Transport Part of the reason those are good places to live is that they fall on the UTD Comet Cruiser path. The Comet Cruiser is a DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Bus that is used by UTD and is completely free to use (map below). On top of that, all UTD students are able to receive a free DART pass to use all the other buses and trains throughout the DFW area. To apply, go here
Credit Cards It's really useful to get a credit card, but many will make you wait until you have an SSN, and even then several don't accept international students. But there are a few who will. Before you get an SSN, you can apply for Deserveand once you have an SSN you can update your information. After you have an SSN, you can apply for Discover