Every year, thousands of students from all over the world travel to the USA to study. They are drawn to America by the exciting student culture, the incredible quality of the universities, and the great places to live both on and off campus. Studying and living in the USA is an excellent way to improve your English, if that's one of your goals, or to meet new kinds of people and experience a life a little different from the one you led at home. Moving across the world to live and study is loads of fun, but it's also a lot of responsibility! There’s a lot to prepare for and lots of things that you should know before you make the trip. Here are a few things to consider when you’re planning to study and live in the USA.

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Choose the right school

It might seem like this goes without saying, but we cannot overstate the importance of choosing a school that fits your needs, your values and will give you what you’re looking for from a tertiary institution. Every college and university offers different programs and those programs have different professors. Read as much as you can about each before applying, and choose schools and courses that align with what you love and want to achieve. You will spend the next few years of your life attending this school, so be sure that you make the right choice. Some of the most well-regarded universities in the USA are:

• University of Southern California, LA

• Johns Hopkins, Baltimore

• Columbia, New York

• Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh

• Vanderbilt, Nashville

• University of Washington, Seattle

Campus life

Student and campus life is another part of university or college life that varies from campus to campus, and this is an aspect of choosing the right school that you shouldn't ignore. If you love nature and spend a lot of time outside, you should choose a college that offers an education that works for you and a location where you will be happy. For those who love the outdoors, a university in Seattle might be a good choice! USC is another excellent option since there are lots of hiking routes around LA and beaches where you can enjoy the ocean. There's USC student housing off campus (or on, depending on your preference) with easy access to public transportation that can get you to the places you’d like to go.

Something else that you may want to enquire about is if there are any foreign student support or activity groups that would suit your needs. It can feel lonely starting fresh in a new place with no friends or family, and a support or student group for students of your nationality or background might be a great way to start making connections and begin to feel at ease in your new home.

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Learn about the American university system

As a foreign student, it will be helpful to understand as much as you can about your school in particular and how the university system works overall. Things may be very different in America than it is where you are from. Don't add to the culture shock by being unpleasantly surprised at school too! Some very important things to check are:

• Grade requirements

• English language requirements

• Student VISA details: how long they are valid for and the cost

• Scholarship options

Do your research

It's possible to be underprepared for a new experience, but knowing too much is impossible! Doing your research thoroughly before you put your plans into action is essential. Moving from one part of the world to another, finding a place to live, adjusting to a new culture, adjusting to the life of a busy university student — it’s all a lot to handle! If you’ve prepared in advance for all possible situations, you’ll be able to step into your new adventure with your mind at ease.

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Each location and each university will present different challenges and opportunities. If you’re heading to Los Angeles to attend USC, for example, you can Google and easily find a range of suitable accommodation options long before you even start planning your travel. That way, when you arrive, you’ll be all set! 

You should know the size of the campus and which buildings are where and research what activities there are to do in your area and which stores are close to the locations you’ll be spending a lot of time in. It might be helpful, too, to find out which USC student groups there are so that you can jump into your school year fully prepared. Use Google Maps to figure out the average time it’ll take you to walk from place to place, and research ride apps and bus routes to ensure that you can get around easily. All of these little things add up to being well-prepared for everything that's coming your way!

Wrap Up

Studying abroad in the USA means starting an entirely new life and getting an education that will take you places in the years to come that you may otherwise not have dreamed of. If you prepare well and are receptive to everything this opportunity offers, your life will be changed for the better.