An International Student’s Vague Guide to USC

Hi! My name is Aliyah and I am a current sophomore and Co-Chair of Recruitment at ISA. Although my passport prevents me from calling myself an international student, I have spent a fair amount of time moving around and have learned a bit about how hard it is to adjust to new places. Although I admit I haven’t always been the best at it, here are a couple of things I have learned along the way.

1) Put yourself out there

I know this is so much easier said than done, and I myself don’t follow it 90% of the time, but it’s arguably the most important thing you can do in a new environment. As a shy, anxious kid, it was far too easy for me to stay in my own small bubble sticking to the comfort of my sister. But, in the rare moments where I would step a foot outside, I was met with sunrise walks from sparking a conversation with classmates, randomly joining a Marshall program for a class trip to Spain (where I met Co-Marketing Chair Lauren!), meeting my soon-to-be closest friend in Korea from the USC 2026 page, and family-like communities from joining random clubs (like ISA!). By putting myself in slightly vulnerable positions, I am now surrounded by people that make me feel at home.

2) Adapt, but you don’t necessarily need to conform

Each and every country has its own quirks and customs that’ll inevitably take time adjusting to. It’s up to you to decipher which ones you want to conform to, and which ones you don’t. For example, in Shanghai, I grew accustomed to minding my own business and spamming the elevator close button the second I entered. At USC, I realized this was considered rude and that it’s not uncommon for a stranger to ask you how you are in the elevator. I now am the first to ask you what floor you’re on, but not necessarily the first to ask how you are.Continue celebrating your culture and background, you will inevitably find a group or club that will celebrate it with you. But with that, don’t be afraid to learn the culture of LA and explore as much as you can. Take the bus and go to Hollywood or spend the day cafe-hopping all over K-town!

3) Branch beyond your group

International students have a rep. There is a tendency for international students to group together in small exclusive bubbles. While I know it’s so much easier to connect with people with shared backgrounds and who understand you better than others, I encourage you to expand your social circle to people with vastly different upbringings than you. I came in with the perception that I could only get along with people who were similar to me, but was grossly disproven by the people I’ve met in organizations and classes. While certain topics are hard to connect on, we understand each other in different ways and they have opened me to new worlds and cultures I would have never understood before. I know it’s a lot easier to read something than actually committing to it, but I encourage you to allow yourself to be uncomfortable. I don’t do this enough myself, but it’s truly never too late to start.Also, adapting takes time, allow yourself the patience to take it.