• Home
  • Country Index
  • About US
  • Contact

Immigration World

The World Has No Boundarys

  • Canada
  • Dubai
  • France
  • India
  • Italy
  • Sweden
  • UK
  • USA
  • etc
  • Country Index

Home » USA » Top 10 Mistakes International Students make in the USA and How to Avoid Them?

Top 10 Mistakes International Students make in the USA and How to Avoid Them?

May 31, 2019 by Filter Coffee

  • Balance studying with social experiences
  • Don’t restrict yourself to the campus, explore the country as much as you can
  • Take care of your health

In 2018, the number of international students enrolled in colleges and universities in the USA exceeded 1 million. While international students pay a lot of attention to their finances and grades, other aspects are often overlooked.

These mistakes can affect your overall college experience. Here are the top 10 common mistakes international students make in the USA and tips to correct them.

Mistakes International Students Make In The USA
Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

1. Not Paying Enough Attention To English

Americans speak in English and hence most classes are conducted in this language as well. All students must pass the IELTS to get a student visa but passing this exam does not guarantee proficiency over spoken English.

Practice reading, writing and speaking English as much as possible. The best way to do this is by conversing in English. Be open to corrections and criticism and make an effort to correct your diction and accent. Watching American series or TV shows can also be helpful. Be sure to avoid this fatal mistake international students make in the USA.

2. Missing Orientation

Every college session starts with a week of orientation. Classes are usually not held during this week and students are instead given time to explore the campus, its facilities and interact with other students.

3. Making Friends Only With People From Their Own Country

Given the diversity of students in American colleges, making friends can be a daunting experience. There will probably be more students from your home country and these students tend to flock together.

Many international students skip orientation and join the campus just before classes begin. This may give you more time at home but skipping orientation makes international students lose out on the opportunity to make friends.

While it is comforting to know that there are other students on campus who understand the nuances of your culture, limiting yourself to such a social circle can keep you from having a complete college experience.

 Instead, step out of your comfort circle and make an effort to meet people from different backgrounds. You will get to learn a lot more about world culture and expand your horizons.

4. Not Participating In Social Activities

This is one big mistake international students make in the USA. Studying abroad is an expensive pursuit and so yes, academics should be given first priority. This does not mean that international students should forgo all social activities.

Even if you are on a scholarship and need to maintain a certain grade level, you should find time to participate in group activities outside class. This helps students build relationships with students from other countries and makes the college experience more rounded.

5. Limiting Yourself To The Campus

While in the USA, students should take every opportunity available to explore the city they live in and the neighboring places. Most international students are unable to go home for every holiday.

Hence, these short holidays are the ideal time to travel within the USA. See landmarks and tourist sites nearby, hike through nature and immerse yourself in American culture.

6.Getting Into A Relationship

For many international students, moving abroad to study is the first time they get to live independently. This can make a number of students jump into relationships.

In any cases, these relationships prove to be a big mistake. Maintaining a relationship takes a lot of time and effort- time that could have been better spent making friends and participating in group activities.

7. Having Unrealistic Expectations

Everyone has certain expectations from what their college life and life in America will be like. As a student travelling to a foreign country, you should make sure that your expectations are reasonable.

You should also not set unrealistic expectations for yourself. Set targets that are achievable. For example, you may have been a topper in school but in college grading is much harder. So, don’t beat yourself up if you do not top the first exam.

8. Not Asking Questions

American citizens have a reputation of being independent. However, you do not have to prove that you are capable of doing things on your own all the time. The fact that you have travelled away from your family and comfort circle to study in an American college is proof enough.

So, when you need to find out something, ask the people around you. If you need help, ask for it. This will save you a lot of time and effort and help you practice the language. What’s more, it’ll help you make friends too.

9. Not Looking After Your Health

College schedules can be quite packed and many students don’t take the time out to look after their health. Many students get excited seeing all the different types of food available and pick unhealthy options over healthy options more frequently.

Keeping pace with everything college has to offer can wear you out physically and mentally. Even if you have a health insurance policy, many aspects of treatment in the USA can be very expensive. So, try to maintain a balance in your life and fit in some form of physical exercise into your daily routine.

10. Always Have Backup Plans

In college and in life, sometimes, even the best made plans can fail. Hence, it is important to be ready for the unexpected and be flexible. When you make plans, think of all the things that could go wrong with it and plan contingencies as well.

You should always make a Plan B. If even that does not work, go with the flow of things and try to not remain stuck in that situation. Above all, do not let one bad experience ruin your whole trip.

Be sure to avoid these mistake international students make in the USA and you are all set for a brighter future.

Also See

  • How To Identify Scams Targeting International Students?
  • Checklist For International Students Going To The US
  • 7 Things To Do Before Moving Abroad
  • Top 10 International Money Transfer Apps For Students And Expats
  • Getting An International Student Loan – Everything You Should Know
  • Working While Studying In The USA- Here Are Your Options
  • Top 7 Scholarships For International Students In The USA
  • COVID 19 Impact – Students Can Now Take TOEFL And GRE At Home

Filed Under: USA Tagged With: International Students, Study in USA

Follow US

  • facebook
  • twitter

Recent Posts

  • Reissuing Of OCI Cards – Process Simplified By The Indian Government
  • Traveling Abroad? You’ll Need A Vaccine Passport
  • Everything You Need to Know About the Sweden Work Permit Visa
  • Types Of Sweden Visa – Which One Do You Need?
  • How To Get A Germany Dependent Visa

Top Posts & Pages

  • 9 Countries Indians Can Easily Get Permanent Residency
  • Ways to Migrate to Singapore
  • How To Migrate To France
  • Top 10 Countries Where You Can Immigrate and Settle Easily
  • China Immigration - Eligibility, Job Opportunities and How to Apply
  • How To Migrate To Malaysia
  • Tax Filing In Germany For International Students – Do All International Students Need To File Tax?
  • How to Apply for Norwegian Citizenship
  • How to Migrate to Switzerland
  • Can You Pass the German Citizenship Test?

Tags

Australian citizenship Australian student visa business visa Canada Immigration Canada student visa citizenship citizenship by birth citizenship test Coronavirus cost of living EB5 visa Green Cards H-1B visa H1B Visa H1B visa Policy H4 visa immigrate to immigration and settlement Indian e-visa indian students International Students investor visa Migrate to New Zealand student visa no visa travel passports Permanent Residency Schengen Visa Student Visa Study in USA Tax Filing For International Students tourist attraction tourist visa travel ban UK immigration UK Visa USA Green Card usa immigration USA student visa USA Visa US citizenship US immigration US work permit work permit For H4 visa work visa
Feedback | Disclaimer
Copyright © 2021 immigrationworld.com.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT