What are the airport and flight formalities I must

This is the first part of our series of FAQs on studying in America.

We asked a selection of students, already in the US, to share the wisdom of their experiences with us. This is what some of them wrote back to say.

Our Topic: What are the airport and flight formalities I must be prepared for?

Reply 1 from Anjali, formerly at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 

Have all immigration documents ready in a folder. You need to fill out some immigration forms on the airplane, so keep your passport and other documents within easy reach during the flight. If you have a connecting flight in another country, be aware that if you buy something at the airport and pay in dollars, you will get change in local currency. So, carry a credit card or dollar bills in small denominations. At the airport in the US, you will need to pay for the luggage trolleys. These costs about $3 and the machines generally take only small dollar bills ($1 or $5) or credit cards.

Reply 2 from Abhijit Bhandari, Thunderbird, Garvin School of International Management, Glendale, Arizona 

Carry a book, because it can get lonely if you're travelling alone. Also, carry a calling card. If you have a transit stop at a third country, such as Germany, it is advisable to carry smaller amounts of cash like $20-30. This helps because you can always use a foreign exchange counter at any airport.

Reply 3 from Jophy Jose, Rochester University of Technology, Rochester, New York

First of all, relax. Make sure you have packed all required things, then double check. Spend as much time with loved ones as you can, because that is what you will crave later. Eat as much home-cooked food as you can, because you will end up living on pizza, hot dogs and burgers once you get to America. Keep a copy of your I-20 and visa in each piece of baggage. All original documents should be carried on your person. In the case of connecting flights, baggage is sometimes not checked all the way in. In that case, you will have to collect your baggage at the port of entry, then check it again into the connecting flight you are supposed to take.

Also note: If you miss the connecting flight to your destination from your port of entry, you can always take the next flight free of charge, provided you take it the same day. So, stay calm. After reaching the airport, if there is no one to pick you up, take a cab (most of them are reliable) outside.

Reply 4 from Priyanka Gupta, a student in Connecticut

Check flight details carefully. Label suitcases. Make sure you know if your luggage is going to be moved by the airlines, during a domestic transit, or whether you need to get it yourself. Make sure your transit airport does not require an Airport Transit Visa. If it does, get one. Fill out the 1-94 card on the airplane, and never, ever leave baggage unattended.

Reply 5 from Kavita Thomas, formerly at Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

You will have to go through immigration in the city you land in and will have to collect your luggage regardless of the destination city. Once you go through customs, you can give your luggage to a counter for continuing destinations. Make sure your passport is easily accessible because you will have to show the documents frequently and will need to information to complete immigration forms on the plane prior to arrival. Also make sure you have a pen. Immigration in the US now takes fingerprints and a picture of you when you land.