She said because the students are informed earlier about the need to find housing, more are searching for housing online. Some of the largest groups of international students coming from Korea, India, China, Taiwan and Pakistan have developed sophisticated Web sites to serve their new members and prospective students. Serena Khalaf, president of the Arab Student Association and a nursing sophomore, helps newly arrived students from Arab countries find housing and adjust to university life. The organization is composed of both Arab Americans and Arab international students, which is crucial when new students need a member to translate for them or help them find work in Austin. Finding temporary housingfor international students arriving in late summer continues to be a concern for most students and International Office administrators.
Many students have to bunk in crowded apartments until they can find alternate housing in Austin.
The need is greatest during the last three to six weeks of summer before orientation for international students begins, Wilcox said. International students usually are not in the country for the regular orientation and cannot take advantage of the low cost of staying at Jester dorms during that time. If you're here on assistance, your money goes very fast. Siddarth Nanda, an electrical engineering freshman from New Delhi, said many students come from countries whose currencies can't compete with the dollar and are very meticulous about budgeting for housing and living expenses. He said it can also be the determining factor whether they do ultimately decide to attend the University.