Off to America

Updated on: Saturday, July 10, 2010

The room at USEIF was packed for the pre-departure seminar on July 10.
 
The students present got a chance to interact with visa officers, alumni and those studying in the US.
 
The question-and-answer sessions were scintillating. Initially shy, the students opened up with queries ranging from how to minimise culture shock, to finding a job to finding the perfect flat in an alien country to what to do if one did not get on with their supervisor.
 
Most of the students were graduates and many were going to the US to study at a master’s or doctorate level.
 
US Consul General in Kolkata, Beth Payne advised those present on communication skills. “American are very direct. They are polite of the surface and say ‘please’ a lot. But beyond that, you have to break through and develop the friendship,” she said.
 
The panel discussion was an eye-opener for the students who learnt about the importance of taking an initiative and not being shy.
 
Prospective students were told the importance of consulting their academic advisor.
 
Garga Chatterjee studying cognitive neuro-science at Harvard University after completing his MBBS at Calcutta University, advised students to choose subjects carefully. “In some schools, you can sit in courses for a week to find out what they are like and then opt out.”
 

There are 106 students from Kolkata who were admitted to US colleges or universities for the Fall 2010 semester.

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