Cost as an Int’l South Asian Student in the United States

The options in the US were what influenced my decision to relocate for my undergraduate education. I moved to the US in the fall of 2022 to pursue my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at Howard University in Washington, DC, after living in Kathmandu, Nepal for 19 years. My family did not stop me from seeking a degree in the United States despite the low standard of living and unstable political situation in Nepal. The thought of their children receiving a higher-quality education “that will benefit them in their future employment inspires” my parents.

I felt very interesting from my personal observation, Americans seem to enjoy exercising, whether it is at the gym, at home, or outside. According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), "many people in Asian nations still view exercise as obsolete and prefer to spend their free time watching TV or consuming unhealthy meals. On the other hand, the majority of Americans take regular exercise seriously and are concerned about their health.”

American culture moves quickly and fiercely. On the contrary, most people in Nepal are more laid-back and prefer to move at a slower pace. Nepalese people also enjoy a more laid-back approach to work, whereas Americans seem to be constantly on the go. While Nepalese people are happier spending time at home with their families, Americans spend a lot of time working and partying. Overall, living in America has been a fantastic experience thus far! Learning new things and experiencing another culture has been wonderful. I've made some incredible friends and met a lot of wonderful individuals in a short amount of time.

Most Nepalese people are not fully prepared for the challenges that will come to us after coming here in the US, whether it’s about the study required to succeed in school or the complexity of the language required to communicate with an American audience. We used to take this thing lightly, thinking that many of these problems would just disappear as soon as we left our nation's international reality, but in reality, you have to be extra aware of every decision you make and maintain the integrity of the probable consequences.

What could be the happiness index of those young students who have to stay away from their home country? What might be the return on investment for the amount of time, money, and dedication they have put into living as an international student after their graduation? What are the potential ramifications for the home country of failing to find compelling reasons to entice students who have fled their home country to return? the country in which the majority of Nepalese students consider studying as international students.

Most of the Asian international students are not native English speakers. After surveying 32 Asian students that I know of at Howard University, including those from the Southern and Northern regions, about the topic of what international students struggle with the most, they said language barriers, academic difficulties, social and cultural disparities, bias, financial strains, and issues with mental health are just a few of the difficulties that international students may run into.

According to Basanta Baral, a freshman Nepalese student at Howard, the college experience is

“like being on a roller coaster,” and he wishes he had learned in advance “how to not lose self-confidence at the lowest point and be ready for rejections.” "Regardless of the challenges, international students should take full advantage of the opportunities that this area has to offer," he added in response to the question, "What would you advise aspiring students trying to pursue their undergraduate education in the US?"

Conclusion

The motive of writing this explain is to very specifically understand an unfamiliar topic about various dimensions of living a student life here in the US as an international student. Many of the readers of this explainer will agree with “live a life adventurously in your 20s” so do I and it is proven from the experiences shared by the students interviewed. Don’t be afraid of the probable challenges you might need to go through and believe in the compounding it produces for a better future.

Works Cited:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK221225/

https://datausa.io/profile/university/howard-university

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