Get the best Travel Deals in US

Most international students are used to travel agents who offer the cheapest travel deals. But they find it hard to find such travel agents in US. Tripology offers a free service for you to find the most appropriate travel agent for you in US. Just submit your itinerary and get response from 3 travel experts who will give you the best possible deals.

You will be offered the best Travel Deals through travel agents to save time and money. You are matched to the best of over 6,000 travel experts who plan the trips you want to take. You can block your tickets as you did back home and pay before you travel. They also have India specific travel agents. So, next time you plan a journey home do use the service and get great results.

Its not just the international ticketing. They also provide you with best deals if you are planning for a vacation. Many of you would like to go for a vacation in US. Just fill in your destination and get the best customized vacation plan with air tickets, stay, meals and transportation. You'll get the most out of your pre-planned vacation.

For more travel related deals, visit: Great Deals @ USA
[...] Read more!

Search for FreeLance Work to Earn Money

Work at Home and Earn an Excellent Income
Imagine being able to work from your own home, doing a job you love, and getting paid handsomely for doing it. Wouldn't that be great?

Well, the good news is that this is not just a fantasy. It is a prospect that is well within your reach. Today, millions of people worldwide have established highly-successful careers as freelance professionals. Writers, designers, programmers and many other home-based consultants have discovered that freelancing offers the perfect combination of freedom, creativity, flexibility and profitability.

So do you need years of experience and fantastic qualifications to join these lucky people? Not at all. You just need a skill that you can offer to potential clients, and the willingness to learn how to run a home-based business.

Of course, the biggest challenge for new freelancers is finding enough work to justify giving up a day job. How can you be sure that you will keep yourself busy with lucrative work? This used to be a concern, but thanks to the advent of the Internet, things are now much easier.

Now there are a number of job sites dedicated to helping freelancers find work and stay busy. Freelance Work Exchange, for example, brings you hundreds of fresh freelance jobs like these:

Write for Discussion Boards: $1200 per week, plus bonus
A writer is needed for an ongoing writing project. You will need to write copy to stimulate others into joining the discussion board. The writer needs to actively encourage regular and meaningful debate on the relevant discussion board, with some moderating of the content. You must have solid writing skills and good ideas.

Administer a Web Business from Home: $4000 per month
A successful e-commerce venture is seeking a part-time virtual assistant to act as a home-based office manager. You will deal with email correspondence, update site content and deal with general admin issues. You should have your own computer and Internet access.

Transcribe Author's Notes: $80 per hour, flexible working
A publishing company is seeking a freelance with an eye for detail to transcribe authors' notes and recordings for a range of ongoing projects. You must have a good grasp of English, be able to edit content into readable form, and be able to submit work from home by email.

You can sign up for a trial subscription for just $2.95, and get instant access to all the projects in the jobs database. So if you would like to get started on the road to freelance success right now, click here to sign up today. [...] Read more!

How To Avoid A Scholarship Scam

The best way to avoid being the victim of a scholarship scam is to remember the old adage: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If a scholarship search service promises you a scholarship, run the other way. If someone insists that for $5 or $30 or $50, he will guarantee you a scholarship, it is definitely a scam.

Yes, there are lots of scholarship dollars available, but the truth is that no one can secure a scholarship for you but you. Only the prospective student can do the work of filling out forms, sending transcripts, and writing essays.

A legitimate scholarship search service provides information that is current and accurate; it is an information source. Take ScholarshipExperts.com for instance. They have invested the resources to explore and compile scholarship data from all over the map. A good scholarship search service has a team of research specialists that constantly updates award information.

What good is 2006 award information to a 2007 high school graduate? When looking for a valid, trustworthy scholarship search company, verify that the information you are getting is current. Look for a service like ScholarshipExperts.com that compiles their own database of awards and delivers up-to-date data.


Expert Advice provided by ScholarshipExperts.com. Visit them to find more expert advice and search for free scholarships. [...] Read more!

Port of Entry Procedures

While flying to the US, you will have to complete your customs formalities at your first port of entry. Ensure that you have sufficient time (at least 2 hours, considering the queue) between your flights at that airport. You should have the following documents available for presentation: your passport, valid for at least six months beyond the date of your expected stay; SEVIS Form (I-20); Arrival-Departure Record Form (I-94); and Customs Declaration Form (CF-6059). (I-94 and CF-6059 would be provided in your flight.)

In addition, it is strongly recommended that you also hand carry the following documentation:
1. Evidence of financial resources;
2. Evidence of student status, such as recent tuition receipts and transcripts;
3. Paper receipt for the SEVIS fee, Form I-797, and
4. Name and contact information for your “Designated School Official”, including a 24-hour emergency contact number at the school.

Here is the basic procedure followed at port of entry:

• Sometime before landing the flight attendant will distribute customs declaration forms & immigration forms as mentioned below. Fill these out on the plane (you will submit them to the appropriate authorities when you land). Do not hesitate to take the flight attendant's help. You can indicate that you have nothing to declare & total value of all your things is less than $ 1500 on the customs form I-94 - fill in the plane. After seeing your documents immigration officer will indicate length of stay, Univ, etc. This will be attached to your passport.


• Important: note the expiry date and D/S (duration of status). Form I-20 ID copy - all transactions regarding your non-immigrant status will be recorded in this form. This should be retained at all times (not surrendered until when you temporarily leave the US). Your admission number will be given - memorize it & note it elsewhere.


• Just before you land the correct local time will be announced set your watch.


• Once you are out of the plane go straight to the immigration counter - rush for them to beat the queue. It might take 0.5-1 hour here. Keep your I-20, passport, admission & aid letters ready. They might ask a few questions like - is this your first time in the US? Student? F-1 visa? Which Univ? They will attach an I-94 card to your passport.


• You are now in the USA! then go to the baggage are to fetch your luggage. Pick up a cart (at some airports you get this at a machine for $1) to carry the bags. Then pick up your bags as they come out on the conveyor (suitable eye-catching labels help here). If you don't get your baggage inform the enquiry section – you may have to wait 0.5-1 hour here. Cart your baggage to nearby Customs. If asked tell them that you are a student, F-1 visa, school, dept., coming to US for the first time.


• If asked to open the baggage do so slowly - do not mess up the place.


• If asked about the masalas tell them that they are "dried Indian spices" to make traditional Indian food like curry. Rarely might they ask you to go to the agris. Dept. nearby - that is a pain. If asked about "vibuthi" tell them that it is holy Hindu powder used for prayer.


• Note: In most cases you will NOT be asked to open your suitcases at all & will be simply waved through. Now go to the counter of your airlines and give them your check-in bags that you will collect at your final destination.


• Never leave your baggage unattended. Don't go out of the airport until somebody comes & picks you up. If you have doubts about the guy who comes to pick you up, don't hesitate to ask for his ID. [All this is of course being a little extra cautious]


• Once you reach your friend's house (or other destination) call home & inform them of reaching safely.

For additional information, click here. [...] Read more!

American Idioms and Expressions

Americans have their own style and conversation lingo. Numerous idioms and expressions are used, which are typical of their style. A lot of slang is used out there. Its always good to be aware of these terms as these are commonly used in US, more frequently by the youngsters in college. You should go through this list and acquaint yourself with them. So, if someone out there says you something, you should atleast know whether you are being praised or someone is criticizing you.

Here goes the list:

Beat up : worn out, shabby (said of a thing)
Beat around the bush : avoid an issue
Been had : to have been taken advantage of
Big shot : a supposedly important person or someone who thinks he/she is
Big deal : anything important, exciting
Break the ice : make a beginning
Buck : dollar bill
Bombed : see "high"
Booze : alcoholic beverage
Bummer : a term to designate that something undesirable has happened
Cash : paying someone with currency rather than a check
Check out : look over a situation
Cool or neat : slang term denoting approval for something or someone
Cool it : calm down
Cop : slang for policeman
Cut it out : stop it
Crack up : to lose emotional control in laughter
Date : to go out with someone; also the person with whom you go
Down : to feel depressed, sad
Down to earth : practical, straightforward, (person)
Drop : to withdraw from a course on or before the set date
Drive one up the wall : drive one nuts; to make one very nervous, or upset
Fall for : take a strong liking for
Fed up : disgusted with, or tired of
Frak out : to lose control of oneself, go crazy
Give a ring : to call on the telephone
Go to pot : to deteriorate
Grass : slang term for marijuana
Gripe : to complain
Hang on : in reference to the telephone it means do not hang up the receiver
Hang in there : keep trying; do not be discouraged
Hassled : troubled by
Have a lot on the ball : to be capable, talented, or efficient
High : intoxicated ("loaded") from liquor or drugs
Hit the sack : go to bed
Hung up : to be in conflict over a problem
I.D. : identification
In a nutshell : very briefly and concisely
Jock : an athlete
Keep your shirt on : be clam, be patient
Know the ropes : be familiar with the details of an undertaking
Lemon : bad buy or purchase
Loaded : to get intoxicated
Make ends meet : budget within one's income
Make up : (1) to apologize after a fight or disagreement
(2) to do an assignment after it was due
(3) cosmetics a woman uses
Mid term : test given during the middle of the quarter
On the house : free, no cost
Old man : slang term for father
Once in a blue moon : seldom, infrequently
Out of it : (1) somebody whose mind is Far away or preoccupied, or
(2) somebody not fitting into a certain group
Out of the question : unthinkable, impossible
Over my dead body : not if I can stop it !
Out of sight : term of approval denoting something exciting or very good
Play it by ear : to respond to circumstances as they arise
Phony : someone who is insincere, also fake
Play second fiddle : be second in importance
Pop-Quiz : a test given with no prior warning
Pot : a term used for marijuana
Psyched up : to mentally prepare yourself for something; excited about something
Pull one's leg : to tease someone
Pull strings : use influence
Pull the wool over someone's eyes : deceive or mislead someone
Put someone on : to tease or try to fool. "Are you putting me on ?"
Put your foot in your mouth : say something you regret having said
Rip off : to steal; charge an exorbitant price for some item
Redneck : hillbilly
Run around with : be friends with
Screwed up : confused
Shook up : upset
Show : movie or film, cinema
Skip or cut : not go to class
Stoned : to get high on grass
Straight : one who goes along with the norms of society, conservative
Take a raincheck : to postpone an invitation, accepting it for a later date
Take for granted : to assume
Through the grapevine : through gossip
To the max : to the maximum or greatest degree
Uptight : worried, tense
Under the weather : sick, not feeling well
With flying colors : with victory or success
Wasted : an extreme lack of energy. Also can mean "high"
Ya'll : You all
Zero in on : focus or concentrate on [...] Read more!