Be the change that you wish to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi
IGSA is always on the look out for active members who want to join us and be a part of campus life beyond the classroom.
To know how, e-mail us at igsauiuc1@gmail.com.
IGSA Board Members
Education is the key to unlocking the doors of opportunity, and as Indian graduate students, let us strive for excellence, embrace diversity, and illuminate the path to a brighter future. Together, we can write the story of success that echoes across borders and inspires generations to come.
APJ Abdul Kalam
2023-24
| Position | Name | |
| President | Divij Kohli | divijk2@illinois.edu |
| Treasurer | Ananthi Renganathan | ananthi2@illinois.edu |
| Secretary | Derek Pinto | derekp2@illinois.edu |
| Internal Vice-President | Sameeksha Bhaye | sbhaye2@illinois.edu |
| External Vice-President | Utsav Majumdar | utsavm2@illinois.edu |
| External Vice-President | Sowmya Yellapragada | sowmyay2@illinois.edu |
| Social Media Chair | Mukesh PV | mukeshp2@illinois.edu |
| Alumni Relations Co-chair | Aravind Ramakrishnan | aravind4@illinois.edu |
2018-19
| Position | Name | |
| President | Rohit Vaidya | rohitmv2@illinois.edu |
| Treasurer | Karthik Pattaje Sooryanarayana | ksp4@illinois.edu |
| Secretary | Sakshi Bharadwaj | sakshib2@illinois.edu |
| Internal Vice-President | Skanda Bharadwaj | skandab2@illinois.edu |
| External Vice-President | Srini Mudalagiriyappa | sm27@illinois.edu |
| Alumni Relations Co-chair | Sai Kalyan Evani Kalyani Ananthakrishnan | evani2@illinois.edu kalyani5@illinois.edu |
| Social Media Chair | Shraddha Shirguppe | sns4@illinois.edu |
New Students
New to campus? We’re there to help!
Congratulations on getting admitted to the University of Infinite and Unbounded Corn fields! You have made the best decision in your life, by choosing to do your grad studies at UIUC! Consistently ranked as among the best schools in the world for graduate studies and home to several world-renowned innovators, Nobel laureates, and thinkers, you will find all the opportunities to need here to script the future of your dreams.
We at IGSA hope to to assist you as you set foot in UIUC. They say a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step – you’ve already made that by deciding to come here. Need a lift?
Bollywood Night
IGSA’s opening event in the Fall for new students, Bollywood Night provides a stage for students to show off their artistic side through music, dance, and varied art forms. In recent years, we’ve had picture collage presentations, sand art displays, and a comic skit by Mithya.
Meet and Greet
Meet and Greet is a recent, informal event, in which we invite new students to meet each other and ask questions about life at C-U. Watch out for the next announcement!
Diwali on the Quad
Our signature event held towards the end of the Fall, Diwali on the Quad had been covered by the Daily Illini, and attracts over a thousand members of the local community. Everyone gets candles to light up on the Quad, making for some of the best pictures in the glow of the lit-up Foellinger Auditorium.
The event is also a fundraiser, where we sell Indian food such as chai and chat. It has been a regular part of the campus calendar for many years, and we hope to improve on it this year.
To-do List
I’m controlling, and I want everything orderly, and I need lists. My mind goes a mile a minute. I’m difficult on every single level.
~ Sandra Bullock
Here’s a quick and easy to-do list for your first days here:
- Registration: Visit the Illini Bookstore at 809 S. Wright Street to get your I-Card made for which you will need your I-20 and your Letter of Acceptance along with your passport. This will get you free bus access and your University Identity Number (UIN) too. If you already have an on-campus job, please collect a Temporary Control Number (TCN) as it takes some time to get Social Security Number (SSN).
- Next, go to the International Students and Scholar Services building(ISSS) on Sixth and John St. and check yourself in as an International student. You will get maps of the campus there. For one week, this process is moved to the Illini Union. Please check the website to know where you need to go.
- Go to any of the Banks on campus. Chase, Busey, PNC, and UICCU are some of the widely used ones and set up student checking accounts. This should get you an account to transfer your money into a debit card for your expenses.
- Vaccination at McKinley – Take the health form you got with your I-20 (or will recieve at the ISSS) and report to the McKinley Health Center. They might require your I-20 and your passport for verification. The staff there will take your TB test, check your form and will brief about your next steps. Carry your I Card with you and some cash (~$30). You also need to have a doctor’s prescription for all the medicines that you are carrying from home.
- Getting a Social Security Number (SSN): For all the students who are getting assistantship, it is mandatory to get a SSN. It helps to get Credit Card and necessary to build Credit History in USA.
- Do go to your departments, talk with your adviser, fix up your class schedule. Submit your transcripts at Coble Hall (home of the Graduate College).
- Familiarize yourself with the campus:
- Walk around, go to the different labs, explore the Union, talk to your seniors/accommodating hosts about the campus, visit the different sites around campus.
- Check out the bookstores, you will get a lot of free stuff from them and instructions too.
- Pick up Bus schedules from any bus that you take.
- Take buses to Market Place Mall, Walmart, Meijers and explore downtown too!
This time is precious and you will not get it again! Maximize it!
Campus map:
Shopping List
I want my wardrobe to be full of good clothes, so that when I’m deciding what to wear, I don’t run out of options. I love shopping! ~Virat Kohli
Even if you don’t agree, you’ll have to buy some stuff anyway. As most of you are coming abroad for the first time, we would like to suggest to Carry all the Original Certificates, Passport (with VISA-Stamped), I-20, Ticket and money (both USD and INR) with you in your cabin luggage. Also, you need to carry some cloths, medicines (with prescription), utensils and some optional items in your check-in luggage.
For a full list of items we recommend you carry, download this:
Finding a roommate
Dogs are like kids. Cats are like roommates.
~Oliver Gaspirtz, A Treasury of Pet Humor
It’s not easy finding a new roommate, but it is well worth the effort. Depending on who you are who you’re with, a roommate can be your best friend who throws you a surprise birthday party, or can be the person who puts the thermostat way too high.
IGSA can’t find a roommate for you – you’ve got to do that yourself. We can however, give you a place to start looking. Why don’t you post a query on our Facebook group and roll the dice?
Finding an apartment
Home is where the heart is. Also, you need a bed to sleep in.
There are several landlords in C-U. Here’s an sample list:
- World Elites:
They have good discounts on houses.
- Campus Property Management:
Main Office: 303 E. Green Street Champaign, IL 61820, United States
Phone: +1-217-328-3030
Website - University Group:
309 S 1st St, Champaign, IL 61820-4164, United States
Phone: +1-217-352-3182
Website - Barr Real Estate:
1710 S Neil St # 3, Champaign, IL 61820-7234, United States
Phone: +1-217-356-1873
Website - Roland Realty Inc
212 E Green St, Champaign, IL 61820-5607, United States
Phone: +1-217-328-1226
Website - Ramshaw Real Estate:
1817 South Neil Street, Champaign, IL-61820, United States
Phone:+1-217-359-6400
Website
There are many more apartment rental agencies. There are other private owners near to the campus. You can also contact the University Tenants Union.