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What are some things to expect as an international students?
I am a new international student who is curious about things that they face
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Ruokun (Sharon)’s Answer
Hi Robyn,
Lauren and Armin both have excellent responses. While they focused more on the living and social side of the topic, I think it will be helpful if I give you some insight to the legal side of things. I used to work at my university's International Student Services Office for a year and a half and here are some of the things that I noticed that could help you. First, international students have a lot of extra paperwork they need to fill out, maintain, and renew than students with a green card or citizenship. For example, based on your status (i.e. F1 or J1), you need to fill out extra paperwork if you want to drop courses, take courses in the summer, get a part time job, and so on. So I would highly suggest you taking a look at your school's website about international students to see the forms you need to fill out. I would also highly recommend you calling them or making an appointment to go over some of the critical plans you have regarding your academic and working career.
Second, I would suggest you to keep an eye on the legal documentations you have and make sure their effective deadlines are still valid. For instance, I had many students coming into the office wanting to travel in two days but their travel signatures became ineffective. They expected us to renew this signature within a day or so, which was not the way how our office operates. So, I would suggest you understand how long it takes for your office to process these documents and submit them much earlier than your travel plans or other tasks you wanted to do.
Hopefully that helps!
Lauren and Armin both have excellent responses. While they focused more on the living and social side of the topic, I think it will be helpful if I give you some insight to the legal side of things. I used to work at my university's International Student Services Office for a year and a half and here are some of the things that I noticed that could help you. First, international students have a lot of extra paperwork they need to fill out, maintain, and renew than students with a green card or citizenship. For example, based on your status (i.e. F1 or J1), you need to fill out extra paperwork if you want to drop courses, take courses in the summer, get a part time job, and so on. So I would highly suggest you taking a look at your school's website about international students to see the forms you need to fill out. I would also highly recommend you calling them or making an appointment to go over some of the critical plans you have regarding your academic and working career.
Second, I would suggest you to keep an eye on the legal documentations you have and make sure their effective deadlines are still valid. For instance, I had many students coming into the office wanting to travel in two days but their travel signatures became ineffective. They expected us to renew this signature within a day or so, which was not the way how our office operates. So, I would suggest you understand how long it takes for your office to process these documents and submit them much earlier than your travel plans or other tasks you wanted to do.
Hopefully that helps!
Updated
Lauren’s Answer
Hi Robyn, I was an international student to Peru a few years ago. Some of the challenges I faced were language barriers, learning new geography, and cultural differences. I have gone to school in the US and worked with people from all over the world. In my experience, other students and coworkers are understanding and open to answer any questions you have. Be prepared to be confused and lost but know that you're in a supportive community!
Armin O.
Independent Finance Consultant | Change Agent | Process Optimizer | IT-oriented Finance Professional
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Armin’s Answer
Hi Robyn,
I was once an international student too, and while you'll face many challenges it is an invaluable experience that will help you develop as a person and as a professional. The good news is that the university environment is extremely forgiving and helpful when it comes to international students, as most of your colleagues and professors will have some level of understanding that you may have different past experiences, expectations, cultural background etc.
The best thing you can do is to get involved - as much as your time allows, get involved in everything. Seek out the International student organizations at your school, join the Student Government, join clubs within your college with people who are majoring in the same thing, go to school events... That way you will meet people and the bigger network you have the easier things will become.
Finally, enjoy this experience and learn from it every day. Don't shy away from sharing your culture with others and be open to accepting theirs - it's a wonderful place to be in!
I was once an international student too, and while you'll face many challenges it is an invaluable experience that will help you develop as a person and as a professional. The good news is that the university environment is extremely forgiving and helpful when it comes to international students, as most of your colleagues and professors will have some level of understanding that you may have different past experiences, expectations, cultural background etc.
The best thing you can do is to get involved - as much as your time allows, get involved in everything. Seek out the International student organizations at your school, join the Student Government, join clubs within your college with people who are majoring in the same thing, go to school events... That way you will meet people and the bigger network you have the easier things will become.
Finally, enjoy this experience and learn from it every day. Don't shy away from sharing your culture with others and be open to accepting theirs - it's a wonderful place to be in!
Updated
Parshva’s Answer
Hi Robyn! That's a great question and something which I had in my mind back in 2017 when I came to the US to pursue my bachelor's degree. I believe there are 3 things you should expect-
1) On a social and cultural level- you will come across people from various backgrounds and cultures. You should learn to embrace the differences, talk to as many people as possible, learn from their experiences. This will essentially help you develop a global acumen, and put you in a better position when interacting with anyone across the world
2) On a personal level - time management is the key. You need to develop a knack for managing your time as you would be responsible for your studies, finances, daily chores, and health. It's definitely not easy in the beginning but you eventually develop on it.
3) On a career level - start early. With the immigration laws, the job market is not easy for international students. I would suggest to start working on differentiating yourself from your peers, reaching out to professionals, start developing professional long-term relationships, and maximize any opportunity of gaining skill/knowledge. This will help you when you start recruiting.
But most importantly, enjoy the experience and embrace the process! Hope this helps!
1) On a social and cultural level- you will come across people from various backgrounds and cultures. You should learn to embrace the differences, talk to as many people as possible, learn from their experiences. This will essentially help you develop a global acumen, and put you in a better position when interacting with anyone across the world
2) On a personal level - time management is the key. You need to develop a knack for managing your time as you would be responsible for your studies, finances, daily chores, and health. It's definitely not easy in the beginning but you eventually develop on it.
3) On a career level - start early. With the immigration laws, the job market is not easy for international students. I would suggest to start working on differentiating yourself from your peers, reaching out to professionals, start developing professional long-term relationships, and maximize any opportunity of gaining skill/knowledge. This will help you when you start recruiting.
But most importantly, enjoy the experience and embrace the process! Hope this helps!