In 2019, I left Nepal right after high school to attend Clark University for my undergraduate degree. Like many Nepali students, I was excited, nervous, and full of big dreams.

I had heard stories about life in the U.S., seen it in movies, and read about it in forums. But no one truly prepared me for the lived experience of what it meant to be an international student.

Looking back, there are so many small and big things I wish someone had told me. Here's a glimpse into what I learned the hard way—and what I hope future students can learn ahead of time.

From Dependence to Sudden Independence

Growing up in Nepal, we are deeply dependent on our families. We live with them. Most children don’t have part-time jobs. Our meals are cooked, our clothes are washed, and our daily routines are shaped by school, parents, or both. Life, in many ways, is structured and taken care of.

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So when I moved to the U.S., I wasn't just stepping into a new country—I was stepping into an entirely new way of living.

Sure, I lived in the dorms during freshman and sophomore year and had access to the cafeteria. But picking well-balanced meals from a buffet-style dining hall wasn’t as simple as it sounds. The abundance of choices quickly became overwhelming—and let's be honest, no one teaches you how to “eat right” when you’ve always been served home-cooked dal bhat.

Doing laundry was another unexpected challenge. Back home, my family preferred hand-washing clothes because we believed washing machines damaged them. So I had no idea how to operate one. My first attempts involved trial and error—including shrinking a sweater or two. Figuring out what could and couldn’t go in the dryer became a crash course in survival.

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Falling Sick Without a Safety Net

Nothing highlights how alone you are like getting sick in a new country.

In Nepal, when you're sick, your parents take care of you. They know what medicine you need. They take you to the doctor. There’s a comfort in being cared for.

In the U.S., especially as a student, you’re on your own. You don't know which medicine to take. You don’t have a primary care doctor. You’re not even sure what that means. The student health center may not have available appointments when you need them. Urgent care sounds promising—until you get there and realize the wait times are hours long. And the ER? That’s a whole other cultural shock—6 to 8 hours of waiting, often in a chair, not a bed.

No one prepares you for the emotional toll of navigating sickness in solitude.

Making Friends Across Cultures

As international students, we expect to make friends from all over the world—and we do. But no one tells you how difficult that process can be.

Cultural misunderstandings are real. So are awkward silences. Trying to explain why you take your shoes off indoors, why you don’t eat beef, or why you celebrate Dashain with jamara and tikas can feel exhausting when you’re constantly on the receiving end of questions.

Meanwhile, you're also trying to understand other cultures, accents, humor, and social cues—all while figuring out where you fit in. Friendships take time, and when everything is unfamiliar, that time can feel even longer.

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Rethinking Education from the Ground Up

Another thing no one talks about enough: the shock of adjusting to the American education system.

Everyone back home used to say, “U.S. education is easier than Nepal’s.” And while it may be true that the Nepali curriculum is academically intense, the style of learning in the U.S. is a completely different world.

In Nepal, we’re trained to memorize and repeat what teachers say. Exams are about regurgitating “the correct answer” as taught in class. There is little room—or demand—for personal opinion.

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In the U.S., you're expected to read, understand, reflect, and then form your own perspective. Suddenly, you're being graded on your ability to analyze, critique, and cite sources—things we were barely taught, if at all.

And then there’s plagiarism—a concept not heavily emphasized in Nepali schools, especially before university. You don’t just need to write well—you need to cite every idea that isn't yours. Learning how to use APA or MLA formats while simultaneously learning how to write research papers in your second (or third) language can feel like trying to swim with weights on your ankles.

Combine that with grammar rules, academic tone, and vocabulary—you will cry at some point. I did.

Final Thoughts

The life of an international student isn’t just about culture shock—it’s about constant learning. And not just in class, but everywhere. From laundry rooms to cafeterias, from group projects to emergency rooms.

I’m still learning. Still adjusting. Still growing.

And while it hasn’t always been easy, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Because with every challenge came growth—with every discomfort, a new layer of confidence.

So to anyone planning to study abroad: prepare as much as you can, but know that you will still be surprised. Be gentle with yourself. Ask questions. Cry if you need to. And remember, you’re not alone—even when it feels like it.

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