International students
You crossed oceans to chase a dream. It’s okay if it feels big, and it’s okay to ask for help along the way.
By the numbers
You are far from alone.
In the U.S.
Research
Studying far from home
Big dreams, big adjustments.
More than a million international students study at colleges and universities in the United States. Studying abroad can be exciting and life-changing. It can also mean starting over in a new language, culture and school system, often without family nearby.
Researchers call the strain of adjusting to a new culture “acculturative stress.” A 2024 review of many studies found that the more of this stress international students felt, the more likely they were to also feel depression and distress. Support from other people seemed to soften the effect.
Strengths many international students bring
- Courage to start over somewhere new
- Seeing the world through more than one culture
- Skill in more than one language
- Strong family ties and a sense of purpose
Culture shock & adjusting
New customs, new humor, new rules nobody explains. Tap any card.
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Adjusting to a new culture often has ups and downs. At first everything can feel exciting. Later, small differences can start to feel tiring: how people greet each other, how direct they are, what is polite and what is rude.
What can help
- Be patient with yourself. Adjusting takes months, not days.
- Find a “culture guide”: a friend who can explain unwritten rules
- Keep friends from home and make new local friends too
- Notice what you enjoy about your new place, not just what is hard
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Speaking a second language all day takes real mental energy. Many students say they feel “less like themselves” or less funny in a new language. That is normal and usually eases with time.
What can help
- Build in short breaks where you can think in your first language
- Join a conversation group or language exchange
- Let friends know it is okay to explain slang
- Read or watch something light in English for fun, not just for class
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Teaching styles may be different from home. Speaking up in class, group projects, rules about citing sources, and first-name relationships with professors can all feel unfamiliar.
What can help
- Learn your school’s rules on academic honesty early
- Use the writing center and tutoring. Using them is a smart move, not a weakness.
- Visit office hours. Professors expect students to come with questions.
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Unfamiliar food, a new climate, shorter winter days, different shops and transport can all add quiet stress. Missing a favorite meal can hurt more than you expect.
What can help
- Find a grocery store that sells food from home
- Get outside in daylight, especially in winter
- Learn the bus or train routes with a friend
- Keep a few comforts from home in your room
Homesickness
Missing people, food, language and the feeling of being “at home.”
Homesickness is a kind of grief for the familiar. It can show up as sadness, tiredness, trouble sleeping, or just a dull ache when you smell a certain food or hear a song from home. It often comes in waves, and can hit hardest around holidays, birthdays and exam time.
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Video calls help, but they can also remind you of the distance. Missing big family moments, like weddings or a grandparent’s illness, can be especially hard.
What can help
- Send voice notes or photos they can see when they wake up
- Set a regular call time that works for both time zones
- Watch a show or eat a meal “together” over video
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Holidays from home may not be days off here, and local holidays can leave campus empty. Both can make the distance feel bigger.
What can help
- Celebrate with other students from your country or region
- Cook a holiday dish and invite new friends
- Ask your international office or faith groups about holiday events
- Plan something kind for yourself on hard dates
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What can help
- Cook or find food from home, and share it with new friends
- Explore your new town too, so it slowly becomes “yours”
- Join a cultural or home-country student group
- Keep a small ritual from home, like a morning prayer, tea or music
Family hopes & academic pressure
Feeling you must succeed for your family, not just for yourself.
Many international students carry the hopes of their families. Parents may have saved for years or sacrificed a lot. That love can be a source of strength, and it can also feel like a heavy weight. A low grade can feel like letting everyone down.
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Some students hide struggles from family to avoid worrying them. Over time, keeping it all inside can make stress feel bigger and lonelier.
What can help
- Share small wins with family, not only big results
- Try telling one family member how you are really doing
- Remember that one grade does not define your future
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It is common to discover new interests at college. Changing direction can feel scary when family expected a certain path, and it may affect visa rules too.
What can help
- Talk with an academic advisor about options
- Check with your international student office before changing programs
- Explain your reasons to family in terms of your values and future
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High standards can help you grow. But if fear of mistakes stops you from sleeping, asking questions or handing work in, it is worth getting support.
Money worries
High costs, exchange rates and limited ways to earn.
Tuition, rent and daily costs can be high, and a change in exchange rates can suddenly make everything more expensive. Visa rules may limit where and how much you can work. Many students do not want to worry their families, so they keep money stress to themselves.
What can help
- Always check with your international student office before taking any job
- Ask the international student office about emergency funds or scholarships
- Look into campus food pantries, which many schools offer to all students
- Make a simple monthly budget, and review it every few weeks
Visa rules & uncertainty
Rules, deadlines and worry about whether you can stay.
Your right to study, work and stay can depend on paperwork, enrollment and rules that may change. Worry about losing status, or about what comes after graduation, can sit in the background all the time. Living with that kind of uncertainty is tiring for the mind and body.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Study in the States site reminds F and M students to talk with their Designated School Official (DSO) about maintaining status, and to report changes, such as to travel plans, to their DSO.
What can help
- Check with your international student office before changing courses, dropping classes or taking a job
- Focus on the next step you can control today
- Get information only from official sources, not rumors on social media
- Keep copies of important documents in a safe place
Friends, belonging & being an outsider
Finding your people, and coping when you feel left out.
Making close friends in a new culture can take longer than expected. Local students may already have their groups, and humor or small talk may work differently. Feeling lonely in a crowded campus is very common.
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Ideas
- Go to the same club or event several times, so faces become familiar
- Invite a classmate for coffee after a group project
- Join intramural sports, music, volunteering or faith groups
- Say yes to some invitations, even when you feel tired
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Some international students face stereotypes, jokes or unfair treatment. Even small comments can leave you feeling you don’t belong.
What can help
- Talk it over with friends who understand
- Know where to report discrimination on your campus, such as the dean of students office
- Remind yourself that your place at this school is earned
Read more
Dating customs may be different from home, and family expectations may pull in another direction. It is okay to go at your own pace and set boundaries that feel right to you.
Help on campus
Support that is often free and closer than you think.
Most colleges have support built for students like you. Many international students do not use counseling because it is not common at home, or they worry it will affect their visa or be shared with family. Ask about privacy rules directly. Counseling centers usually keep what you say confidential, with a few safety exceptions they will explain.
Where to look
- Academic advisors and the dean of students office
- Counseling or wellness center (often free or low cost)
- Cultural, faith and home-country student groups
- Health center
- International student and scholar office
- Peer mentors or “buddy” programs
Supporting an international student
For classmates, roommates, staff and host families.
Ways to help
- Invite them along: to meals, study groups, holidays and everyday plans.
- Explain unwritten rules kindly, without making them feel silly.
- Ask about their home and listen with real curiosity.
- Help with practical things: buses, bank accounts, where to buy groceries.
- Notice if they seem withdrawn, and check in gently.
Try to avoid
- Asking them to speak for their whole country
- Correcting their English in front of others
- Jokes about accents or names
When and where to get help
Signs it’s time to reach out, and where to start.
Reach out if
- It is getting harder to study, eat or sleep
- Sadness, worry or homesickness has lasted two weeks or more
- You are drinking or using other substances to cope
- You are skipping classes or pulling away from everyone
- You have any thoughts of hurting yourself
Where to start
- Contact your campus counseling or wellness center.
- Talk to your international student advisor about practical worries.
- Tell one friend or family member how you are really doing.
📝 Worksheets for this guide
Fill these in privately in the app. Your answers stay on your phone.
Sources
- Institute of International Education (IIE) (2025). Open Doors 2025 press release
- Frontiers in Psychology (Soufi Amlashi, Majzoobi & Forstmeier) (2024). The relationship between acculturative stress and psychological outcomes in international students: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Study in the States (2019). Students: Reminders for Maintaining Status
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
This guide is for education and self-care. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. Please talk to a counselor or clinical provider about your health. Reviewed October 2026.
