Are students who have just arrived in the United States to study abroad confused about life in the United States and don’t know what they should do and how to do it! Most Chinese students who go to the United States have never been abroad, and some even Having never left their parents, many students felt very confused when they came to the United States to study alone in this strange city. They have absolutely no idea about life and survival, so today we will teach you some survival skills while studying abroad.
Do as the Romans do when you are in town
Soon you will make new friends who will help you. If they are Chinese, then you can continue to use the previous contact tools (QQ, Weibo, Renren). However, the editor recommends that you contact Americans and international students from other countries. If you want to keep in touch with them, you'd better have the following tools:
Gmail
Basically everyone here uses Gmail. After applying for Gmail, you will have permission to use Gchat. Because Gchat is built within Gmail, it is a widely used chat tool. Applying for Gmail will also give you permission to use Google Docs. You'll find that Google Docs is a very useful collaboration tool when working on group projects.
Facebook can effectively help you stay in touch with classmates you see every day. Also, it's a great place to help you remember people's names.
LinkedIn is equivalent to Facebook for jobs. Your LinkedIn profile page is your job resume.
Proof of Identity
Most international students use their passport as their ID card before getting a driver's license. I think the limited understanding of "you can only use your passport without taking a driver's license" makes their lives unnecessarily troublesome (unless you plan to buy a car and get a driver's license as soon as you come).
To get around this hassle:
First, you need a Social Security Number (SSN).
The social security number is very, very important: this number is equivalent to China’s ID number. A Social Security number is required when applying for state ID, applying for a job, and filing taxes. This document from the Social Security Administration, http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10181.pdf, explains international students (F-1, M-1 or J-1 visa holders) How to apply for a Social Security Number.
According to this document, if the school allows students holding F-1 visas to work on and off campus, the students can apply for a social security number. In order to find a legal job and apply for a Social Security number, you will need these things:
F-1, M-1 or J-1 visa;
Form I-94 (from CBP official website arrival/departure record);
I-20 form (legal student identification from school);
Employment letter from employer;
For letters of recommendation regarding job qualifications, you may consult your legal advisor or college advisor. As for the employment letter, the easiest way is to find a job within the school.
American Friends
The best way to practice English and learn American culture is to make American friends. Although Chinese people and Chinese people seem to go with the flow, it is interesting. However, you need to pay attention to what this social model has sacrificed:
1. Always speaking in Chinese, you have no chance to practice English;
2. Americans will do it because of you A lot of Chinese-speaking people around you will be scared away and don’t want to get close to you;
3. If you quickly make Chinese-speaking friends, you may lose the motivation to contact Americans;
4. Not entering the American circle of friends means that you will lose the opportunity to absorb American culture;
5. Not entering the American circle of friends means that you will lose the opportunity to expand your professional circle;
6. In the first few weeks of college, everyone will be very open to making new friends. In most cases, if you talk to them, they will talk to you.
Everyone eats with new people, makes new friends, it’s all fun and open. However, after 2-3 weeks, people start to stay within their own circle of friends. From this point on, it becomes increasingly difficult to enter their social circle.
Don’t make friends with Americans with the mentality of learning English. This kind of friendship seems too deliberate. Find people you really like, hang out with them, and do fun things with them.
Food
Unless you live in an area with a large Chinese population, it will be difficult to find good Chinese food. The quicker you adapt to American food culture, the better off you will be.
Cheese, salad
Almost all American foods have a little cheese and cream, even salads. You can order anything without cheese, but many dishes lose texture and flavor without cheese. Getting used to cheese can open up a new world for you in American food culture.
Sandwiches, pizza, pasta
Americans can eat only these three things, or some of these three things, from breakfast to dinner, year after year, day after day. combination. Pizza is the cheapest food in college. Generally speaking, when organizing group activities, the organizer will provide free pizza.
Roommate Contracts
Many students face conflicts with their roommates. A roommate contract agreed at the outset can help reduce misunderstandings and effectively avoid the possibility of conflict. A roommate contract should outline situations where problems may arise and have solutions for different problems. For example:
1. What should I do if my roommate wants to have same-sex/opposite-sex friends stay overnight?
2. What should be the temperature of the room?
3. Put How loud should music or TV be turned up?
4. What is the schedule for cleaning the dormitory?
5. What is the contact information for each roommate?
< p>If you have very strong requirements for something (for example, you want the room temperature to be lower), then don't say you don't care out of politeness. Compromising against your true feelings can cause problems in the long run.You can't foresee every problem. So, if something unexpected and uncomfortable happens, don’t ignore it and wait for it to happen again. Don’t hypnotize yourself: “It’s not a big deal.” If it's really not a big deal, you should be able to easily report it to your roommate and resolve it.
Try to have a private conversation with your roommate to talk about your feelings and hear how he feels. Ask your roommates for their input beforehand and let them help you. Remember, most of the time, misunderstandings are the source of conflict. Eliminate misunderstandings and conflicts evaporate.
If your conflict is serious, go to your dormitory manager or dormitory counselor for help.
Church
The following may seem like unorthodox advice, but it has nothing to do with religious belief. The editor recommends that you go to more social activities organized by churches and Buddhist associations. The church is always welcoming new members. As long as you go to church with an open mind, you will find many helpful people.
They sincerely want to help you, so don’t take advantage of them because of their kindness. However, the editor does not recommend that you attend Sunday sermons. Because the content of the sermon is difficult to understand, and the topic of the speech is very boring to people who do not understand Christianity.
Of course, church members will try to preach to you and tell you about God and Jesus. These are good opportunities for you to improve your English. Read the Bible aloud to help you improve your reading comprehension and pronunciation. If you are not a religious person, you can also read the Bible as a pure literary work.
If you don’t want to go to church in the future, just tell them that you have a heavy workload and they won’t make things difficult for you.