Takeaways from an exclusive webinar for students moving to the US

Devops -

Zolve has partnered with Arizona State University. In this regard, it hosted a webinar for students from India who are traveling for the spring session. The webinar was conducted by the Indian Students Association and held on November 27, 2021.

Here's a quick summary of what was discussed in the webinar. We have also added the YouTube link to the event at the end of this blog.


a) On-campus housing

Staying on campus helps for the following reasons:

  • It's the best way to meet new people and form connections
  • You'll be closer to classes and dining halls

b) Meal plan options on campus

While rooms don't have kitchens, dorms have community kitchens. You can pay for your meals with Maroon and Gold dollars (which works like a debit card).

c) Essential expenses you'll incur as a student

Rent - $400-$550 per person

What you get - Two bedrooms and two bathrooms

Shared by - 4 people

If two people share the same space, the rent goes up to $550 -$850 per person.

Wi-Fi

How much - $30 to $100 per month

Popular companies - Cox and Century Link

Electricity

How much - Approximately $100 per month. But this depends on where you're staying, your usage and the weather conditions.

Cellular expenses

How much - Approximately $22

Popular companies - Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon.

c) Shuttle service

There is a free shuttle service between the four ASU campuses on school days and weekends during the academic semester. The shuttles (Gold, Maroon, Mercado and Tempe-West ) are also equipped with Wi-Fi. Make sure to carry your ASU ID card with you when you're using the shuttle.

d) Transportation in Tempe

The main sources of transport are:

● Orbit/Flash - These connect people to local destinations such as shopping areas, other neighbourhoods, major bus routes, schools, among others, for free. There are six Orbit routes - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. They operate seven days a week, 365 days a year, with a 15-minute frequency on most routes.

● Valley Metro - This is divided into the Valley Metro Bus and Valley Metro Rail. A yearly pass is available for $150. You can find out more details here.

● Rental Bikes/Scooters - Grid and Bird bikes are popular in the region.

● Uber/Lyft services - This is the quickest and easiest way to get around in the region. Fares start from $6 and vary according to distance.

Things to do in Tempe

There is no shortage of things you can do in Tempe in your free time depending on your tastes. You might find these links useful:

Covid 19 Guidelines

According to the latest guidelines after the travel ban was lifted, you need to be fully vaccinated and produce your certificate if you're flying to the US. Further, according to ASU guidelines, all ASU employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by Jan. 4, 2022. This is critical as if you're going to apply for an on-campus job, you need to be vaccinated.

While ASU offers vaccines for students and employees, it's better to get vaccinated before you fly out if you're going from India.

You can read their latest vaccination guidelines here:

You can watch the webinar in its entirety here: