To-do List on Arrival

If you had pre-ordered, you could pick the sim cards up from your hotel front desk (or wherever you asked for them to be delivered) on arrival. if you have not already ordered, see my post US Sim cards, Phones & Computers on how to go about it.

If you have not already done so, book it and then attend your appointment. You should not take the vaccine if you are moderately sick. Arrive 15 mins earlier than your appointment so they can check you in. It’s  basically the 1st or 2nd building to the right of the famous Purdue Arch. The address is 601 Stadium Mall Dr, West Lafayette, IN 47907. However, note that this is pedestrian only street. So if you are driving here, you should come from the back i.e. University Avenue. Consult Google maps for the orientation of the centre. Free parking is available outside the clinic for the duration of the appointment.

They will ask you for all your vaccinations taken in the last month or so (if any), so keep dates and type/ brands ready. They have all the student insurance info with them. they just confirm with you that you have paid. hence don’t worry too much if you haven’t been able to download your Insurance ID..as they never asked for ours. You need to wait for 15 mins after the vaccination as a precaution. Then you are allowed to proceed for TB test. All told, you need an hour if there is no queue for the whole PUSH process. Maybe up to 2 hrs if they busy. If you find PUSH busy and no appointments available, you can taken it at the Pharmacy next door to PUSH. Don’t need an appointment for it, walk in worked for other students from our batch.

Once you have taken your first vaccine, put a reminder on your phone for the second dose (1 month or 6 months depending on the type you took).

While you are at it, I recommend you also put a reminder for a flu-shot. PUSH offers them for free before winter- typically in October- check their website around that time and take it! It will keep you protected from the most common strains of flu.

Students who are beginning a new program at Purdue from inside the United States in August, must complete vMISCi. Completing a vMISCi session at Purdue is required by federal law for international students. The US Department of Homeland Security requires you to check-in with ISS as you obtain your immigration documents and upon arrival to campus. Your check-in is completed through myISS and will consist of pre-arrival, arrival, immigration video and immigration quiz e-forms.

You’ll need the following documents with you: Passport, Entry Visa (Not applicable to Canadian citizens), COE: I-20 or DS-2019, and your I-94 arrival record.

***Failure to comply with vMISCi may jeopardize your valid F1 lawful status***

How do I start vMISCi?

1. Log into myISS at connect.iss.purdue.edu
2. Go to the Requests section of the Home Page
3. Click on the vMISCi (PWL) e-form
4. Continue through all the e-forms within the group.
   
   

as outlined in my post Final Pre-Arrival Steps

If you have put your items ready in your cart at Amazon/Walmart or others, as outlined in my post Things to Pack & Buy! , go ahead and order your stuff. With Prime, you can get it within a day or two. Make sure to take advantage of the Rakuten cashback wherever you can. You can decide whether to order them to your hotel or to the dorm front desk.

open Bank accounts – see my post Bank Accounts & Budgeting

Registering your laptop is a smart move as laptops are one of the most commonly stolen items on campus. Register it with the Purdue police department to assist in the return of your laptop in the event that it is stolen and later found. Do it here. You will need your local US number at the time of registering

If you had decided to pay for an optional physical ID card, as outlined in Complete Pre-Orientation – Step 8, visit the ID office at Stewart Center RM 194 and request one by paying $35

If you have been waiting for your final exam results (refer Transfer credit discussion on the Your 1st Semester Course Schedule. post and ), submit any pending Academic transcripts with the Admissions office in order to get the transfer credits reflected into your Purdue academic record.

The Purdue Alumni Student Experience (PASE) is the student organization of the Purdue for Life Foundation- the alumni network for Purdue. It is the largest student organization on campus with over 7,000 members. Their mission is to prepare students for a lifelong connection to Purdue and its alumni. While they offer opportunities for all students to engage with them, they have a membership program that offers extra benefits. The fee to join is $125 and lasts a student’s entire undergraduate career (in effect around $30 a year).

The cost of the membership is offset by the freebies they give, plus the opportunity to network with alumni:

• PASE branded jacket for signing up their first year
• An annual membership T-shirt and pint glass featuring a different Purdue icon
• 15% off apparel and 10% off textbooks at Follett’s Purdue Book Stores
• Invites to exclusive events and programs, some of which feature networking with alumni
• Leadership opportunities to serve on the PASE Board of Directors

I found this was a good deal and enrolled my son. You can choose if you want to or not. In case you do, join here and you can pick up your kit at the Boilermaker Station Welcome Center in Room 102 of Stewart Center. They are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All new and returning members must fill out this form to be eligible to pick up their kit. Members must request a kit and jacket through this link before picking one up.

Ensure you dont return with these back – Finalise a safe place to store them, consider a room locker (see my post Things to Pack & Buy!)

This is not a compulsion. However, we booked an appointment to meet in person with our advisor in person. A quick 15-20 minute chat to clarify any final doubts and a nice way to introduce the child and parent to the advisor. Highly recommended!

My post Shopping & Malls has further details

Finally, if you need

• a portrait picture i.e. passport pic sized, you can get it free- visit the Self-Service Portrait Station for faculty, staff, and students to have a professional head-shot taken at your convenience. It is open in the Boilermaker Station Welcome Center in Stewart Center, Room 102. The booth is available without an appointment, Monday – Friday | 8am – 5pm.
• Notary Services- You can get that done at the University Bookstore  Or the PFCU bank if you have  an account there. See here
• Mail/ Posting- USPS from University Bookstore or UPS store at PMU is the place to go.