Hi everyone,

I will be attending college this fall for my bachelors. I got a scholarship and the total amount that I have to pay out of my pocket(after deducting the scholarship) is 11k which includes tuition, living (on campus), board, books and medical insurance.

I am assuming I can pay this off by:

1.       On campus work- 4k

2.       Summer on-campus work- 3k

3.       Parents contribution-2k ( my parents can pay more)

4.       Live off campus- save 2k

 How practical are my assumptions?

pinpoint, I think your plan is perfect. If you want, you could post which university you are coming to and people can share their experiences at that university. Either ways, I think your assumptions are very practical. Most Nepalese students want a cell phone and car so you might want to take those costs into consideration. Since you will be working on-campus, you won't really need a car. Just remember to focus on your studies and try to find an internship during your sophomore year. Good luck!!

       1.       On campus work- 4k

If you get job right away, this is a possibility. Consider the fact that as a freshman, it will take some time to get used to the surrounding and getting the job.

2.       Summer on-campus work- 3k

Again, you need to be really proactive for this. Jobs are less during summer than in other semester. Additional you are competing with Americans (students who will stay for summer classes) for the summer jobs.

3.       Parents contribution-2k ( my parents can pay more)

Don't depend on your parents after startup/initial year. Try filing out economic hardship condition work permit (gives you piece of mind and flexibility to work off campus during summer for 40 hrs - would not advise strongly but just keep in mind)

4.       Live off campus- save 2k
This is a good idea and a must.
Also consider variables here. DON'T WASTE YOU HARD EARNED MONEY IN DRINKING BEERS ON FRIDAY NIGHTS OR WEEKEND! Try to choose good roommate!

 How practical are my assumptions?
Pretty good. Always consider ups and downs in life. Save some for unseen times. You should be all fine.

ek semester pachi kata aauchau, dallas ki boston?????  hera bhai eklo bhayera frastu huda dimag ta kata jado raicha kata....ajhai bhaneko manchau bhane 4 years degree liyera matra aau..visa muuji jaile ni lagcha,jaslai ni lagcha

Pinpoint,

Pinpoint,
Its good that you figured out everything. The jobs on campus and out of campus totally  depends on you and the situation in the school. If you talk with your friends in the school, they would tell you the things close to fact. If you have some money and your parents can back you up when needed then it will be ok for you.
I came here as a grad student and it was ok for me due to assistantship. If anybody in Nepal wishes to come to US then I would suggest him to come at Masters or PhD level. I have seen undergrads who are struggling and not able to complete studies. Its really costly and hard for undergrad student unless they have scholarships and are really determined.
Nevertheless, there are undergrad students who also have excelled both economically and in study too.

Good luck ahead.

One thing,

You have listed contribution from your parents only 2k. I hope it is not what you get when you come here. You should bring at least 6k initially for your case to get started. 2k  per year contribution in later years will be ok

re good luck

Assuming first off you got the visa and everything. Make sure you are able to pay the 11K. Most colleges require paying upfront for the students so you might not have time to earn the money and pay the fees on time. Just make sure you are able to survive the first sem or a year. Everything will be under your control after two sems. The money from the first year will be necessary for transfer to next college. And you wont necessarily be seeking help from your parents given you work and study. 

pinpoint:

why do i have  a feelong i know u

Pinpoint bro, What I meant is, it takes a while to get accustomed and know the people and place so you might not be getting the highest paying on campus jobs on yo first year. I didnt mean to discourage you but thats how it works. 

Maxpayne- Thank you for your post.

Ayushlal-how would I know that?

Elusive cat- your comment was not discouraging rather informative to me. i will keep in mind what you said.

 

@Maxpayne, 

Another option is: join the university in spring so that you have only one semester's expense to consider. 

The very fact that you have sit down and thought about how you are going to finance your undergraduate education tells me that you will do just fine. I am disappointed with Mr. Naya Nepali for discouraging someone who is well into the process of coming to the US for his undergraduate education. I disagree with him totally. You WON"T need to go to boston or texas and join a community college (like mr. naya nepali I guess). In fact the best advice I have for you is DON"T EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING THAT. I also don't agree with him that it is better to come here after getting your undergraduate degree in Nepal. I strongly recommend you to do well in your undergraduate degree here in the US, get some work experience in your field of interest, and when you feel that you will need a higher degree for furthering your career, you can do your masters/phd level study. Remember to be proactive and look for internship opportunities in your sophomore and junior years.

Regarding expenses, your estimates seem reasonable. Once you have attended college for nine months, you can apply for the work permit based on economic hardship. That's what I did. Another bright spot for you, you could also work on-campus during the winter break which is around 1 month. You can work max 40 hours per week. After accounting for Christmas holidays, you should easily be able to work full time for around 19-20 days.

As an example, here is how I financed my education:

Total yearly expense (Tuition, insurance, off-campus apartment, food. summer expenses, cell phone, personal expenses):  $9,500

Income:

On-campus employment: $4200 (worked around 15 hours/week during school and earned around $900 during winter break)

Summer employment: $12,500 (worked around 80-85 hours per week in Ocean City, a beach town in maryland which becomes a mini Nepal during summer with thousands of nepali student workers)

Important to note:

-Get that work permit after your first year and it is quite easy to find work during summer in seasonal places like Ocean City. Most students go there without a work permit and hence struggle to find jobs; if have a work permit, it is quite easy.
- As long as you have an on-campus job, don't work off-campus even if you have a work permit (unless you have an internship opportunity or work related to your field of study). Make studies your priority.
-Take whatever on-campus job you can get during your first semester; after that, try to find a job that you will be able to put on your resume when you apply for internships (eg. assisting a professor with grading and other paper works, working in a lab etc)
- Be prepared to toil hard during summer so that you can concentrate on your studies during school semesters. Classes will be tougher and will require more time commitment as you enter your junior year.
-If you do well in your first year, there might be opportunities for merit-based scholarships.

I hope the suggestions I have made based on my personal experience will be of some help to you and others that might be in a similar situation. Let me know if you have some other queries.

Just curious is just right, 100% vote

 

 

 

mah matra columbus city georgia ayera dukha pako ki ke ho...PR bhayera ni kaam pako chaina yar...feri OC haru jaum bhane ni eta sabail ek barsa ko contract bhaisakyo ....ke garne any advice brothers and sisters

You seem well prepared to come here for your studies, this is very good. In my experience what you earn on-campus will be enough for paying rent and for food if you live off-campus. A lot of your earning will depend on summer job which covers a big piece of your financial pie. You sould consult with students with are in summer jobs this summer and get a feel of job avability during summer. Good Luck 

Thank you all for your response especially to justcurious for that wonderful post. it sure was alot of help to me. i have one question- i am allowed to stay off campus in the first year also. From your experiences, do you think i should stay off campus and save money or is living on campus during the first year worth the money taking into account friendships, loneliness, homesickness, culture shock?

Pinpoint bhai, it's hard to say whether staying on-campus is better than staying off-campus or not. It's a subjective issue; I personally preferred staying off-campus because the college I attended was in a small town and living on-campus would have cost me double the amount that I spent living off-campus. The story might be different if you are attending a college in lets say Chicago. In big cities, the expenses might not be different by much. The question of being homesick, lonely etc again is very subjective. I didn't have to face these issues. I stayed on-campus for 1 semester and I must say that I enjoyed it a lot. It's easier to make friends and blend into the new culture if you stay on-campus (going to frat parties was the best part). However, I think your decision should be based on how much premium you are prepared to pay for these benefits.

Dhanayabad justcurious.

Can somebody advise me on how much expenses should i assume regarding cell phone bills? Also, what other costs to expect besides tuition, apartment, food, cell phone, books, medical insurance, summer expenses? I wont be needing a car.

Some people tell me i cant get a work permit in my first semester because according to legal procedures, i have to stay in the US for at least a year to be eligible for work permit. Is this true?

Lastly, why are jobs on campus less during the summer as compared to other times?  

i just want you to consider some of the facts in your assumptions.. first of all there is no bullet proof assumption about America or anywhere. so you should have some contengency plan , like can your parents send some more money in case of emergency without selling the pakho bari? no sacrasm meant.. a) going to OC does not mean jobs are guranteed. Lots of students can't find jobs for months and go back to their colleges. some are lucky like the dude above to make 12,500 in the summer. 12,500 making is very unusual and needs extereme luck and networking. if you work 85 hours a week, in 3 months, you need to be paid $12.25 an hour. It may be possible if you have a work permit or have been going to OC years after years, have friends, networkig etc to hook you up etc.. most students make around 7 -8 bucks an hour and find work around 50 hours, and thats considered lucky. b) the work permit we are talking about is economic hardship, which you maybe able to get after 2 semesters. i don't know about your school, but lots of international student advisors do not give your permission to file for it, although they have no reason to hold you. i know lots of Nepali students who would like to apply bu tthe international student advisors are jerks and would not let them file..even if you file there is no gurantee to get one, there are chances you may not get it, or you may not be able to renew it after a year, as it expires iin a year and costs about 380 to file..  i was lucky when i was student, i applied and renewed it twice too.. c) with job market like the way it is in the usa, oncampus jobs are extermly hard to find, and you can't depend on off campus jobs either.. dhoti employers are happy to hire dv winners and refugees for the same amount per hour as they would pay an international student, so why take risk... i advise going to states such as texas, boston, Mn , Idaho because of scholorships and instate tution after sometimes... so have some contigency plan, again your assessement is good and i'm glad your planning but just as anything , things might not go as planned...