1. Bring a tabo.
This was the advice of my friend when he heard that I was leaving for the US. I looked at him in disbelief, and he shook his head, saying that I will certainly need one and that it was almost impossible to find one, especially if you're headed for states that have a very small Asian population. (He had studied before in Virginia.) He told me that he was able to find one in an Asian store. Now, I have been to an Asian store here and haven't found anything resembling a tabo (water dipper). I had taken his advice, and stuffed the tabo in my suitcase, filling it with socks so as not to waste space.
2. Buy your brooms from the Asian store.
This was the second piece of advice of my said friend, and I think he's right, if you're looking for a reliable walis tambo. I haven't bought a broom (I can borrow a vacuum cleaner from my neighbor), but I've seen the "brooms" in stores, and I trust the cleaning skills of the old walis more. You can decide against this of course; it doesn't help that the only walis I've seen around here had coarse, dark stalks.
3. Buy a water filtration system for your apartment.
This doesn't sound as complicated or expensive as it sounds, and I'm not sure whether it depends on what part of the US you're in. But we bought a Brita water dispenser for our apartment because the tap water is hard water (high mineral content) and frankly tastes bad. So just remember to ask other students about the water quality in the area you'll be staying in.
4. Don't trust Americans when they say a place is "within walking distance."
Walking distances are very relative and subjective, so remember to ask a Filipino (or other international students) for his opinion! "Walking distance" to an American may be a 20- to 30- minute walk for us. So think about this before renting an apartment that you haven't seen for yourself that's within "walking distance to campus", or when budgeting transportation costs.
5. If you have a driver's license, get an international permit.
This way, you can have the option of driving your own car when the distances between establishments are farther than what you've expected, and you find public transportation such a hassle. You don't even have to buy a car; you can check out other alternatives, such as ZipCars (http://www.zipcar.com/). ZipCars are vehicles that can be rented by the hour or by the day for a very good price, and are usually located in university parking lots.
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