Before Departure
Before you leave for Austin
Necessary Documents
As a foreign national entering the USA, you must have certain documents as evidence of your legal status. These include a passport, the visa stamped inside your passport by an officer of a US embassy or consulate, and a “Certificate of Eligibility” (SEVIS I-20 Form , or IAP-66) for students and scholars. Other immigration forms, include the I-94 “Arrival-Departure Record” (also called “Permit to Stay”) issued to you at the time you enter the US. These documents are necessary for your entry and stay in the US and also for any temporary departure and re-entry into the country. Make sure these documents are valid at all times. Failure to do so could cause a problem with your legal status in the US.
Baggage Information
The anxiety and thrill of coming to US often ends up in excess shopping, Before you go to shop, we strongly urge you to go through the following information which is primarily for students coming to UT Austin. You are free to decide what to bring from India and what to buy in US according to your considerations. But make sure you get only as much as you can carry, and can unpack and repack it quickly.
Clothing
There’s no dresscode on campus and students usually dress informally. A T-shirt worn with jeans or shorts is the universal, unisexual attire. So, make sure you bring plenty of them. Formals may come in use occasionally. You may, of course, want to bring along some Indian clothes with you.
Weather in Austin is erratic. It can range from being hot one day, to rainy the next, followed by a day of humidity and the fourth day could be really cold. Its much better than the harsh cold winters of the north though, and we don’t experience any snow, barring an “ice day” that we had earlier in the spring.. which was mild enough for the rest of the world but a big thing for Austin 
. Fall is pleasant, getting cold starting November. December January is the peak of winter (5-15 °C). We suggest you bring a couple of jackets and sweaters. It rains now and then; so an umbrella might be a good idea. Summers are hot and can get pretty humid around June-July. We’d definitely suggest shorts and tanks.
No matter where you stay, you’ll have access to washing and drying facilities. These machines have large capacities, so that it is possible to do 1-2 week’s laundry at a time. So plan your wardrobe accordingly.
Note: Clothes (particularly cottons) have a tendency to shrink when washed on the hot and/or warm cycle in a washing machine here or by drying them in the dryer. So please be careful with sizes and the quality of the fabric.
Kitchen
Food isn’t a problem for either vegetarians or non vegetarians, though non-veg’s have a more choice. Lots of food joints in the vicinity providing Indian/Italian/American/Mexican/Arabic etc cuisines. But eating out daily could be pretty expensive and it’d be better if you came equipped with cooking utensils and spices. Eating utensils and cutlery are better bought here.
There are a number of grocery/convenience stores close to campus including HEB, 7-11, Eckerds etc.. and at a slight distance there’s Costco (which is a store where you can buy utilities in bulk. Though there is no lack of Indian stores, it’d be easier if you bought your own spices if you prefer to. US customs don’t normally make a fuss if these are properly sealed. Fresh fruits and meat however are prohibited.
Personal Stuff
You wouldn’t need the following for more than a couple of weeks so dont bring everything. The campus is well located in Austin and you can get everything from groceries to toiletries at a distance of 5 minutes. Get your personal toiletries and a few medicenes. Ones that you’re used to or need on a daily basis since medical bills can come pretty high over here. Though the medical insurance (which UT will require you to get )covers for quite a bit, dental and eye problems are not accounted for. Carry your medical records and other important documents with you and don’t put any important documents in luggage you plan to check in as there is a chance of it getting misplaced on the way.
Books, Supplies and Misc. stuff
Text books are better bought from here as you dont know what classes you’ll be able to get in the beginning but if you’re aware of your classes already, then India is definitely a cheaper and a better alternative. Although I’d recommend you to get reference books, there’s a fat chance you wont get to use them here since university covers school material only for the first week or so.
To do or not to do
To Do :
Learn Cooking.
Get money in the form of Traveller’s Cheques.
Not To Do:
Get electronic appliances. The voltage and frequence here are different.
Get 2 hole punches and binders. 3 hole punches and binders are used here.
Get money in the form of Demand Drafts. They take a fortnight to be credited to your account.