i hope this forum will not disappear in the near future...hehe..just in case i want to know any important information which i forgot... i can come here to check for it

chenchow

22-04-2004, 03:48 AM

This forum will stay. On the NW seniors, windy_city and dinna_g are here in ReCom and they are both from NW. You can message them...

I would suggest that those who want to contact seniors, besides can use the weblinks for Malaysian Students Assoc there, utilize the ReCom World map. Many students write which their universities are:-

http://www.recom.org/modules.php?name=World

b_ronick

24-04-2004, 02:16 AM

cool..thanx chenchow..now i just need to talk to the NU seniors..
NU seniors..'
reply if you are reading this..

aquila

24-04-2004, 06:13 AM

kohgh_1@<hidden> My ex-roomie in NU. Excellent senior to talk to. She'll help you out! Pls don't spam her though. She'll kill me.

b_ronick

26-04-2004, 12:20 AM

thanx..i will e-mail her asap!
any other NU seniors that i can contact?

DecentMerson

08-05-2004, 02:40 AM

oh hi.... since that we can bring 32kg X 2 to the States, what do seniors recommend us to bring?

any particular things which can save us bucks???

chenchow

08-05-2004, 03:46 AM

On what to bring, I think normal clothes. Right now, you may think that it is difficult to pack up to 32kg * 2, but once you pack, you will find more and more stuff to bring...from sentimental stuff to clothes, documents, stationeries, bedsheets etc. I think the best guide will be to bring whatever you think you need...something that you need daily from Malaysia...

On saving bucks, I think you would need to weigh it out, whether it is worth your energy to carry those extra kg or so for so many hours (especially those who need to change multiple flights and need to take buses etc to reach your campus.)

aquila

08-05-2004, 07:19 AM

Get your books and stationery in msia. that'll save you tons of money. get your laptop at home too. but don't get the file with two punched holes by the side bcoz here they have 3 holes. go figure!

windy_city

08-05-2004, 07:42 AM

Get your books and stationery in msia. that'll save you tons of money. get your laptop at home too. but don't get the file with two punched holes by the side bcoz here they have 3 holes. go figure!

Get laptop at home??
I disagree, I personally think that it will be better if you get it here, you will get better service, the international service (warranty) suck!!
I get my Dell laptop here at a price cheaper than in Malaysia (for the same model but better spec) you do the math and decide which will be the better choice. I have a friend who bought her ACER in Malaysia with international warranty, and when she sent her kaput laptop to the local Acer service center (in Chicago), the service center say they dun service laptop under international warranty, so she had to send her laptop to Texas(the main Acer service center) to get it fixed!! Imagine the trouble!!! So I think it is better to get your laptop here, unless you are confident that your laptop will never fail on you!!

About ring file, yeah, get a 3 rings file (if you can get them in Malaysia). Apparently, my friends here were so surprise when I show them my small two holes puncher that they never see before!!! OMG, they only have 3 holes puncher and 3 holes ring binder here!!

chenchow

08-05-2004, 08:36 AM

On books, if you know which books to buy, and most universities release the book with correct editions early, you can buy them from Malaysia.

The price will be much better for most books, but I will say that as books are heavy, you will have to see how many books to bring. Of course, don't just simply bring books, as books that are older editions are worth almost nothing when you sell.

pandaboy

08-05-2004, 11:59 AM

DecentMerson

08-05-2004, 12:42 PM

widagdo

08-05-2004, 01:00 PM

Ok...I'm too lazy to go through every single post here in this thread. But there are a few things I would like to know about US universities. Hope someone can help me out with these :

1) Which uni in US accepts A-levels for freshman in undergraduate courses? (without the need of taking SAT)

2) Those doing ADP programs (the credit transfer thingy...), do u guys have to sit for SAT and TOEFL as well?

I think that's all for the time being. Thanks!

(1) Although i can't list down all the US Uni which accepts A-levels for freshman in undergraduate.... but IF I AM NOT WRONG, ALL US UNI need ur SAT result...

(2) and all those doing ADP and ADFP program too need to sit for SAT and TOEFL as well... however, there's some Universities state that if u are able to get a 600+ for ur Verbal section (SAT), u dun have to sit for ur TOEFL... but just some.... u need ur TOEFL and SAT for most of the Uni application

Just to clarify that requirements differ from school to school. For instance, some schools require international students to take both SAT I and TOEFL; some schools waive the the TOEFL requirement as long as you get above certain score in your SAT I.

Not all American colleges, however, require international students to take SAT I. For instance, Penn State University requires TOEFL only, while SAT I is totally optional.

In fact, DecentMerson was right - most schools want TOEFL and SAT.

chenchow

08-05-2004, 09:23 PM

Pandaboy, A Level is acceptable as an entry requirement, however, it does not take away the necessity of taking SAT and TOEFL typically. There are some exceptions of universities which don't require SAT, however as usually you will apply to a number of universities and odds are some of your universities may require it.

Some universities do require SAT2 too.

ElansarGelmir

08-05-2004, 10:22 PM

Pandaboy, you wanna go to US too? Hehe, got influenced by the ATUs?

About ring file, yeah, get a 3 rings file (if you can get them in Malaysia). Apparently, my friends here were so surprise when I show them my small two holes puncher that they never see before!!! OMG, they only have 3 holes puncher and 3 holes ring binder here!!

Err... Never seen such file before... Hehe, thanks for warning us though. However, is it cheaper to get ring files here in Malaysia or in the States? Having to bring the files over is rather an arduous coz they are bulky.

chenchow

08-05-2004, 10:32 PM

I would say that almost everything is cheaper in Malaysia, but you have to weigh what is the pros and cons. You won't be able to bring enough for 4 years in US, even for 2 years, if you decide to come back home once after 2 years.

The price will be about the conversion of the currency. But, I think since you are going to study in US, your allowance in USD, so don't worry too much.

ElansarGelmir

08-05-2004, 10:34 PM

Oh yeah, to ATU seniors, does JPA allow you to take up any courses you want in the States (like double degree or masters) as long as it's accomplished within 4 years time or they only allow double major? Coz that day Cik Intan Liyana came by and told us in her speech that we are not allowed to do anything extra like double degree or master except double major. Hmm... I asked her personally somemore for about 3 times, and 3 times also she says NO. I feel it's a little funny since my senior in Brandeis is doing master currently.

pandaboy

09-05-2004, 01:48 AM

thanks DecentMerson, widagdo, and chenchow for ur replies. Seemed like I cant avoid taking SAT or TOEFL if I'm planning to go US..Hmmm...

Pandaboy, you wanna go to US too? Hehe, got influenced by the ATUs?

Not really....I dont think I'll be going to US. It's just that my college offer partial scholarships to those who do well in preU and those continuing students from my college. The program is called American Degree Program. But...hmph.... I dont think I'll choose US. And I dont think US will choose me..haha..

tree007

09-05-2004, 03:42 AM

yo pandaboy!

i was an AUP student at Inti... so from wat i noe.. students like u (ADP, AUP samelah.. wat the heck) who plan to go to US as transfer student DO NOT NEED to take SAT.. u only need to take TOEFL.... but of course, back then, i only get to go to Unis like... Wisconsin Madison, Michigan State, Ohio State... n the dream Uni was.. Purdue... so go figure.. :P

as for A-Levels, the recognition US can give it is extra credits to ur course.. i dun think it serves as n entrance level exam.. but it sure helps.. if u get good grades..

windy_city

09-05-2004, 04:16 AM

Err... Never seen such file before... Hehe, thanks for warning us though. However, is it cheaper to get ring files here in Malaysia or in the States? Having to bring the files over is rather an arduous coz they are bulky.

Ring file, OMG, i suggested you bring sth more useful than that, ring file is big and bulky, I mentioned the ring file to serve as an example only.
Anyway, bring sth like pen and eraser..(Bring small stuffs that are easy to carry) You will know how challenging it is to bring 2 big luggages around!!