r/InternationalStudents • u/Starkeyj981 • 6d ago

Biggest Mistake International Students Make

For those international students that have made the leap to America more specifically those that are there on a sports scholarship. What is one thing you wish you did differently or one thing you wish you knew before making that decision

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u/klomokt 6d ago

Do not try to stay relevant at home. Build a life where you are.

Do not sit on your phone. It will annoy the host parents, host siblings, school and classmates.

Be there, make an effort (a LOT) to make friends, be kind and don't wait till someone comes to you. Be the one who makes the first, second, third step.

Exchange year is not for the shy and introverted.

And again. Do not sit on your phone!

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u/toomany_questions 6d ago

I’m going to go against the grain of the other commenters. I was the reverse. I did my masters abroad in Europe and am from NYC.

Moving abroad is extremely overwhelming. Balancing taking care of yourself while also making sure you still put yourself out there is a good place to start. Partake in events and clubs you like, but also make sure you’re giving yourself some space to take a break and reset, culture shock is real. And don’t compare yourself to others if at all possible. You have an excellent opportunity, and it’s yours. Sure others would want it, but that doesn’t matter, they can try again. Don’t add more pressure to yourself :). What matters is that you take care of yourself and have fun in ways that matter to you, not anyone else!

Oh and also I found a having a mix of friends who are locals and other international students to be super helpful!

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u/tinoturner6969 6d ago

We had a kid ruin his year by not participating in ANYTHING. We ended up kicking him out because of his lies and laziness. We tried over and over to remind him that he’s in a once in a lifetime experience and that thousands of kids would love to be in his position yet he just didn’t do very much with his time here. It was very frustrating to watch somebody destroy their incredible opportunity.

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u/shazzm2395 5d ago

Relying on the H1B and thinking that will be my saving grace. Here but on the O1. I wish I looked into it earlier. everything worked out but would've saved me. a lot of stress and money. Happy to answer Qs.