After Arrival in U.S.

by HSB on August 13, 2007

in US College Life

Following are some of the random thoughts and experience a typical student will encounter after arriving at final destination.

  1. Searching for seniors who have come to pick you from airport.
  2. People will look different.
  3. You will be asked to wear seat belts in the car.
  4. If you got apartment  from India and you will move into an unfurnished empty apartment
  5. Seniors might accommodate few more new comers in your apartment for temporary stay
  6. You could be put in with any of your seniors apartment till you find a place for you
  7. After landing in U.S., you will ask for a way to call India to inform your parents about your safe arrival.
  8. Some of you will cry(especially girls) when you talk to parents after arriving.
  9. Some of you might come without arranging for pickup (rare case)
  10. You would tend to ask lot of questions about everything.
  11. Seniors might take you for McDonald’s, Indian Restaurant or some other fast food chains
  12. You might end up in your own apartment and making friends with your neighbors.
  13. Seniors will request you not to sleep till night time, if you arrived in U.S. in day time
  14. You will be amazed to see sunlight till 9 PM in Summer
  15. Ask if you can access Internet to check your email
  16. Some of you will feel very happy and relaxed.
  17. You will be curious to know how to open bank account
  18. Food cooked by seniors will not be as delicious to your moms food.
  19. Shopping centers are very huge. Not something you are used to see every day.
  20. If you haven’t found an apartment after you arrived in U.S. finding a place can be hectic.
  21. While walking outside everyone will smile at you and say “Hi”
  22. For every item you buy, you will convert to Rupees or local currency.
  23. That calculation will continue for every item you put into your cart.
  24. Your shopping experience will be different if you move-in with any senior.
  25. Many new students to will be reluctant to buy necessary items even after seniors insists you to busy.
  26. Good to go shopping with senior for first few times.
  27. Amazed to see so many different types of car
  28. Hard to see 2 cars of same make, model and color parked next to each other.
  29. No more than 1 people inside the car.
  30. When you turn on the TV, everything will look different.
  31. If you answer any marketing phone calls from 1-800 number, you wouldn’t understand a word they talk
  32. While driving form ariport to home, you will ask for Aid, part time jobs to seniors.
  33. Other questions include – What kind of part time job students does?
  34. How will they pay?
  35. Students expect to see campus within a huge walls.
  36. Will it snow here?
  37. Do you have a part time job/aid?
  38. Some of you might not even ask any questions.

So, what do you think about the list?  Leave your comments below.

Related posts:

  1. How to Buy Used Car (My 1st Car Buying Experience)
  2. First week student life in U.S.
  3. Cost of Living for Students – Breakdown
  4. Cost of Indian Groceries in America – Expensive!
  5. Students Expense – Food and Lodging in USA
  6. How Much Money do I Make (and Save)

{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Cong Le September 2, 2010 at 2:05 AM

OMG ! I think you was a international student before. How can you know that facts ! everything is all true about international student’s lives

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2 krishna August 27, 2010 at 2:36 PM

lol.
good stuff

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3 Abhishek Sharma August 14, 2010 at 4:49 PM

Hey HSB
I personally felt whole of this list during my 1 month stay in Boston for a student exchange program… U are very much true !! Thanks alot.. Regards

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4 Manoj August 14, 2010 at 11:55 AM

wow!!!!!!!!!!!! it has been 1 week I am at USA, I did all d things listed abov , I am amazed 2 see dis post nw!!!!!!!!!!

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5 saad afzal August 8, 2010 at 5:42 PM

hello my name is saad afzal and i m from pakistan.One day i m hoping to study in USA and your articles are interesting

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6 pushpendra mishra August 6, 2010 at 1:17 PM

thank you sir,but actually this list is most helpful for those people who don’t know about life style of foreigner’s and blank knowledge about time difference,living,food,etc………

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7 semal August 4, 2010 at 11:24 PM

omg… i cant believe ths.. ths artical is so true.. lol.. i have been usa several times but ths time i m here for studies and 90% of ths list is true.. man… unbelievable… :D

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8 rahul July 26, 2010 at 5:38 AM

thanks brother it was really helpfull to me thanks a lot . m studying in final year and planing to give gre by 2011 your information was really helpfull thanks

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9 sid July 22, 2010 at 4:51 PM

ITS AWESOME MAN………Thats a gud post!!!

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10 SS July 9, 2010 at 4:50 PM

Oh and please do not depend on the International Office people to help you. Maybe it was just my university, but the International Office people were the most ill behaved people I have ever met. As years passed, I realised that going to the International Office would actually depress me, because I had to deal with the scowling folk over there who treat international students like we are living on their personal charity.

You will get accustomed to the new scenery, the strange birds, the strange sounds (like church bells). Enjoy the process and learn from it. The immigrant experience is something different, something no non immigrant can ever relate to. This is why I would personally recommend that in pursuing any potential love interest, give major preference to fellow immigrants (not necessarily from India)…but immigrants nevertheless. A native born American, no matter even if he/she is ethnically Indian, will never see America the way you do.

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11 sahil July 9, 2010 at 12:03 PM

This was enough to impress me and evn intimidate a little :)
Great post! will read once atleast before i pack my bags and fly away! :)

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12 SS July 9, 2010 at 4:40 PM

Landing in the US…now that I look back…was a terrifying experience for me actually. In retrospect…I think I should be proud. There was no senior to pick me up…I got my own taxi…I had found an apartment through craigslist. The next morning I woke up and walked to the university, asking random people for directions. Man…that first month…I was scared out of my wits. The first thing I bought in the US was a $1.10 mini bottle of Coca Cola… it was so hot and I was walking back after having found the university…which turned out to be a good 3 miles from my apt…. Yes this meant walking 6 miles a day for the first one month. And I didn’t know a single soul in the whole city. American coins dont have their value clearly shown on the face like Indian coins and there was some confusion as I tried to count the $1.10.

I am a stubborn ass :)

The experience made me a new person. I didnt call home for a whole month after I reached (only emailed). I was incredibly lonely. But…I managed to become infatuated with the one person I met… a 60+ Indian American lady. It was an unconventional choice but I pursued my first “love interest” ardently. Like most Indian geeks, I had not known love before I came here. In retrospect again, it was sheer madness…

Five years later, things have improved a lot. I got my phd… I have been all over the world now and now I am never scared to find my way in foreign countries… it all comes naturally to me now. I can now chat up people of any nationality and speak a whole bunch of languages…

But man oh man! I was scared shitless the first day. Its embarrassing to admit in retrospect…but walking back the first day in the heat, I saw “made in India” on one of those gutter lids on the pavement and actually began to cry.

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13 Rajkamal June 24, 2010 at 8:06 AM

Hey,
I doubt anything could be better than this. For some 2 minutes it made me feel as if I am actually in the US. Wow man, I always wanted to go to the US. I am now doing my 2nd year BE CSE in Coimbatore,Tamilnadu. I have 2 more years of under graduate education and I am planning to go to the US right after my BE. I have always pondered around these questions and… I badly want to come to the US…
:)
Thanks
Rajkamal

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14 samanwaya June 5, 2010 at 9:58 PM

ya…dude thats what actually happened wid me….excellent interpretation….no explanation better than this.

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15 sathya balachander June 4, 2010 at 10:37 AM

no one wud have told this better.. this is what wud be going on in our mind.. very true!!

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16 sabarinathan.B March 18, 2010 at 1:56 AM

ya awesome..it just takes me to US for a five mins of time..very practical points which i ll gonna face in future..

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17 sai kumar ganji March 15, 2010 at 12:18 PM

awesme! point no. 22 & 36 are killers!

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18 kranti February 27, 2010 at 3:09 AM

Its simply awesome………..

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19 praveen February 23, 2010 at 1:12 AM

thats a gud post!!! it matches everyones mentality in a new place!!!

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20 Shrikrishna February 22, 2010 at 12:59 PM

Few things to add to the list:

MAKE SURE THAT THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER AT PORT OF ENTRY WRITES YOUR CORRECT STATUS AND EXPIRY DATE ON YOUR I-94 CARD

1. Get adjusted to toilet habits

2. Clean after you finish eating in fast food restaurants like McDonald

3. Do not tell any one that you are new in the U.S.

4. Do not give your passport to any stranger

5. Make copies of all the pages of the passport and your I-94 card. Because, if you are lost you can be found but, not your passport.

6. Say thank you and please whenever to any American

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21 HSB February 22, 2010 at 6:10 PM

@Sri Good ones. Thanks for commenting.

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22 Harish C S March 16, 2010 at 2:41 AM

Hey this was more useful than the above tips!! thanks man!

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23 vijay May 29, 2010 at 9:37 AM

hey man it was so nice and very useful to me.
Ofcourse these are very useful than the above tips.

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24 Kamal February 21, 2010 at 12:30 PM

Great post! I’m a British born ‘indian’ a graduate studying second masters, arrived last summer. So many new and different experiences to adjust to, ‘do not be afraid’… stay strong, ask qs, seek advice get familliar with the new ‘system’ before arrival where possible… There is always someone to guide you through. Most university ‘international students office’ with brilliant staff who will assist directly or indirectly with many practical matters.

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25 CHANDRA BABU MOHANA KUMAR RAO February 21, 2010 at 12:30 PM

Very very true yaar

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26 chandu February 21, 2010 at 11:31 AM

hello sir,
It is great thing about you, i really like this post.Not only this every post in your blog.
It is a great feeling to study the things that we r about to experiance.

thanks very much

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27 Aviator365 February 21, 2010 at 6:58 AM

1 more point….. Please do not trust ANYONE at face value. Be on your guard!!!

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28 Rio February 21, 2010 at 6:16 AM

Hi HSB,

Thanks 10^10 for your really esteemed blog. It changed and also will change my life.

I know US citizen are a salad from different nations, but If it will be great that you teach us some good expressions to use them convey our important objectives (you know them better) till 50 thanks.

-Rio

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29 aditya February 21, 2010 at 1:53 AM

illl be going to US next year .

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30 aditya February 21, 2010 at 1:50 AM

people talk less abt these tings in India. but its nice to talk abt them

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31 aditya February 21, 2010 at 1:53 AM

very subtle, and very nice to hear this stuff. The inner core feelings, u did a nice thing putting ur experiences, otherwise they wud have been faded away like everybody else’s

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32 aditya February 21, 2010 at 1:48 AM

nice 1. we need SUBTEL websites like these.

nicely put really

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33 Sravan Kumar February 21, 2010 at 1:28 AM

Hi,

Awesome post. Very nice one to create curiosity among aspirants to reach US ASAP.

Infact, this is a great website.

Thanks for the every info posted here.

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34 Asif hossain February 20, 2010 at 11:59 PM

the main thing is that we have found this website, the rest you can see in your screen :)

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35 Andrie Tanusetiawan February 20, 2010 at 10:47 AM

Hi,

Coming and living in the US are really nice experiences. Welcome, everyone!

Jesus bless you,
Andrie Tanusetiawan
[email - Removed]

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36 PRIYANKA GARUD February 10, 2010 at 9:13 AM

Hey its really amazing yaar…..i m feeling just like in a U.S…wht a true experience u hav listed….excited to come der…..

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37 sindhu February 3, 2010 at 6:03 AM

Hi
this WEB SITE is very precious…ur experiences is thrill to me…

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38 Adil February 2, 2010 at 1:05 PM

Hi HSB,

Hey thanks, that was a sound piece of information.

Regards,
adil.

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39 Harish C S February 1, 2010 at 8:37 PM

Woow… I feel like im in US!!!!

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40 sourabh October 28, 2008 at 11:35 PM

thanks sir this website is rely for a wroth……..m preparing to give GRE in jan for fall 2009 and wat inforamtion i have got from this site has rely cleared most of my doubts.our articles on life in U.S and the bank statement helped me alot.

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41 Pooja Vyas October 22, 2008 at 7:17 PM

Respected Sir,
This site is very useful to students like me who want to study in US. Thanks !
Pooja Vyas Ahmedabad

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42 Ravi Shethwala October 27, 2007 at 9:31 PM

Hi !!!
Very nice information…. and I am willing to face such kind of situation!!!! ;)

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