We asked a couple of international and exchange students about the aspects that shocked or surprised them during their stay in the US. These insights are based on individual experiences and do not universally apply.
Openness and Friendliness of Americans
- It is genuinely remarkable how friendly Americans are. They are all about warm greetings and spontaneous conversations. It’s definitely contagious.
Small Talk Masters
- Americans excel at small talk. They can effortlessly strike up conversations about any topic at any time. Especially for exchange and international students, Americans won’t hesitate to inquire about your home country and engage in discussions about cultural differences.
Early Eating Habits
- Dinner time in the US often occurs earlier than you’d expect. While some international students preferred dining around 9-10 PM, many Americans were already eating dinner at 6 PM.
Informality in Student-Teacher Relationships
- Expect emails starting with “Hi Anna” and ending with “Cheers” rather than a more formal salutation like “Good morning Mrs. Smith” and a sign-off such as “Kind regards.” Additionally, it’s not uncommon for professors to use casual language, including swear words, in class.
Tipping Culture
- Tipping is really important in the US. The topic is often addressed in orientation classes for international and exchange students. Tipping around 20-25% is customary, and it may surprise you that even your hairdresser expects a tip.
Drinking Age Limits
- The drinking age limit of 21 years in the US is widely known globally. For a 20-year-old exchange or international student from a country with a lower drinking age, this aspect may take some getting used to.
Large Food Portions
- If you are dining out in the US, expect generous portion sizes – often way larger than expected.
Sports Culture
- Your university likely has a lot of sports teams, like basketball or football teams. Expect the entire campus to rally for their games.
Supermarket Variety
- Superstores like Walmart, Costco, and Target are likely on a whole different level than what you are used to. You can easily spend hours browsing around those stores. You’ll find whatever you need.
- A funny interaction between an American student and an exchange student: the exchange student asked what places she could go sightseeing around town. The American student replied, beaming: “I’ll take you to Costco! I have a membership card and a car!”
Casual Dress Code
- Students tend to dress much more casually in the US. You could turn up in your pajama pants to class, and no one would blink twice at you.
TVs in Bars
- It’s quite common to find numerous TV screens in bars broadcasting sports events or news.
Units of Measurement
- Americans use Fahrenheit for temperature, miles for distance, cups for baking, gallons for liquids, and so on. Americans are generally happy to explain. It’s also a fun topic to argue about.
Your experiences may be similar or completely different. Either way, be prepared for the unexpected and enjoy those little culture shocks.