Starting college in America can be an exciting prospect for many students. However, it has its share of hardships. Many students find it tough to adjust to the new study environment in the universities. For many different reasons, the resulting stress causes a lot of students to quit and bail out midway. In this article, we will try to explore the problems lots of international students experience in the US and methods to reduce the resulting fatigue.

Different Study Methods

In your new college, the ways in which you are graded and assessed will vary. It might end up requiring an entirely new and unfamiliar mindset. Being uncomfortable in the assessment areas of the new school can lead to adjustment becoming a very daunting task. Students often do not need to decide on their major before going to college.

Cultural Adjustments

When you begin to traverse this new and exciting environment, you will be immersed in an entirely different culture than you have ever experienced. Often in this situation, people result to homesickness and bouts of irritability or helplessness. To circumvent this, you should try to be as well versed as you can be in US culture beforehand, reading books or watching movies will help you in this.

Try to make some new friends as soon as you get there, so you don’t feel the absence of your old life, family or friends so profoundly. This will allow you to quickly gain traction in the culture, language, and your own mental health.

Financial Problems

College in the US is an expensive proposition. As per research conducted by Collegedata.com, the average budget for a private college here is $47,831 per year. Apart from that health insurance, a must have, is also incredibly expensive. Since there is no automatic coverage for international students, you might try getting insurance through your college. To get everything cheaper too, you can also try to earn a scholarship; to reduce costs considerably.

It’s also important to start part time work to manage your wallet. Even within the university, you could find jobs in the library, cafeteria, bookstore or gym. While this may not pay sufficiently for your education, it will definitely help you to meet many of the inevitable costs you will face.

Social Issues

Just as your interactions with your teachers will be different, so will your interactions with your peers. When you first begin your school, your social prospects may be frightening, with the added difficulties of adjusting to a new social culture.

If you do find yourself becoming increasingly anxious, try to make friends as soon as possible. Join a student’s association or a hobby club to expand your friend circle.Try and attend local events with your friends so as to get a hang of the social framework.

Just as your relationships with your teachers will be warped from what you know, so too will those with the students. Your beginning few days may be a little frightening as you may find it difficult to the new social culture.  It is likely the humour, interests and personalities of your peers will greatly differ from the norm in your country. It will be hard to begin to assimilate and learn the new ways, but surely it will come.

Language Barriers

While many universities expect the applicants to take a TOEFL test before coming to the USA you may still have to face a problem in conversing with the people here, language barrier causes immense trouble to new students and it is advisable to visit a dedicated ESL centre which is a great place not only to sharpen your English skills but also make some new friends.

Family Issues

It is usually very difficult to adjust to a new setup with huge pressure on your back from your family back home. For the majority of the students coming to the USA, there will be a family back home who has made a lot of sacrifices to send you for further studies. The burden of fulfilling their expectations makes the life of new students all the tougher as they struggle to cope with the new environment. A regular video call interaction with your family is suggested so as to not feel the pressure of their physical absence.

Document Issues

Stay in the USA requires a lot of official formalities to be completed. Sometimes it becomes tough to remember which document needs to be shown at which place. Keeping a strong track of your financial information as well as all the required paperwork is recommended when such a situation arises.

Adjusting to the Local Food

The food available at any local eatery will be vastly different than your taste and expectations. While you may be fond of spicy stuff the food here may seem bland or tasteless to you. It would be better for you if you take some cooking tips before coming to the states. Try to adjust your palate according to your situation. A varied taste will benefit you your whole life.

Keeping Up with the Time Difference

When you move to the USA, There will no doubt be perhaps, a major time delay from your home country. Undoubtedly; for the first few days Jet lag will hinder everything about your stay. Don’t Let this first conception bring you down and understand it will fade shortly. It will be hard if you have to study during the adjusting period, however; and if this is the case you should try to change your sleeping schedule before moving.

Staying and studying in the America’s can be a fascinating thought but adapting to the new setup may take a lot of effort. You may have to sacrifice a lot of your personal interests and make many adjustments to survive in this country. It is advisable to follow these simple tips in the initial days of your stay itself so that the rest of your time here becomes a pleasant experience.

If you know anyone who might be moving  to America in the future, share this article on Social Media and give them some tips!

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