What An International Student Coming To America Should Know

As an international student, there are a large variety of things that you should be prepared for before attending an American university. These range from things such as fluency in the English language, to a vast understanding of cultural differences between your native country and America. All of these things are of equal importance to ensuring thaFirst, you will have to have a fluent and working understanding of the English language. You should not only have a basic understanding of the language - it’s of extreme importance to be able to fluently and completely express yourself in English. This skill will not only help you socialize, but also finding a job should you decide to become employed in America, and in understanding and speaking with your professors. A consideration pertaining to language that many do not think of is accents. Even if you are from a country where English is the national language is English, you probably do possess an accent that differs from the American accent. Not only should you work to make your accent more understandable to Americans, but you should work to understand the American accent as well. Even if you are speaking the same language, a thick accent can become a huge barrier to fulfilling conversation, and can affect your performance in the job market, and even in school.

The second, but equally important, thing to prepare for is any and all cultural differences between your native country and America. Here, confidence is key. If you aren’t aware of the appropriate way to interact in certain social situations, just do the best you can. America prides itself on being a cultural melting pot, and even if you don’t do things in the exact same way as most American citizens, you will not be the object of ridicule for it. However, the more aware you are of cultural differences, the better you can prepare yourself for any and all situations - even if cultural differences are accepted, it’s always best to be aware of what is and is not considered rude or unacceptable in different settings. As an example, in many European countries it is common for groups of people to greet one another with quick kisses on the cheek. In American culture, however, it would likely be seen as, at the t you integrate and adjust to American life in the best way possible