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Common Sense for Studying in the United States
Common Sense for Studying in the United States
1. Don’t hitchhike
When traveling in the United States, you must not hitchhike casually. This is due to the social security situation in the United States. Cases of hitchhiking being robbed of money or humiliated are common in the United States. Some criminals see women walking on the roadside and take the initiative to stop the car and ask for a ride. If you mistakenly think that he is kind, it is tantamount to sending a sheep into the mouth of a tiger. In this case, it is better to refuse coldly and don't make any more attempts.
Not only that, don't easily agree to a ride when you meet someone asking for a ride, because some criminals, including young girls, specifically wait for rides and then use threats and other means to extort money after you get in the car.
2. Don’t take the subway at night
The subway in New York is extremely dirty and messy, and at night it becomes a gathering place for gang members. Drug addicts, thieves, gangsters, and drug dealers gather here, and the whole atmosphere is chilling. If you don't pay attention to this, then after something happens, the New York police will not only not sympathize with you, but may even blame you: "Taking the subway at night is like swimming in water full of crocodiles, isn't it? If something goes wrong, the responsibility lies with you."
3. Don’t call black people “Negro”
Negro means "black" in English. It refers to black people who were sold from Africa to the United States as slaves. So in the United States, you must not call black people "Negro", whether you are talking to white people or black people. Otherwise, black people will feel that you are being looked down upon. When talking about black people, use the word "Black", and black people will accept this name calmly.
4. Don’t say “I am sorry” casually
"I am sorry" and "Excuse me" both mean "sorry" or "excuse me", but "I am sorry" is a stronger word, which means admitting one's fault or mistake. If you say it easily just to be polite, the other party will often find fault with you and hold you accountable for the responsibility that is not actually yours. You will then have no choice but to swallow your anger, because "I am sorry" has already admitted that you were wrong, so how can you change your words?
5. Humility is not a virtue
Chinese people regard modesty as a virtue, but Americans regard excessive modesty as a synonym for hypocrisy. If a person who can speak fluent English modestly says that his English is not good, and then speaks fluent English, Americans will think that he is lying and is a hypocrite. Therefore, when dealing with Americans, you should boldly speak of your abilities, and say what you can and what you can say. There is no need to be modest and polite, otherwise it will backfire.
6. Say hello to strangers
We often meet people walking towards us on the street, in the elevator or in the corridor. When our eyes meet, it is the American custom to greet them with your eyes. You should not look away immediately or turn your face away to pretend that you don't see them. Only people who don't like or look down on you do this.
When Americans walk down the street in the early morning, they are accustomed to saying "good morning" to people they pass by. Of course, on streets with a lot of pedestrians, it is not necessary to greet or point out everyone who passes by.
7. Topics of conversation
When attending an American gathering, don't just talk about the topics you care about most and are best at. Talking about topics that only you are familiar with will embarrass others and cause them to feel disgusted. Talking about personal business matters and showing off will also make others feel that you have a narrow vision and know nothing about anything other than your own business. During the conversation, you should find topics that everyone is interested in. Doctors can talk about literature, scientists can talk about music, and educators can talk about their travel experiences, so that the whole gathering is filled with a relaxed atmosphere.
It should be noted that Christians view suicide as a sin. In the United States, the topic of "suicide" is unwelcome and it is better not to talk about it at any time and place.
8. Don’t forget to greet your children
Americans believe that adults and children are equal. When you visit an American family, their children will definitely come out to greet you. At this time, you must not only pay attention to the adults and ignore the children. That will inevitably make their parents unhappy. When greeting children, you can shake hands or kiss their cheeks. If a child kisses you, you must also kiss his cheek.
9. People of the same sex cannot dance together
The same sex cannot dance together. This is one of the recognized social etiquettes in the United States. If the same sex dances together, others will definitely look at them in reproach or think that they are homosexuals. Therefore, even if you cannot find a dance partner of the opposite sex, you must never dance with the same sex.
10. Don’t take off your shoes in front of others
In the United States, if you take off your shoes or go barefoot in front of others, you will be regarded as a barbarian who does not know etiquette. Shoes can only be taken off in the bedroom or between a man and a woman in love. If a woman takes off her shoes in front of a man, it means "you can do whatever you want"; if a man takes off his shoes, he will be despised as a barefoot native in the jungle. It is impolite for both men and women to pull down their socks or garters in front of others; if the shoelaces are loose, they should be tied up in a place where no one is around.
11. Women should not drink alone
Women are not allowed to drink alone. If they drink alone or in groups, they will be regarded as "women waiting for men". Women who are not familiar with this situation may be harassed by men who "offer themselves".
12. Don’t stick out your tongue in front of others
Americans believe that sticking out the tongue in front of others is both unsightly and impolite, giving people a sense of vulgarity and obscenity, and can even be interpreted as looking down on others. Children can stick out their tongues when they make mistakes to appear innocent and cute, but adults should never do this.
13. Don’t smile casually
A smile can bring friendship. However, in some situations, a smile often represents a promise for something. Especially for women, don't smile for no reason, because an ambiguous smile can sometimes be mistaken for "ridicule" or "acquiescence", which can cause great misunderstandings.
14. You need to bend down when passing in front of a seat
In a narrow place, such as in a movie theater, when walking in front of someone, you must say "excuse me"; at this time, Americans will turn their backs to the person sitting, lower their heads and bend over, which is different from the European habit, where people must face the person sitting, lower their heads and bend over when walking past.
15. Don’t get drunk at a party
Drinking in moderation and maintaining a polite manner at a banquet is a common etiquette for Europeans and Americans. You rarely see people getting drunk at American banquets. Even if you drink too much, you have to wait until the banquet is over and return to your room before you can get up. If you get drunk on the spot and cause trouble, you will be despised by everyone.
16. Don’t give random gifts
Gifts must be meaningful. For example, you can give a gift to a friend on his birthday or a colleague on his wedding day to show your appreciation. But you can't give gifts without thinking, because the other party will not be grateful and will suspect you of having ulterior motives. If you don't know what gift to give, you can give flowers. Flowers are always appropriate when you are a guest or attend a banquet. Perfumes and whiskey are also popular.
17. Don’t eat garlic before going out
Americans are generally very sensitive to smells, and especially hate the smell of garlic. Before going out, if you have eaten garlic, brush your teeth and rinse your mouth. Otherwise, the garlic smell will definitely make the other person unhappy.
18. Don’t pay for other people’s bills
It is a Chinese custom that when a few good friends go out together, they always rush to pay for the tickets, entrance fees, etc. However, if you do this to Americans, they will not be thanked. This practice will make Americans feel that they owe a favor. Psychologically, it is very uncomfortable; when Americans go out together, they always pay for their own expenses, including fares, meals, and tips.
19. After using the restroom
The Chinese are used to closing the door casually and keeping it tightly closed when no one is in the toilet, while Americans are used to leaving a small gap in the toilet door to indicate that no one is inside; if it is closed tightly, it means there is someone inside and others have to wait outside.
20. The meaning of gestures
When Americans donate to themselves, they point to the tip of their noses. If we follow our habit of pointing to our chests, they often don't understand what we mean. When we call people over, we usually wave our hands, which is exactly "goodbye" in the eyes of Americans. Their gesture for calling people over is to point their fingers at themselves, and then gently shake their middle and index fingers two or three times. Americans have many gesture habits, such as making a circle with the index finger and thumb, and stretching the other three fingers upwards to make an "OK" gesture, which means "good" or "agree".
Further reading: Analysis of the new policy for studying abroad in the United States
1. OPT Extension
After completing a full academic year of study in the United States, you can apply for a formal work permit, which is the OPT we are familiar with. As long as you are an adult student, generally studying for an undergraduate, master's or graduate degree, as long as the time qualifications are met, you can apply.
The new policy states that students studying in mathematics, engineering, natural sciences and technology can directly extend their 12-month application to 29 months when making a formal application. This way, they do not need to renew their visas frequently and can basically maintain their stay until graduation.
2. H1B Increase
The issuance of work visas has also been changed. A trial run was carried out in the 2020 fiscal year (October 1, 2019 - September 30, 2020). The screening will first give 65,000 general places, and then increase 20,000 places for those with a master's degree or above.
In this way, international students in the United States, especially those with a master's degree or above, will be given priority for review when submitting their applications, and their probability of passing will be higher. Moreover, as highly educated workers, they are highly recognized by society and are able to get more worthy jobs.
3. Rising costs
On May 22 last year, the U.S. ICE announced a notice of an increase in visa application fees. This was mainly due to the increase in operating costs for the SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program), which needed to be shared among each student applying. This has now been fully implemented.
The major increases include the I-901 SEVIS processing fee for international students' F and M visas, which has increased from $200 to $350; and the service fee for J visas for travel and work applications has also increased from $180 to $220.
IV. Current situation of studying abroad
After years of development, studying abroad has also undergone relatively large changes. Currently, international students' application choices have become more and more reasonable. They no longer only look at the rankings when choosing a school, but also examine the school's hardware and software. This has also avoided many adverse effects caused by blind obedience.
The choice of majors is no longer limited to popular business and engineering. More and more students are choosing their favorite majors, and previously unpopular subjects such as art, literature, history, and law are becoming increasingly popular.
Further reading: A guide to saving money when studying in the United States
1. Confirm the regional environment
In the United States, different states and cities have different levels of economic development, which has a great impact on prices. Therefore, even schools with similar teaching levels and actual rankings will have relatively large differences in the tuition fees for professional studies.
Therefore, students who want to save money can choose a city with a slightly remote geographical location. In this way, the tuition fees they need to prepare will be relatively cheaper, and the quality of teaching they can receive will not be much different. The most obvious difference will be the provision of living infrastructure.
In addition, you can also divide your learning stages. You can first go to a community college to receive basic education, and then transfer to the college of your choice. This can save a lot of expenses because the tuition at community colleges is very cheap.
2. Prepare your bonus application
There are generally three types of projects that students can obtain, including Need Based, which is more suitable for American students, Merit Based, which is suitable for international students from all over the world, and Need Blind, which is suitable for students with outstanding abilities.
When you apply to a school, you can ask whether scholarships are available. If they are offered, you must apply hard. Generally, places are awarded according to the proportion of students. Except for special projects, most of them are awarded according to students' abilities.
Therefore, it is generally recommended to go to the official website to obtain resources. Colleges and universities that can provide students with relatively rich scholarships should be everyone’s first choice. In addition, it depends on the funding and financial support provided by the government to the school.
3. Buy second-hand books
The tuition fees you pay to the school do not include the books you need to use in class. All books need to be purchased by yourself. These are not very expensive, but you can also save money from it because the physical books here are relatively expensive.
It is generally recommended that you purchase second-hand books, or borrow them directly from the library. These are both cost-effective ways, and are also easier for everyone to obtain. To purchase second-hand books, you can go to the website or directly contact seniors.
Summary of common sense for studying in the United States
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