It is advisable for a foreign student to travel and settle in the US with some time to spare so as to have sufficient duration to tackle unexpected issues. He should arrive at least two weeks ahead of university programs. Of course, the number one thing that has made him make the journey is to get better studies and grades. However, if the initial preparations are not taken care of, his studies can suffer irreparable damage. Here are a number of the basics that he will need to look into.
One of the first things to take care of is opening a bank account to avoid having a large amount of cash in one's hands, with its resultant consequences. Since he will have documents proving his status as a student, this should not be complicated. He will be able to deposit his money immediately and be in a position to start using it. Unless he is to deposit quite a large sum, it is better to open a checking rather than a savings account.
Since there is usually no furniture in a rented apartment, he should find ways of securing the basic ones. One of the best places is at a moving out sale where prices are relatively cheap. Then he should consider how he would eat and get the relevant utilities. And he should open an account with cooking gas and electricity providers.
With such preparations taken into consideration, the student will be in a position to concentrate on his studies. Such preparations will also help him in starting off well with the expected culture shock and easily get in tune with the university's orientation program. Once the studies have taken off, he should consider how he will feed himself well while saving time during exam for it is really the exam that will prove how well he has studied.
