The United States is a great place to study, but it is important to prepare for the move. This guide will help you navigate some of the challenges that new students face as they explore their options for higher education in America. But first, let’s talk about language.

English as a second language

English is the official language of the United States. This means that if you’re an international student from another country, it’s likely that your first language will be another language—maybe even two or three languages!

English is also a common second language for many people in America, especially those who have studied abroad or moved here from other countries. In fact, more than half of all Americans speak English as their primary tongue! While this may seem like a good thing at first glance (it makes communication easier!), there are some downsides: if your native tongue isn’t well-suited for formal writing and reading comprehension tasks like essays and reports then it can become frustrating trying to understand what people are saying around you (especially when they speak too quickly!).

Some of your colleagues come from different countries and their first language is not English. You have to communicate with them regularly, but sometimes you notice that they struggle to understand the instructions or discussions during meetings.

Obtaining a student visa

The first step to obtaining a student visa is to apply. You must file your application with the US Department of State before you arrive in the country. If you are approved, they will issue a document called an I-20 that requires all schools and universities where you wish to study to accept it on behalf of the student (this is called “admission by endorsement”).

Once your I-20 has been issued, it’s time for another big step: applying for permanent residency! This process involves filling out paperwork at USCIS headquarters in Los Angeles or Atlanta—or any other location located within 50 miles from one of those two cities if possible—and paying fees ranging from $400-$1,000 depending on how many years until graduation you plan on remaining in America legally

Understanding US culture and academic expectations

In the US, you will find that your academic expectations are different from those in other countries.

On one hand, this can be incredibly frustrating if you’re used to getting good grades and high marks in your classes at home. However, on the other hand, it can be helpful when trying to understand how people think about things here in America—so long as you keep yourself open-minded about their perspectives and don’t judge them too harshly based on what might seem like outdated ideals or stereotypes from where you come from (or maybe even where I come from).

When it comes to academics, there are many differences between the US and other countries. In the US, high school students often take Advanced Placement courses during their junior or senior year in order to get college credit for them. These classes are harder than traditional high school classes and require more work outside of school hours—so if you’re taking AP courses, be prepared for this extra workload! It can also be helpful to know that most colleges accept AP credits as electives rather than as full-fledged requirements on your transcript (which means that if you don’t get a good grade in the class, it won’t be counted against you).

Sophie is a high school student who recently moved to the US from Germany. She was surprised to learn about the Advanced Placement (AP) courses that her school offers. Her school counselor advised her to take AP courses to challenge herself academically and to potentially earn college credit.

Sophie decided to take AP Calculus, AP Biology, and AP English Literature during her junior year. She soon realized that these courses were much more rigorous than her previous classes in Germany. She had to spend more time studying and completing assignments outside of school hours.

However, she found that her teachers were very supportive and offered extra help when needed. Sophie worked hard and was proud to receive passing scores on all three AP exams.

When she applied to colleges, she found that many of them accepted her AP credits as electives, which allowed her to graduate earlier than expected and save money on tuition. Overall, Sophie found that taking AP courses in the US was a challenging but rewarding experience that prepared her well for college.

Getting around

If you’re used to driving in your home country, then the first thing that will shock you is the lack of parking. There are no parking meters or garages; instead, most cities have large public lots where cars can be parked for free. You’ll also notice that many streets don’t have stoplights or crosswalks—and if they do, they tend to be rather small and poorly marked (or nonexistent).

If this all sounds frustratingly inefficient to you, welcome! It’s something we’ve worked hard at here in America: making everything easy for drivers so that everyone has access to transportation options like vehicles and bikes when needed.

So how does one navigate these roadways? Well…

Housing and accommodation options

Housing is expensive. There are a lot of options, but you’ll need to do a lot of research if you want to find it on your own.

You can find housing through your university: perhaps they have an exchange program with a local university that offers housing and other services like transportation and orientation programs? Or maybe they have their own student housing company?

If so, this could be the way to go because then all the costs would be covered by the university itself (and thus much cheaper than if you were paying for them).

If not, try looking at private landlords or roommates who advertise themselves online as well as through word-of-mouth recommendations from friends who’ve done this before themselves—if someone tells them about something good then chances are there will probably be similar things elsewhere too!

John is a student who recently got accepted into a university in a new city. He was excited to start his college journey, but he was worried about finding affordable housing.

He reached out to the university’s housing department and found out that they had an exchange program with a local university that offered student housing. John applied for the program and was thrilled to learn that he had been accepted.

The university provided him with a furnished room, transportation, and an orientation program that helped him get settled in the new city.

John found that living in the student housing was convenient and affordable, and he enjoyed being surrounded by other students who were also new to the city.

He made new friends and participated in various social activities organized by the housing department.

Overall, John found that the university’s housing program was a great way to find affordable housing and make new connections in a new city.

Finances and Budgeting

It’s important to set aside money for living expenses and know how to budget your money so that you can save for future goals, such as paying off student loans. The first thing you should do is figure out what kind of student loan repayment plan works best for you. Some people prefer the income-based option, while others prefer the standard repayment plan.

You also need to find a job so that you can earn some cash while studying abroad in America! By working part-time or full time jobs, it will help reduce your expenses and put more money into savings so that when it comes time for starting grad school or looking for another job after graduation, there won’t be as much debt hanging over your head (which could prevent getting into graduate school).

Financial resources

Studying in the US is expensive. A lot of things are really expensive, like plane tickets and rent. But there are ways to save money while you’re here so that your bill doesn’t get too big—and once you have enough saved up, it’ll be easier to pay off loans or scholarships.

Here are some tips on how to budget:

• Save as much money as possible! The first thing I recommend doing is saving up for emergencies (i.e., if something happened at home), but also setting aside funds for future goals like buying a car or starting that business idea you’ve been dreaming about recently.*
• When it comes time for college tuition payments, make sure those bills aren’t taking up all your cash flow—and try not overspend elsewhere either.* If possible, get a job while studying abroad! Not only will this help make ends meet financially; it also gives students an opportunity to learn about working life outside their comfort zone in order to prepare them better for future jobs when they return home.”

Academic expectations and challenges

In the U.S., you’ll be expected to do well in school. This is because the U.S. is one of the most competitive countries in the world when it comes to getting into colleges and universities, so your grades will reflect that competitiveness—and they’ll also reflect how much effort you put into them.

However, this doesn’t mean that studying in the U.S will only give you an advantage over other international students; on the contrary! The experience itself can help prepare you for life after college (or high school). You’ll learn more than just how things work here: You’ll become familiar with American culture and its people as well as gain valuable skills such as communication skills and leadership abilities through interactions with your peers at school or through extracurricular activities outside of class time.*

Campus resources and support services

You may be wondering what you can expect from your college experience. The good news is that there are many resources and support services available at most colleges, including:

• University library – A valuable tool for research and scholarly inquiry, libraries offer a wealth of information on topics ranging from current events to literature and history. A broad range of books, journals and newspapers are also available here.
• Academic support services – These programs provide assistance with study skills such as time management skills or writing assignments (from tutors). They also help students develop more effective learning strategies by offering workshops on improving memory recall skills among other things!
• Student services – These departments offer assistance with everything from financial aid forms to finding housing options on campus! Don’t forget about the Student Health Center where you can get vaccinated against diseases like flu before school starts so that nothing stops your adventure!

Adjusting to Life in the US

One of the best things to do when you arrive in a new country is to learn what it’s like to live there. Learning about the culture, language and food will help make you feel more at home. You’ll also want to be aware of how people live their lives and how they think about things like religion or politics (or lack thereof).

It’s important that you learn as much about American history as possible too—the country was founded by colonists from all over Europe who had different backgrounds than each other; this means that there are many different perspectives on what makes America great!

You can also get involved in organizations that share your interests: if there’s something specific about American culture or history that fascinates me then I know I can find others who share my enthusiasm through these organizations!

The US is a great place to study, but it is important to prepare for the move

The US is a great place to study, but it is important to prepare for the move.

The US is a big country, with many opportunities for international students. There are many different types of schools and students, so it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into.

Conclusion

As we’ve seen, the US is a great place to study. With so many resources, opportunities and support systems in place for international students, it’s easy to feel unprepared for studying here. But don’t worry—you can still get the most out of your time abroad by making sure that all of your preparations are thorough and well researched.

Don’t forget that some things may take more time than others but they should be taken into account as early as possible in order make sure everything goes smoothly when moving abroad.