@Ammu1987 , Something I found very useful--- Try to locate your friends in USA. Do not be worried if they are not in Michigan. This is just to start building your support system. Some of them may be like you on H4, some of them may be working but still if you can talk to them it a huge relief. It is a huge moral support.
Thanks a lot ladies.... Hmmm I have friends but are in Florida and ohio And one more question.....how far you all stay from hubby's office....how much distance is feasible for daily commute?
With my all 3 houses commute for hubby was 20 minutes. In US any commute between 20 to 30 minutes is normal. In metros like Boston people travel anywhere from 30 minutes to hour.
My husband gets back to home for his lunch, so we try to see the apartment which is 10-15 min from his office.
if Your DH is working in suburbs and not in Downtown, and you are renting, some times we get lucky that , across the road/ walk-able distance/ 5 min drive / 10 min drive , we can find apartments/rented townhomes and if schools are good (only applies, if you have kids big enough to go to public schools) you can go for nearest ones.
Also, would like to add few things: 1. train your parents and in-laws (if you are on good terms) in using google hangouts/skype 2. If you have any long forgotten hobby, start rejuvenating it again that will help you cope with loneliness and you can actually spend some quality "me" time. 3. Learn basic beauty theories/treatments like facial, waking, make-up,etc
Hi Ammu, Are you living in Lansing, Michigan now? I am planning to move to Lansing with my daughter in a couple of weeks. Can you let me know which apartments have Indians living near the university or near temple?
Hi Aspha, Can you please share some information as to how did you do your MS? Did you appear for GRE or chose to take courses from those colleges which did not require GRE. I am planning to land on H4 in 2 months time and was wondering if i need to take these exams or look for courses without GRE. Please let me know . Thanks
You have to have GRE or TOEFL. I gave TOEFL when I came here. Studied for about 2-3 months and cleared TOEFL. Most universities or colleges will ask for the the either of the scores. Do check with the university which score do they accept. I went t Northeastern University in Boston, MA where they accepted TOEFL score. Some courses are not compatible for F-1 visa (student visa) mine being one of those I continued on H4. If you are going for engineering side, I think you will need to apply for F-1 visa once you are enrolled. Your university will guide you with regards with visa compliance. But if you don't want to change your visa status you can still opt for that (I will not recommend doing that because being student on h4 is not helpful as you cannot have a paid internship which in turn make job hunting a herculean task.)
Hi Aspha, Thanks a lot for this useful information. Will courses without GRE be useful to find a job later on? I am from science background and the place where i will be located has only 2 universities rest all are far . It doesn't make sense to travel or stay away to do a course. Though the courses offered are of not much interest to me and will not be adding value to my educational background, my only hope is to obtain a working status. Just wanted to know if you had to get your educational credentials assessed by WES or any other assessment agencies. Thanks ! Much appreciate your support.