Sundus

Hello. Congrats on moving to DC! It all comes down to what kind of place you want to live in, what kind of commute you are ok with and how much you are willing to part with in rent. If you want to live within walking distance of the university, you would have to cough up close to 2k in that neighborhood. The area would be downtown DC, with lots of great places to eat and access to everything you need. If you are willing to have roommates, that price can drop significantly. If you are okay with a small commute inside the city, there a bunch of gentrifying neighborhoods with great apartments and affordable rent (1500-1800). There is Colombia heights, Adams Morgon which is definitely on the right side of gentrification, and people describe it as good streets and not so good streets.. From these places, you would be able to take the train in less than 20 mins. The third option is outside of DC. The commute is between 45 to an hour into the city, but you can find really nice cheap apartments with lots of room in great neighborhoods (1500ish). Granted it starts feeling a little suburbunish, but some of us don't mind that much. Your choices are between the more happening Virginia neighborhoods like Rosslyn and Arlington areas and the more settled and peaceful neighborhoods like Bethesda. But here is the catch. It will be hard to decide on a place while not in DC, and even harder to get the lease process done. What I recommend to people moving from other cities is to get a short term sub leave from someone for a couple of months somewhere convenient. Lots of people move in and out so you should be able to find something in downtown on Craigslist for a relatively good price. If you can get a furnished place, you can live there and scope out the city for yourself. That way you can make sure you will be happy with your apartment when you finally move in. Hope this is helpful. Please also look at the following links for further guidance: General tips on how to secure housing: http://gradtrunk.com/forums/index.php/topic/39-how-to-secure-housing/?hl=housing Tips on housing in Pittsburgh: http://gradtrunk.com/forums/index.php/topic/36-searching-for-apartments-in-pittsburgh-short-guide/

Think Tank LINKS Fellowship About the Fellowship Program: CIPE and Atlas Corps have jointly launched the new Think Tank LINKS (Leaders, Innovators, and Knowledge Sharing) Fellowship. This innovative, all-expenses paid program is an opportunity for talented young professionals from developing countries with strong research backgrounds to shadow leading U.S. think tanks for six months. In addition, Fellows will be enrolled in a professional development training program and join a growing network of nonprofit leaders from around the world. Location: Fellows will be based at leading think tanks in Washington, DC area for six months (January through July). They will serve 40 hours per week at their host think tanks, focused on a mutually agreed-upon research topic that relates to democratic and/or economic reforms. Fellows are expected to publish their research during the program through articles, blogs, and presentations. Logistics: CIPE and Atlas Corps will provide Fellows with logistical support regarding visa, health insurance, stipend, and international travel. Fellows will also receive a monthly living stipend that covers basic housing, food, and transportation for one person. - See more at: http://atlascorps.org/thinktanklinks-individuals.php

Additionally, always use 'referral' services for all utilities: internet, gas, cell phone etc. It can earn you a good discount in the first month!

I had asked similar questions to a friend when I was leaving for USA. Please find his reply below. It may be a bit outdated but you'll get the gist of his recommendations

Hey Sara, I ended up getting a Galaxy S phone from pakistan. And I was using T-mobil's $50 a month monthly plan, with unlimited international sms in the beginning. But it was redundant as almost everyone I know has whatsapp now (including my mother ), so I switched to the $30 plan. Best thing about monthly is that there isnt a fixed fee; so in months I was travelling internationally, I switched my plan to $2 a day for the rest of the month. This way I didn't have to pay for the whole month

There are also some firms that outsource projects. Thus, you can take up consultancies if you like the flexible work environment, or while you are biding time looking for full time work!

Hi, A few websites that I used and found to be effective to look for development jobs are as follows: www.indeed.com.pk www.brightspyre.com www.rozee.pk jobs.trovit.com.pk I would often filter by city, and then scout for the type of jobs I wanted. Word around the block always has been that in the development sector, a contact is always needed to get you an interview. I found that to NOT be true. A good, professional looking CV (mine is still a one-pager) accompanied by a cover letter have landed me over 10 job offers since I have come back (and a lot more interviews)! Other, often unsung players, in this sphere are head hunters. The catch is that your first salary is often given to the head hunters as compensation if you accept the job offer- but it's honestly not a bad deal considering you will be gainfully employed. The most effective head hunters I know of include: Resources Stop Shop Career Pakistan (almost exclusively recruits for British Council) Good luck for your job search!

Please see http://gradtrunk.com/forums/index.php/forum/8-degree-talk/for information on scholarships.

I don't think this is set in stone. A variety of backgrounds can land you in public policy including journalism, psychology, economics and business, amongst others. Public policy can lead to a variety of careers- in the government, in the private sector, and in the development sector. I know a lot of people who have done a degree in public policy and gone on to have careers in analytics, research, management, and consulting (technology, public, as well as private). Essentially the degree is so broad that it becomes what you want to make of it. If you want to go into management, choose the school that specializes in public policy and management (like Heinz college does). If you want to go in public administration, choose the courses and/or school that allows you to do exactly that (like SIPA). A public policy degree allows you a career in a wide variety of fields, and thus takes in people from diverse backgrounds. It offers the neccessary academic skills for PhD aspirants, along with the requisite practical skills to excel at jobs. If you have a more specific question in mind, or a career that you want to pursue, please do not hesitate to ask

We might take a muslim shower for granted in the comfort of our homes, but in the Western world it is nowhere to be found. Often watering cans are used in place of 'lotas'. However, I found a great option: muslim showers are available on amazon by the name 'bidet'! This is the one I installed (and it was pretty easy to install too). http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00891BQC8/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I'm sure you can find others as well online! Good luck!

The following Job Opportunities are Available in the Marketing Department of an FMCG: Brand Manager Area Manager Key account executive Please find job descriptions attached. Females are strongly encouraged to apply. Interested individuals can apply at careers@resourcesstopshop.com Brand Manager.pdf Key Account Executive.pdf Area Manager.pdf

Are you a foreign graduate looking for a job in Pakistan? You have come to the right place!

Hey Sara, People I know who have done their undergraduate degree from England have received the Fulbright grant, but they worked in Pakistan after graduating from college.

Sara, I got a Master's degree from the USA and I did my O-levels and A-levels from Cambridge. I know of many others who got into great schools in America and their higher secondary was either O-levels, or even Pakistan's local assessment system- matriculation and FSc. So my advice would be: it doesn't really matter what system your post secondary qualification was in. As long as you keep the grades up and have healthy extra curriculars, US universities must have a way of comparing across different systems. Also, you are in your undergraduate. That should matter more than post secondary anyway

Ubaid, these lists might help you: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/10146038/Graduate-jobs-top-12-degree-subjects-for-getting-a-job.html http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/01/22/the-college-degrees-that-get-the-most-job-offers/ In my personal experience, tech-based jobs (Masters in Information Systems, Computer Sciences/engineering) have a high rate of employment for non residents. An MBA from a good school is also a sure shot way of getting a job. However, this is not to say that other majors can't get jobs. I did a Public Policy and Management degree and got a few offers. And I didn't even have prior work experience! I think work experience distinguishes a candidate a lot- and I strongly advise getting a few year's worth of experience under your belt before going for a Master's, unless your goal is to aim for a phD. What was your degree in and what do you think were the main factors why you were unable to find a job in the US?

Some scholarships I recently came across: For: University of Cambridge, UK Eligibility: Non-UK citizens Programs: Any post-graduate Amount: Full cost of studying and maintenance allowance Link: http://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/ For: University of Sussex, UK Eligibility: Pakistani students only Amount: 3000 pounds Link: http://pkstudents.com/scholarships/all-scholarships/item/6443-sussex-pakistan-scholarships-for-masters-students-united-kingdom For: University of Groningen, Netherlands Eligibility: Developing country citizens Amount: Full cost of studying and maintenance allowance Link: http://www.rug.nl/education/international-students/financial-matters/ericbleumink For: University of Auckland, Newzealand Eligibility: International students Amount: $ 30,000 Link: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/for/current-students/cs-scholarships-and-awards/cs-search-for-scholarships-and-awards.html#/detail/500785 For: Asian Institute of Technology and UNESCO-IHE, Thailand Program: Master degree in Urban Water Engineering and Management Link: http://www.unesco-ihe.org/msc-programmes/specialization/urban-water-engineering-and-management-0# For: Selected Norway Universities Programs: Bachelor's, Master's and PhD Link: http://siu.no/eng/Front-Page/Global-menu/Study-in-Norway/Quota-Schemey For: UK universities Chevening Scholarships Deadline: Nov 15 Program: Master's degrees Link: http://www.chevening.org/pakistan/

For: SMU Cox School of Business Eligibility: International Students Program: MBA Amount: 10-10% of tuition and fees Deadline: December 15, 2014 (international applicants) and January 12, 2015 (domestic applicants) Link: http://www.cox.smu.edu/web/full-time-mba/cox-scholars

Please find below the list of things I recommend to bring from Pakistan to America. You can modify the list as you see best: Lota (I have a watering can I bought from here) Traditional Dress Formal Suits: If you don't have one, can easily buy from here Jackets and long boots: It gets cold! You can easily buy from here Shan/National Masala Knorr Chicken Cubes Knorr Soups Dollars: 10,000 is the legal limit I think Bedsheets: or you can buy from here Towels: or you can buy from here Passport/I 20 Lipton Tea bags: PK tea is hard to find in some places Johar Joshanda: I am perpetually flu-ey Medicines (Augementin, panadol cf etc): Medicines here are expensive and hard to get. Meaning for anti biotics, you need to be prescribed and doctor visits are costly. If you have a particular love for paracetamol/panadol woh bhi le kar aana because you only get ibuprofen and acetaminophen over the counter Face creams: you get all the cosmetics here except that the face creams are often tanning. Now if you don't like that, I suggest bring 1-2 moisturizers with you (esp if you like creams with whitening ingredients) Clothes International License Converter: For appliances that have non US chargers Unilever products like Close Up, shampoos: P and G is more widely available here. Extra eye glasses/lenses: Eye and dental insurance is often not included in regular health care plans Jaaye namaaz/ tasbeeh/ head scarves etc

If you want to call home, you'll have to use a calling card. I use Keku.com to call Pakistan. If you make an account through a referral code you'll get bonus credit after you make your first call. Another calling card you can use is Raza.com. These cards can be bought online and are relatively easy to use. Skype and Viber are other apps that I frequently use.

There are many things you may want to take care of when you reach Pittsburgh. Most of this list can be translated for other cities as well. · Get an SSN (you can't get paid without it and you need it for bills) · Get a state ID (its easy to get and then you don't need to carry your passport around) and driver's license · Enroll for gas and electricity (check with landlord about service provider or google it) o Ask to get a budget plan for equitable gas:https://www.equitablegas.com/faqs/default.aspx?f=bus: This allows you to pay an equal amount every day. If you're an international student, you may be required to pay a security deposit initially as you don't have prior credit history. · Get a secure credit card (particularly if you want to stay in the US, you want to build a credit history) For discounts and other perks: · Get a CVS card (medical store and basic grocery) · Get a Giant Eagle card (grocery) · Get an Amazon STUDENT Prime Account. Not the regular prime. STUDENT prime. Use your .edu email address for this. o This is important because Amazon has really cheap things (it has everything!) and you need a Prime account to get FREE shipping, along with FREE streaming of various shows and movies. o With your .edu account (e.g. CMU) you get 6 months of Prime membership for free. o Once you enroll, remember to go to Manage Prime Membership and switch off automatic renewal of membership. Else, you might forget and get charged once the 6 month period expires. o One person can also use it twice because we have an andrew.cmu.edu account and a cmu.edu account. I'll tell you how to make the latter below. · Get a groupon account for deals on everyday things as well as getaways · Woot.com is another great website for deals. Especially for the tech savvy. CMU Get on the CMU list serv o Subscribe to the CMU Misc market for up to date info on the latest sales (furniture etc), and housing offers o Log onto andrew mail o Go to folders o Subscribe to "cmu.misc". This should include cmu.misc.job, cmu.misc.apartments etc. Create @cmu.edu address • http://www.cmu.edu/computing/new-user/graduate/before/email.html Using the above link, you can also find directions to forward andrew mails to a gmail account. It's SO much easier to use than the andrew interface.

In most state schools, if you get a graduate Teaching Assistant ship, tuition becomes free. In some cases, you even get a stipend! (e.g. Duquesne University, University of Maryland, Texas A&M). There are also women specific scholarships available. Two of my friends in NYU and University of Texas at Austin were recipients of these awards. There are even scholarships/fellowships available to fund internships. Some that I applied for include the Eben Tisdale Fellowship, Tom Gorman Fellowship and the Friedman Fellowship.

Hi you guys! I am Sundus, a LUMS BSc Economics graduate from Lahore, Pakistan, and then I went on to do a Masters degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA. I am looking forward to helping you out with as many questions as I can so please reach out as frequently as you want. Looking forward to healthy discussions influencing informed decisions