Advice from One International Student to Another

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International students becoming involved in the MCVA department.

Akanksha Kashyap

Globalization is not restricted to companies moving abroad or investing in other countries. The ‘Open Doors’ study on international students states that the US economy has a $42.7 million contribution from international students. The numbers have been increasing rapidly every year. 2018 hit the skies, with 1.09 million international students in the States.

Even though the US is the top host for these international students, the students constantly have a fear of the unknown before moving to the country of their dreams. The entire process being complicated in itself does not ease their worries, but they hold tight to their dreams; the only thing that is a constant push for them.

“Faith. I believe nothing is more important than having faith in yourself that you can do it. America is a totally different ball game and a completely different culture. Faith keeps you going and then it becomes reality,” international student of Pace from Korea, Jaehan Pag said.

The atmosphere of a new place engulfs these international students and after a while, they seem to become experts in international relations. Amidst all the excitement, a few international students have tips for every counterpart of theirs wanting to move here. The first one is to obviously have your documents in place; passport, visa, SEVIS and others.

“Another tip that I feel is very important for an international student is having an open mind. Be open to the fact that everything is going to change. But that change would definitely be a good one,” MCVA graduate assistant and international student from India, Preksha Yadav said.

According to Yadav, the next most important tip is to have a varied pallet of taste because food is something that you always miss from your country.

The United States is known for being the land of opportunities and the international students strive to pick some of them up.

“It is a place to grow. But not to forget that it is all very new to us. I think after all the necessary requirements in place, the next big step is to explore. Explore the place, talk to people. Observe. It helps. It helps in blending to the new culture. It helps understand it,”  Saswat Madaan, an international student from India student studying Information System at Pace said.

Yadav also mentioned that research is another key requirement that any international students should have in their stride. She highly recommends to do a lot of research on the courses and other things so that any student can make optimum utilization of resources.

“Try to be active on campus, spend time in the library, be a member of student organizations, keep yourself involved, don’t forget your physical health, though; use the Pace gym, Goldstein Fitness Center. Treat your body as a temple. It’s a different environment. Any student has a high probability of falling sick with the new, changing environment,” Yadav said.

Ana Belzunce, the International Student Advisor also had a very similar tip to every international student.

“It’s very important for international students to take some days before the start of classes to become familiar with their new environment. Explore the campus, learn about all the services Pace offers, and where every department is located, and of course, join a club or multiple clubs to meet other students,” Belzunce said.

Even though it can be a new, scary and daunting territory at first, through these few tips, every student can get along with their peers and become one of their own. After all, the US is a land of opportunities.