Now that some/most of the prospective students have got their visa decision there are some

real life advice to before you get into the plane to your new destination. These are not to scare
you or burden you with hell lot of worries. This can be just some precaution. Or some needful to
be ahead of some extra pain in the neck.
******* Spend some time with your relatives and close friends before you take off. Make a list of
things you need to buy. Communicate with your school about the housing, airport to school
transport, orientation schedule. Take care of the immunization.

1. Don’t bring blanket, pillows, Bodna, hari patil, making your luggage a 5 ton moving vehicle.
Most of the things are available in the local store and the price will not even make huge
difference, but carrying a heavy luggage after reaching to the airport will be a little troublesome.
*Bodna*/ something of that sorts are available depending on the location though. :P

2. Make a few copies of your i20, passport, visa, and keep one copy of each in all the luggage
you are carrying with you. And off course keep the main copies in a file in your hand bag. You
will be asked to show these stuffs in so many points.
3. When buying tickets make sure about the transit time and if the transit time is more than 12
hours ask the travel agent if the airline will arrange hotel for you. If possible, make sure of this
while you are in BD. Because most of the airline says they will but most of them will show you
bullshit excuse in the airport and will just try to avoid this. If you have a connecting flight with
any domestic airline within USA. Talk to the travel agent details about the baggage shifting and
if you have to pay for the baggage in the connecting flight.
4.Take the cash in your wallet or in a safe place in your hand bag. Keep some changes and
some Dollar bills it will come in handy.
5. Do some research about the weather of the place you are headed. Bring cloths according to
it.
6. The first thing you will need after getting out of the airport is a valid sim card. So if anyone is
coming to the airport request them to bring a sim card for you and make sure its paid
(recharged)
7. Most of the airport doesn’t have wifi, so if you are okay to spend a few bucks go to the food
places where they offer free wifi and spend some bucks to get the wifi password from them.
8. If you are taking Turkish airlines, in Istanbul there is no wifi, but here is one good news that
most of the people don’t know, no near to the gate 221/ 218/ 227 . find the starbucks coffee
shop there is a scanning machine that would let you scan your boarding pass and will give you
a password for the wifi to use it for one hour. (something better than nothing, right?)
9. As of now, you know the security reason is not the same as before specially we from a
muslim country. So be prepared to face some extra scanning. I saw it even in last December.
Keep your papers handy. Make sure you memorized the address you are going and also in
details how you will go there from the airport. Also One phone number of a person of your
reference.
10. Place a tag in your luggage with the exact address its going to and your name and passport
number.
11. I don’t know why but the security people might want you to turn on your laptop before you
check in (just to see if it turns on) ,so keep it a little charged.
12. Please don’t feel offended or don’t get upset if they ask you so many questions or check
everything thoroughly. It’s their routine job these days, comply with them, don’t thing “Ghar
terami” will bring any good. Don’t get nervous the most important thing.
13. Try not to cry in front of your parents, this will make them even weaker. Assure them you will
be fine and you will take care of yourself. Tell them you be back soon enough.
14. People here maintains one thing for sure, “Manner and courtesy “ please set a mindset that
whatever it needs you will try to set a good example of Bangladeshi in front of the people here.
It doesn’t cost you anything to be modest and kind.

Lastly Bon Voyage. Welcome to the land of opportunity .