Fall Semester is coming....Are you ready?
Hello India Students-
As your departure nears, there are some details we need to be sure everyone has taken care of. Please look through this list carefully and if you have not tended to any of these items yet, …do so soon!
1) apply for a tourist visa for India (instructions here)
2) book your air ticket to India (contact Sue Lai at Avia Travel sue@aviatravel.com)
3) get all your final paperwork into us: Drug and Alcohol Policy, Medical History, Counseling Form (for anyone who has seen a counselor/therapist/psychiatrist in the past two years), Insurance Form, and Mutual Waiver. (If you need new copies of any of these forms please contact tracy@global-lab.org and she can re-send to you.
4) In terms of insurance: all students are required to carry emergency medical insurance which includes emergency evacuation coverage. Global LAB offers a customized insurance policy with ACE through GMMI. This policy was created specifically for Global LAB programs and it is available for as little as $1 per day. For the fall this policy will cost $92. If you want the basic plan all you need to do is send a check for $92 to Global LAB’s Woodside, NY address and we can take care of the rest of the paperwork for you. If you wish to upgrade you will need to contact GMMI to discuss the options you want. Contact michelle@global-lab.org for more information about insurance.
5) Get those hiking boots on! If you have new hikers and have not begun to break them in yet, start walking! Blisters are the biggest health problem we encounter on most treks. In addition to being painful they can lead to more serious infections--but you won't get any blisters if you thoroughly break in your boots before you get to India!
6) Also, remember to walk or engage in other forms of exercise now to get in good cardiovascular shape for the trek and for all the walking you’ll be doing all over India. You’ll find the mountains of Ladakh easier to tackle if you are starting out more fit…We recommend at least 20-30 minutes a day of cardio exercise (brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, etc.) as good training.
7) Have you sent your self-introduction and a recent picture of yourself to post on the blog? If not, send ASAP to john@global-lab.org.
8) Have you sent a photocopy of the picture/signature page of your passport to us yet? If not, please make a copy and send to us as soon as possible. (either snail mail to our Woodside address, or email a scanned copy to john@global-lab.org. We need these to book internal air tickets in India which we will want to get started on asap.
9) If you have a peer mentor, have you emailed or spoken to him or her yet? If not, get in touch.. it is really helpful to talk to someone who has recently experienced what you are about to do! (If you don’t have a mentor yet, thanks for your patience and know that we will be matching you soon. Our fall group is much bigger than our spring group so we are having to go back to earlier programs to find enough mentors for all of you!)
10) Start reading and watching films to prepare for your arrival…check out our “recommended reading and viewing list” on the blog. You really should see the films Gandhi and Tibet, Cry of the Snow Lion. If you have not done so yet, make it a priority… there are LOTS of great books to help introduce you to Indian and Tibetan cultures.. if you need help picking one just check in with Tracy or me and we’d be glad to help steer you towards some great reads…
Lastly, for now, be sure to get in the habit of checking this blog regularly from now on, as it is going to be getting more active and it is where we post important program news and updates. It is also where you should steer friends and family who might want to follow your adventures over the fall semester--they are welcome to post comments too.
Good luck with the preparations everyone!
Michelle