Before I left for the U.S., I attended all the orientations about what life would be like there.  I heard tons of useful advice about how to prepare, what to pack, and what to expect.   And like most people, I scoffed at some of that advice.  But boy I wish I hadn’t!

Settling into Indiana was not as easy as I thought it would be, and I quickly began to regret not listening to the suggestions of what to bring with me from home.  Here are the top 3 things I really wish I had brought, and the advice you shouldn’t ignore when it’s time for your orientation.

1. Toiletries

Not packing toiletries such as lotion and soap from home was the first thing I greatly regretted. I am ashamed to say that when the helpful ladies at the EducationUSA orientation gave us this advice, I laughed at it. “I am going to America, where everyone has great skin and looks (and probably smells) good, and everything costs US$1,” I thought. “I will buy it there.”

Unfortunately, when I arrived in Indiana it turned out the supermarket is very far from where I live and only accessible by bus.

When I finally figured out the bus route and managed to get there, I was bombarded by more choices in face wash, lotions, cleansers, and all manner of soaps than I had ever seen in my life!

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Editor’s note: Paula is an English as a Foreign Language teacher by training, so she’ll be sharing her experience in the U.S. through the phrases she’s learning, and the valuable words that describe her feelings and experiences.  So check back regularly for Paula’s special series, “The U.S. in Words.”  And don’t forget, if you’re looking for words about the U.S. education system, we define the terms you’ve suggested in our Glossary of Confusing Words.

In hog heaven – happy, in a perfect situation

I arrived in the U.S. two months ago as a Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) through a Fulbright Program. I had to literally pinch my arm to prove it wasn’t a dream. I started studying English when I was 7 and have loved the language since then. That love for English became love for the United States, and I have daydreamed about coming here ever since I was a child.

With the FLTAs at Stanford

My first week was spent at Stanford University in California, together with 56 other FLTAs from around the globe. We were spoiled like little children with delicious food, parties and all kinds of activities to start off our year before we split up to go to the universities where we would ultimately be working and studying.

Towards the end of that week, as I prepared to travel to Susquehanna University, I started thinking, “Okay, that was too good to last for long.” I was preparing myself to start feeling homesick, or even to miss my new FLTA friends. But, guess what? That never happened.

When I met my advisor, she told me that it seemed I was in hog heaven.

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When I first joined the Student Union, I quickly discovered that most of my fellow bloggers, and indeed most of our readers, were students from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, not from Western Europe like me, and certainly not from England. At first I thought this might be a problem.

Do I really deserve my place here, being from a relatively comfortable background and part of a culture that many think closely resembles America? Will my experiences and anecdotes, troubles and triumphs, be as valuable or even as interesting as those of somebody who is coming to America from a place where everything from the language to the food is unfamiliar? How can I relate to people from all over the world, having only really experienced the European way of life?

And as I considered that last question, I began to think that actually maybe I’m not the only one who is nervous about, essentially, making friends in America.

Making friends was my biggest worry when I started university in England, and it was my biggest worry again when I came to America. Except this time, I wouldn’t be one among many students starting school for the first time. I would be the outsider; the new kid starting two years after everyone else had already settled in, the English boy who dresses a bit differently and has a funny accent. But worst of all, I would be alone, without any friends or family nearby to go and talk to or just to relax with – no way to escape from the pressure of trying to assimilate and make friends.

So you can begin to understand the mental state I had somehow put myself in by the time I arrived here at the University of Maryland.

You might be thinking that I don’t know the meaning of the word ‘daunting,’ being a Brit and sharing some familiar cultural customs with America as we do.  I know that in many ways I have it easier than other international students.  After all, I didn’t have to worry about my language skills, and many people in England even complain about how much our culture has been Americanized -  we have brands like Hollister, we have snapback baseball caps, and we have a desire to be constantly entertained.

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Students wearing Columbia University sweatshirts (Photo: Flickr user airsoexen)

Starting your first year at a U.S. school and wondering what to wear to fit in with your classmates? Just curious about the fashion at U.S. universities? Thanks to the voyeuristic power of social media, we get to take a look at the first day outfits of students from all across the country. Check out the rest of the post for a look at fashion choices ranging from athletic shorts to sundresses for girls, and jean shorts to bow ties for the boys!

If you’re starting school in the U.S. this year, we want to see what you wore on your first day! Send your photo to jstahl@voanews.com or post it on our Facebook page. We’ll post the best in an album on Facebook, and maybe even do a follow up post on the blog!
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We’re not ashamed to admit it; we made some mistakes when we came to the U.S. for the first time.  We brought the wrong things, said the wrong things, and ate the wrong things. But hopefully you can learn from our mistakes.  Here are five mistakes we made in our first year that you should avoid:

1 Poor packing

We’ve fallen victim to two opposite instincts when it comes to packing for the trip to the U.S.: the desire to bring literally EVERYTHING from home, and the attempt to pack for what we thought America would be like. Both approaches failed.

Tara said her mom tried to overload her suitcases with all of her stuff from back home in China, but when it came down to it, “you can get 80 percent of what you have at home in the US, especially if you live in LA, San Francisco, New York or other cities with ethnic and immigrant communities. However, there did end up being things I couldn’t find in the U.S.”

In particular, she wished she’d brought an electric rice cooker and Chinese spices to cook her favorite foods from home.

Senzeni, on the other hand, cautioned against leaving home without certain clothes, thinking they won’t be in style in America. Not true, she said. You may think college kids only wear jeans and t-shirts, “But pack at least three formal outfits. I had to attend five receptions and dinners in the opening week of freshman year where t-shirts and jeans were a definite no-no.” And prepare for the cold weather, but don’t forget, “When you arrive in August, the weather will be hot and humid and you will love yourself for bringing a tank top and a pair of shorts.”

2 Not getting involved right away

It’s easy, and natural, to feel overwhelmed at the beginning. But give in to that feeling and you’ll only feel more homesick. We’ve found that getting involved in campus life actually helped us get over the anxiety.

Sebastian said he had a difficult time when he first arrived at the University of Kansas. Between moving into a new place, adapting to a new culture, and getting accustomed to new food and weather, “I was too busy to even meet new people. And without people around I got homesick real quick. I missed my family, friends and so many people that it made my whole stay hard for the first week or so.”

“And then I met some Bolivian guys, and then American people too, who made the whole experience different.”

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We hear from many students who have faced unique challenges in studying in the U.S., but Sarah’s story is one we haven’t heard before.  She wrote to us to say that she was “over the moon” to receive her acceptance to Notre Dame University, but “the big question? How will we take the children calmly through a 17hour flight?”

With a husband and two small children hoping to accompany her to the U.S., Sarah had some extra stress during her journey to start school this fall.

“You are never too old to dream or pursue your passions; it’s never too late no matter what; hope should never die; one must never give up.”  Those were just some of the things I told myself when I was nursing my unfulfilled desire to pursue a masters in international human rights law.  I thought to myself, “I believe in a big God able to do impossible things, so eventually, no matter what, this Master’s will come my way.”

Lo and behold there it was in front of my eyes; an email from the University of Notre Dame accepting me into their international human rights law program for 2013. I was stunned. I was breathless. I read it over and over again savoring every word, especially “pleased to offer you.” I, a wife, mother of two energetic toddlers and public prosecutor, was about journey across the globe to fulfill a seven-year-old dream!

University of Notre Dame (Creative Commons by Gbozik)

But first I had to get there.

Step one was easy: accept the offer by email and relish in telling friends and family, especially my mom who was living vicariously through me, that finally it had happened and what a prestigious university  I had been accepted to.

Step two however, getting the visas, was something of a mission.  All the spook stories I heard of people being turned down for some unattainable unidentifiable reason loomed large as my family and I waited for our interviews to come. Would they allow us to go together, or would they decide that I didn’t need my family to be with me on this journey?
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“Remember to keep warm when you get there. America is a cold place. And to call us daily. Don’t forget us.”

Brunch at an American dining hall (Creative Commons photo by Flickr user superfem)

These very words were the ultimate installment in a long series of many, many snippets of well-meaning advice from aunts, uncles, friends, neighbors, cousins, passers-by, cousins of those passers-by, and anyone else who had caught wind of the fact that I was, indeed, going to America.

I had been warned about things such as the perceived perils of overeating when I got there, and it had been predicted that once I tasted that delicious American food, I would surely eat too much of it until I fell ill or exploded.

Would I cope with speaking in English all of the time? No, it was hypothesized that I would surely forget I was in North America and I would end up confusing my American friends by cracking jokes to them in my native language while still expecting them to laugh at those jokes.

And what of the cold? Would I survive? I would never cope with all that ice! After all, America is colder than the deep freezer! (an actual quote).

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Am I the one? Am I the Promise who promised himself his Nigerian accent was not going to take a slip? I never would have believed I could so easily twist my tongue in an American twang.

But let’s go back to the beginning.

Yawn!

You might be asking, “How has the experience been so far?” I have been doing well – yawning like 50 times a day (not exaggerating). I haven’t slept for a total of 12 hours for the past three days I have been in Minneapolis. Could it be heat? The excitement? Maybe you can help me with that.

Tonight is one reason.

It’s 11:39 pm here, and I can picture you forming a question like, “Why is this dude not sleeping at this time?” Well, I have been asking myself that question too; but you’ll laugh when you find out why.

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Schools around the world are welcoming international students to their campuses, and posting the photos on Flickr to prove it. Check out some international student orientations around the world, courtesy of this slideshow, showing image results for the search “international student orientation.”

In anticipation of the start of the new school year, bloggers from across the internet are sharing their tips for coming to the U.S. for the first time, and a lot of them are talking specifically about what to pack in your suitcases:

Here's one thing you definitely shouldn't pack (Creative Commons photo by Flickr user ClintJCL)

- Make sure you know the weight limit for checked bags on your flight, and stick to it if you don’t want to pay overage charges, says a contributor to Happy Schools Blog.

- Pack the clothes you feel comfortable in, not what you think is in style, said Senzeni based on her experience last year. And bring dressier clothes too, she suggested – you can’t always wear t-shirts and jeans.

- Bring some key things from home that won’t be available in America, said Tara in that same post. For Chinese students she recommended BB Cream and maybe a rice cooker.

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Part of our Student Union family

Before summer vacation started, a bunch of our bloggers got together (via Skype) to chat about how their experiences over the past school year – the ups and downs, challenges and victories, and what they learned.

We had some fantastic conversations, even digging into a few topics we hadn’t really covered in the blog posts – AND they agreed to let me record the Skype call so you all could listen in.

Our first of two phone calls is below (with links to download if you’d rather do that). I am SO excited to share this with you!

Conversation #1: Pete and Repeat are on a Boat

Or download the mp3.

In this first conversation, Nareg, Alex, Jaime and I talk about integrating into American society, including a hysterical discussion about jokes that define cultures and jokes that cross cultures. “Resident sociologist” Nareg also talked about America’s relative wealth and why that means many people have silly problems, and Alex discussed being an African among African-Americans.

Plus, Sebastian popped in late in the discussion to answer questions about how he got his financial aid package to KU, and how he turned around a quiet first semester to blossom into a social butterfly.

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Acceptance letters (Creative commons photo by Flickr user Adrian Ho)

The final, and possibly most important, of our recaps looks back at the most informative posts we’ve done over the past year. If you’re just discovering this blog or just starting to think about studying in the U.S., these posts will be a good way to start.

Top 5 most informative posts:

#1) Applying to Schools

From deciding to study in America to waiting for the results of your application, this post walks through all the basic steps of applying, including stories from our bloggers about their experiences.

Also see:
First Steps: Deciding to Come to the US is the Easy Part

#2) Exploring Financial Aid and Funding Options

There are so many more sources of aid and scholarships than you may think.  This post helps you get started understanding your options, and shares the various routes pursued by our bloggers to afford their education.

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This funny and informative video supposedly comes from a Columbia Business School Orientation in 2008. Topics covered: (1) How to recognize an American; (2) how to greet an American you’ve just met; (3) how to greet an American after having a few beers.

Videos from the rest of the presentation are on the uploader’s YouTube channel (we’ve sleuthed out that his name might be Dan).

Meet Jihye Choi – journalism student, VOA intern, and photographer extraordinaire.  She has recently come to Washington, D.C. from Bucheon, South Korea and has been sharing her journey with us in photos.  Here are some of her most recent pictures and stories (which she’s written in English AND Korean!):

Hello Everyone! It’s really nice to meet all of you. I’m Jihye Choi, who’s interning at Voice of America. I’d like to tell you a short story about what I see in this great city, Washington D.C. Above shows my ‘former’ identity in South Korea before I came here. If you’re interested in the new identity and adventures I will find in this city, please don’t hesitate to follow me!

안녕하세요 반갑습니다! 저는 Voice of America에서 인턴을 하고 있는 최 지혜라고 해요. 여기서 저는 제가 보는 워싱턴에 대해 이야기를 해보려고 합니다. 사진은 워싱턴에 오기 전에 제가 가졌던 현금과 학생증이에요. 말하자면 ‘구’ 정체성인셈이죠! 앞으로 제가 워싱턴에서 찾을 또다른 제 모습과 모험, 궁금하시다면 계속 클릭클릭!

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