Namaste!Namaste! Greetings from India Club at the SDSM&T !! Our hearty congratulations on your acceptance and best wishes for a bright future. India Club at the South Dakota School of Mines & Tech (SDSM&T) is an active multi-cultural organization comprising of students and faculty members of Indian origin. On behalf of our members it is our pleasure to welcome you to join us, the largest International student group at SDSM&T.
Very soon you will be stepping out of India, mind and body replete with ideas and ideals, traditions and values, customs and rituals unique to our part of the world. Coming to another country for higher education is indeed a way of broadening ones experience. It is challenging, stimulating, exciting and sometimes difficult having to leave your family and friends and start living in an environment very different, culturally and otherwise. India Club will try its best to ease this transition process and help you adjust to the new environment. Through this letter we try to address some of your concerns. Weather and Clothing
The weather is far from similar to that in most parts of India. Summers are hot and humid with average temperature ranging around 98F. Winters get pretty cold (-20C) with moderate to heavy snowfall. Students usually wear T-shirts and jeans or cotton trousers during summer and lot of warm clothing in the winter. It is advisable to bring clothing like cotton shirts, T-shirts and shorts from home,as these are pretty costly here. Avoid bringing too many synthetic clothes. Two pairs of formal wear would suffice for college life with a couple of ethnic wear thrown in for Indian get-togethers. A formal suit is handy for seminars and presentations. An umbrella and a Back-pack (twin strapped college bag) would be useful. If you wear glasses, do bring a couple of extra pairs along with the prescription. They are very expensive. Laundry facilities are very accessible, almost every apartment complex has one. For a dollar or two we can launder our clothes once in 10 or 15 days and hence bring along sufficient clothing to last you for a fortnight, especially undergarments.We recommend you to bring at least a dozen undergarments.
Expenses
Apart from the apartment rent and utilities, initial start up expenses include the house deposit (approx. $200), telephone installation charges (approx. $75) and miscellaneous expenses of around $300. Though basic medical care is provided by the University, it is highly advisable to purchase medical insurance which would cost about $500 per year. The insurance will have paid when you register for the first semester. It is advisable to get basic day to day medication and make sure you consult a physician before coming here. If you are bringing some common medicines like Disprin, Anacin, etc. make sure that you bring a prescription from your doctor. Text book prices range anywhere from $25 to $125. The bookstore buys them back as used books at the end of each semester at a small price. You should have received information about the tuition and other fees from the University. Students with assistantships- please note that it is better to come prepared to pay the first semester fees since you will receive your first paycheck 30 -45 days after first starting work. Also, and this is very important, please note that even if you are on an assistantship, you still have to pay one third of tuition fees for that semester. On an average, the monthly expenses come to around $200 (excluding telephone bills, which is left to your usage).
Calling India
There are a couple of calling services that you can avail. The most popular is Dial91.com amongst students. It provides clear quality, low flat rate to Indian phone numbers, be it mobile or landline. This service can also be used to call anywhere else in the world.
You can explore the Dial91 website for further details, https://www.dial91.com/index.aspx |
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology was originally established by the Dakota Territorial Legislature as the Dakota School of Mines in 1885 to provide instruction in mining engineering at a location where mining was the primary industry.
The college's reputation as a diversified science and engineering school was established following World War I, with the rapid increase of engineering students and the termination of college preparatory courses. In 1943 the state legislature changed the name of the institution to South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, in recognition of the school's expanded role in new areas of science and technology. Since that time, the school has expanded its curriculum to include seven engineering and five science undergraduate degrees and graduate programs leading to the Master of Science degree in 14 engineering and/or science disciplines. In addition, programs are available leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Geological Engineering, Geology, and Materials Engineering and Science. Housing
Rapid City has quite a few apartment complexes and some are very close to the campus (5 minutes walk or biking distance). Typically, a two bedroom apartment would cost in the range of $450-550/month and is usually shared by four students to reduce the costs. Utilities (like electricity, water and garbage) are extra and would cost about $100 per apartment. Both furnished and unfurnished apartments are available. We will try our best to arrange for the temporary housing when you arrive.
Food
Most students cook their own meals at home, either individually, or on a turn basis with their roommates. McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Subway and Taco Bell are favorite among students here as they are easily accessible and are cheap eat-outs. There is only one Indian grocery store in town, so most of Indian groceries (dals, pickles, spices etc.) will have to be ordered from bigger cities which have Indian grocery stores. It is advisable to bring some spices along. Carry a large pressure cooker/pan, few non-stick cookware like pan,spoons, plates etc which you think would be useful to you. You can also buy plates, bowls and cultery here for cheap. Do remember to get kitchenware according to the space in your luggage. Otherwise you may end up paying extra or trash your extra stuff at the airport. If you are bringing any eatables or spices along, see to it that they are sealed completely otherwise you may land yourself in trouble with the customs at the airport. Before packing your stuff, do visit the website www.tsa.gov for the details. Vegetarians usually do not have any trouble with food here.
Assistantships and On-Campus Jobs
Assistantships are very competitive and few, but one can apply to any department provided he or she qualifies. Many students have been successful in obtaining assistantships a few weeks upon arrival. Students already at SDSM&T cannot help too much in this respect except provide pointers. An assistantship pays anywhere between $2500-6100 per semester but this depends on the department policies. An international student is allowed to work 20 hours/week (on-campus only), provided he/she is registered as a full time student. It is not difficult for enterprising students to find on-campus jobs. A minimum wage job would pay you $6.75 to $7.00 /hr.
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Getting to Rapid City
We strongly urge you to purchase or extend your air ticket right up to Rapid City. Rapid City Regional Airport is around 10 miles from Rapid City and make sure that you inform us before arriving in Rapid City so that arrangements can be made for picking you up from the airport.
Believe us, it is truly a rewarding experience to be educated at SDSM&T. We look forward to meeting you and making your initial transition as pleasant and memorable as possible. With best wishes from all of us at India Club, looking forward to seeing you soon. It should be noted that the above estimates/things required are on a general basis and the rest is left to your needs.
Believe us, it is truly a rewarding experience to be educated at SDSM&T. We look forward to meeting you and making your initial transition as pleasant and memorable as possible. With best wishes from all of us at India Club, looking forward to seeing you soon. It should be noted that the above estimates/things required are on a general basis and the rest is left to your needs.
Regards,
India Club
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