GRADUATE INDIAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION

University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Namaskar,

Dear Friend,

Congratulations on being accepted for higher studies at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. We welcome you, should you choose this school to be the ladder to your success.

Set to make your dream a reality, you must be excited, anxious, and frankly speaking, a bit nervous too, we all were before we came here. This letter should help address some of your and your family's concerns,

Lowell occupies a significant place in the history of the US. It is where the industrial revolution started in the US. The once busy and prosperous textile mills have now been converted into offices or preserved as historical monuments. Situated in the northeastern part of the state of Massachusetts. Being in the midst of what is called the New England states, it is characterized by its typically unpredictable weather. Temperatures range from -20 C in chilly winter conditions up to 35 C on a hot summer day. It rains almost throughout the year, in the form of intermittent mild showers. By Indian standards, the climate is cold for almost 8 months in a year.

The University of Massachusetts of Lowell is one of the five units of the U. Massachusetts system. Spread over 3 campus blocks in the city, it has almost 8000 students on its rolls. With some organizational changes in the U. Mass. System and the reduced allocation of funds to education in recent state budgets, the number of assistantships available to students have dwindled in the past few years. Thus, it would be advisable for any international students to be prepared to bear his/ her expenses for the first year at school. While most good graduate students find support in the form of a funded research project (full or partial semester support) in the second year, it varies greatly with the department. Besides, assistantships, there are a number of on-campus jobs available and open to international students at places like the bookstore, police, cafeteria, laboratories and campus facilities. But the competetion for those is emmence. The pay varies between $5.50 to $12.00 per hour depending upon the nature of jobs. The rewards would however, require the essence of humility, dignity of labor, and hardworking potential, which are the ways of professional life in the US.