Boston.

Student life spills across Allston, Cambridge and Fenway, with cheap bars, house parties and a serious live-music scene. Sport is a religion here, so catch a Red Sox game at Fenway or the raucous rivalries in college hockey. Autumn brings the Head of the Charles regatta and the whole city out along the river.

• Watch the Red Sox at Fenway Park; standing-room tickets are cheap and unforgettable.
• Allston is the student party hub; catch live bands at the Sinclair in Cambridge.
• The Head of the Charles regatta each October is a huge student weekend.

Boston is one of the priciest cities in the country, so budget on the high side: roughly 1,800 to 2,800 dollars a month with shared rent. Housing is the killer, especially near campus, so sharing is essential. A student MBTA pass and cooking at home keep the rest manageable.

• Shared rooms typically run 900 to 1,400 dollars a month; sign early to get the best.
• A semester MBTA student pass saves a lot over paying per ride.
• Cook and shop at Market Basket or Trader Joe's; eating out adds up fast.

Most students share flats in Allston, Brighton, Cambridge or Mission Hill, and demand is fierce around the 1 September move-in date when the whole city swaps leases at once. Start looking months ahead and be ready to move quickly. Rooms near a T stop are worth the premium.

• Allston, Brighton and Mission Hill are the classic student neighbourhoods.
• Watch out for the notorious 1 September moving day when leases turn over together.
• The Studcasa Boston group is a good place to find rooms and vet dodgy listings.

Locals call the subway the T, the oldest in America, and it will get you almost everywhere with a CharlieCard. The city is also brilliantly walkable, and Bluebikes fill the gaps. For further trips, South Station links you to the rest of the northeast.

• Tap on with a CharlieCard; students can buy discounted semester passes.
• The Green, Red, Orange and Blue lines cover the main campuses.
• Bluebikes and walking beat the T for short hops across the centre.

Boston's universities run on a semester system with a strong seminar culture, heavy reading loads and constant assessment rather than one big final. Whether you land at a huge research school or a small college, professors expect participation and use of office hours. Libraries such as BU's Mugar and Harvard's Widener stay open late.

• Confirm your course registration and cross-registration options during orientation.
• Tap into your host university's international office for trips and support.

Almost every exchange student needs a visa, and which one depends on your programme and nationality. Most exchange students come on a J-1 exchange visitor visa (with a DS-2019 from your host university) or an F-1 student visa (with an I-20); your US university tells you which and issues the document. You then pay the SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 form, and attend an in-person interview at a US embassy or consulate, so start the moment you're accepted, as interview waits can be long.

Budget for the SEVIS fee (around 220 dollars for J-1, 350 for F-1) plus the visa application fee, and note J-1 visas carry mandatory health insurance rules and sometimes a two-year home-residency requirement. Keep every document for border entry.

• Most exchange students, J-1 (DS-2019) or F-1 (I-20) visa
• Pay the SEVIS fee (~$220 J-1 / ~$350 F-1) before your interview
• Complete DS-160 and attend an in-person consulate interview
• J-1 requires compliant health insurance; check the two-year home-residency rule

Boston's food leans on the sea and its immigrant history: lobster rolls, clam chowder and the Italian North End for cannoli and pasta. Quincy Market and the Chinatown late-night spots feed students well, and Cambridge is full of cheap global eats. It is a history-soaked city, so build in time for the Freedom Trail.

• Do the North End for Italian; Mike's and Modern battle it out over cannoli.
• Slurp chowder and lobster rolls at Quincy Market or the Union Oyster House.
• Walk the Freedom Trail once to get your bearings on the city's history.

Where you live shapes your Boston, from student-packed Allston to leafy, intellectual Cambridge across the river. Somerville and Jamaica Plain offer a more local, creative feel, while Back Bay and Fenway are central but pricey. Aim for somewhere on a T line.

• Allston and Brighton: cheap, loud and full of students.
• Cambridge and Somerville: cafes, bookshops and the Harvard and MIT crowd.
• Jamaica Plain: greener and more local, popular with postgrads.

Boston is the gateway to New England and beyond. Cape Cod beaches, witchy Salem and the coast of Maine are all close, while cheap buses run to New York and beyond. Autumn leaf-peeping trips into Vermont and New Hampshire are a highlight.

• Salem is 30 minutes by commuter rail, brilliant around Halloween.
• Cape Cod and Portland, Maine make easy autumn escapes; the Studcasa Boston group often organises trips.
• Megabus and Amtrak run to New York in around four hours.

Boston rewards planning, especially around housing and the brutal moving-day scramble. Sort a CharlieCard and warm winter kit early, take advantage of the countless free student events and museum nights, and do not try to drive downtown. Embrace the walking.

• Winters are long and icy; invest in a proper coat and waterproof boots.
• Many museums have free or discounted student nights; carry your ID.
• Never plan to drive or park downtown; the T and your feet are faster.