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Far From Home – Challenges Facing International Graduate Students, Postdocs, & Professionals
Living and Working in the US
Caroline A. Rickards, PhD
University of North Texas Health Science Center
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 Caroline Rickards, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) in Fort Worth, Texas. Caroline completed her undergraduate and graduate education in her home country of Australia before moving to the US in 2005 to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at the US Army Institute of Surgical Research in San Antonio. Caroline commenced her current position at UNTHSC in the summer of 2012 following 3 years at the University of Texas at San Antonio as a Research Assistant Professor.
Caroline’s general research interests encompass understanding the integrated cardiovascular, autonomic and cerebrovascular responses to hypovolemic stressors in humans, with an emphasis on hemorrhage and orthostasis. Caroline’s current projects focus on examining the role of hemodynamic variability (i.e., in arterial pressure and cerebral blood flow) on the protection of cerebral tissue perfusion and oxygenation, and how this may lead to greater tolerance to central hypovolemia. It is anticipated that these studies will have potential clinical applications to stroke, traumatic brain injury, hemorrhage, migraine, and orthostatic intolerance.
Caroline is actively involved in the APS as a member of the Women in Physiology Committee and the Cardiovascular Section Trainee Advisory Committee.
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As we complete one phase of our education and/or training and starting thinking about the next step, many of us consider some time “far from home” - not just across state borders, but across continents, oceans, and often across a great cultural divide. This move may be a transition from undergraduate to graduate school, or graduate school to a postdoc, or even from postdoc to your first “real” job. So what are the challenges facing those of us who brave the unknown in a country “far from home”? In this column I hope to provide some insight as an Australian living and working in the US for the past 7 years, in addition to enlightening anecdotes and advice from others who have faced a similar transition.
Challenge 1 – Immigration
Let’s face it, the number one challenge endured by all of us who come to the US from another country is immigration... and this love/hate relationship starts well before we even get to the US border. While I certainly won’t provide legal advice, I would like to share my top 5 tips on how to avoid issues with immigration.
1) START EARLY! This includes the initial contact with your visa sponsor and applies to all steps along the way, from applying for extensions, to transfers of sponsorship, and changes in status. You don’t want to be sent home prematurely because you didn’t submit your application with enough lead time for unanticipated delays in processing. Similarly, as I’m sure you have all heard before, don’t book your plane tickets until you have the visa in your passport - this can be a costly mistake!
2) Make friends with your international programs office. Maintaining a good relationship with this office is essential for successful navigation of the immigration process. Always provide them with required paperwork and documents as soon as they ask for it.
3) Always keep your passport and visa in a safe place and make sure they are both current. Many people are careful about keeping their visa current but forget that their passport is about to expire. Often you don’t even have to go home to do this as many countries allow you to renew your passport through their embassies/consulates in the US.
4) Keep copies of everything. Depending on your visa type, you will often have to supply a mountain of paperwork to your sponsor – make sure you keep a copy for yourself. Also, keep copies of all supporting documentation (e.g., DS 2019 for J-1 visas) as you often need these as you adjust status or apply for permanent residency.
5) Don’t get caught without all of your supporting paperwork at the point of immigration when you attempt to enter or re-enter the US – you may not always get a friendly agent who is willing to let you through because of your accent! Sometimes you may even need proof of immigration status when you are within the borders of the US, such as at immigration check points near the US-Mexico border. As a general rule, I keep my passport and visa with me at all times.
Challenge 2 – Who Am I?
Social Security Number
If you come to the US to work, the number one item on your “To Do” list after arriving is to apply for your social security number (SSN). This is your ticket to an identity in the US and often a pay check! Considering its importance, obtaining a SSN is actually a pretty easy process – check out the Social Security Administration website for instructions on how to apply. Just remember that you will need evidence of your identity from your home country (e.g., passport, birth certificate) and proof of employment.
Once you have your number, memorize it, don’t carry it with you, and be prepared to recall it whenever you’re asked “what’s your last four?”
Credit History
So the conundrum is “how do I get a credit history when I can’t even get a credit card, and how do I get a credit card when I don’t have a credit history?” For most of us, we have some sort of credit history at home, but this is usually not recognized when we start living in a new country. Unfortunately, even simple tasks, such as buying a cell phone, are impossible without a credit card. I was very fortunate to have one of my new work colleagues put me on her cell phone contract, but not everyone can rely on the kindness of new-found friends!
The best solution I found was to apply for a “secured credit card” through my bank; this is basically a credit card with a very low limit (mine was $250) that you have “secured” by paying the limit upfront. You can use it like a credit card to build your credit history, but the bank has a guarantee that if you miss your payment, they can reclaim your secured money.
Other ways of improving your credit history include paying your bills on time (including rent and/or car loan) and avoid applying for credit/store cards as each inquiry is a black mark against your name – shred those tempting offers that arrive in the mail! Don’t worry, with some patience and self control you will eventually establish a credit history so you too can have a wallet overflowing with store credit cards!
Challenge 3 – Homesickness
The frequency and intensity of communication with family and friends (termed “f”) is generally exaggerated at the beginning of time away from home, gradually tends to decrease as time progresses, and is inversely related to your comfort level (termed “c”) in your new surroundings (i.e., a diminishing level of homesickness, termed “h”) (see Fig. 1).
Figure 1 Inverse relationship between frequency and intensity of communication with family and friends (f) and comfort level in your new surroundings (c); h, homesickness.
For example, for the first week in the US I called home every day, and for the first year I called my best friend every Friday night. For the first 3 months I wrote a journal detailing my escapades called “Adventures of the Little Aussie in Texas,” which I emailed out to family and friends each week – this was before the blogosphere boom! Now, 7 years on, I still call my Mum on Skype every Friday night, but contact with others has gradually tapered off to what would be expected living half way around the world in a completely different time zone… The novelty of living far from home also gradually wears off as you settle into to life at home and at school or work, and this can sometimes exacerbate feelings of homesickness.
My best advice is to find things to occupy your down-time – find a new hobby, make and socialize with new friends, start exercising. My non-work distractions included joining a local gym and running group and learning how to drive (yes, I didn’t have a driver’s license when I moved to Texas!). Often the more your new home feels like your old home, the less homesick you will be. Also, utilize the many methods of communication now available to regularly keep in contact with family and friends back home, including Skype, iChat, Facebook, and Twitter. You no longer have to wait for weeks for that letter to arrive from across the Pacific Ocean!
Challenge 4 – Culture Shock
The biggest culture shock for me coming from the relatively liberal city of Melbourne, Australia to San Antonio, Texas was seeing billboard advertisements for gun shows, and the “No Guns Allowed” stickers on the bus door! For others there many more serious and difficult differences in culture, including language, religion, dress codes, dealing with conflict in the workplace, communicating with supervisors, adapting to new and unfamiliar study habits of your peers, and trying to understand social and workplace etiquette.
I remember thinking it was rude that people didn’t say “no worries” or “you’re welcome” when you thanked them for holding a door open. It took me a while to realize that “uh-huh” or “sure” was their abbreviated equivalent to “you’re welcome”. And while English is my first language, I often have problems being understood by the locals – try saying water and beer without enunciating the “r” sounds, let alone spelling out my last name!
It is certainly understandable why many international visitors gravitate towards others from similar backgrounds and cultures – I certainly latch on to any Aussie or Kiwi I have contact with. However, you do have to find a balance between the comfort and familiarity of the known and branching out into the sometimes daunting unknown.
Also remember that cultural sensitivity goes both ways. While there are bound to be many differences between your home country and your new place of residence, your new friends and work colleagues will soon tire of the constant (often negative) comparisons... “back home we do things this way...”, “well that’s not what it’s like at home...”, “I wish things were more like home...” Try to remember that it is often insulting to constantly criticize and ridicule someone else’s home. Try to focus on the positive aspects of your new country, like “Wow, I can’t believe I can actually find jeans that fit without tailoring!” (I’m 5’0’’), or “I love the convenience of drive-through banks/pharmacies/Starbucks!” Treating your experience as an adventure, exploring your new space and finding the positive aspects of your new home often helps with subduing homesickness... it takes a while, but it works.
Challenge 5 – Do I Stay or Do I Go?
Once your initial experience far from home comes to an end (e.g., you finish grad school or your postdoc funding runs out), you then have to consider, what next? Do you want to stay in this new country that you have kind of become accustomed to? Does this now feel more like home than home? Do you now have all the trappings of home - a partner, kids, dogs, a mortgage, a credit history, a turkey pan? Are there employment or training opportunities in your home country that you can go back to or is there more available in your new country, or maybe another country altogether? Are there immigration issues you have to consider? Do you have aging parents or dependent siblings that need you back home? This decision is so filled with choice, obligation, guilt, and potential lost and gained opportunities, that sometimes it’s hard to absorb all of these considerations.
For me, personal (partner/dogs/mortgage/turkey pan) and professional (grant, tenure-track faculty position, proximity to collaborators) opportunities have been the major selling points to remain in the US, although I cannot deny that a large part of me often yearns for a tram ride along the streets of Melbourne, the smell of eucalyptus trees, the sound of Kookaburras announcing the arrival of a thunderstorm, and Vegemite on toast! I guess regular visits home and an occasional care package full of Australian goodies from my Mum will have to suffice!
Think about your options carefully, and remember that nothing is forever (in a good way of course!). Sometimes some extra time away from home will prepare you for new opportunities and broaden your options. Who knows, maybe your new temporary life in the US will become permanent.
Comments:
One of the things I found hardest in a move from the UK to the US was making new friends. I was in a small lab so socializing with lab mates was not going to work. There was a pretty big expatriate community where I was, but I always felt like I didn’t quite fit in. The expats were always complaining about life in the US and I loved my life. Finally I took the somewhat odd step for a scientist of joining a theater group. This group gave me a reason to leave the lab. I had a huge group of friends who were kind enough to introduce me to my husband. So my recommendation is to look beyond the lab for a social life, you never know what you will find.
Anne Dorrance
Michigan State University
This is a very useful and comprehensive article to help overcome some of the obstacles involved when moving to another country for study or work. Here a few thoughts from someone who has moved from the United Kingdom to four different countries (England, Canada, USA and Puerto Rico). First, it cannot be emphasized enough how important it is to get your paperwork in order (and check and recheck). Forget the stories about certain immigration agents being tough – in my experience they are all strict, fair and stick to the rules. Don’t think that you can ‘speed up the system’ - you have to wait for the process to take place and make your travel plans AFTER. Interestingly as a newcomer (often with a strange accent) in a new place you are regarded as being novel and ‘different’ making it surprisingly easy to make friends compared to being in your own hometown. Make the most of this at the start – join the sports clubs or activities of the University. Use this time to explore and investigate your new location, do the tourist sightseeing and invite your friends to visit (although the amount of friends visiting may correlate with location – for me the Caribbean garnered more visits than the Midwest!). Finally, it is worth remembering that ALL locations have advantages and disadvantages. Often the cultural or language differences you expect are perhaps not what you notice the most. Humor and body language can be very different and crucial to being understood. Importantly you should set aside preconceived notions and expectations, don’t generalize (how many times have I heard about ‘loud’ Americans) and keep an open mind. One of the best things about science is the opportunity to travel and learn about different cultures. Remember that comparisons do indeed work both ways - your friends and family from back home may get fed up when they also have to hear about ‘how they do it over there....’
Caroline Appleyard
Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences
I was born and raised in Italy and came to the US 13 years ago as a graduate student, so I have direct experience of the issues covered so comprehensively by Dr. Rickards.
My own transition from home to the US was easier than in most cases, because my husband (who is also Italian) came to work here before me so I knew what to expect. My feelings of homesickness were also greatly attenuated by the fact that my loved one lived with me. Yet, there were challenges and some uneasiness at times.
I completely agree with Dr. Rickards regarding how to handle the VISA documents. The best course of action is to religiously update all your papers, keep them safe and organized, carry them with you in all your trips and treasure them as your most valuable possession (you should see how I obsess about my green card when I travel back to Italy). Maintaining a friendly relationship with my visa officer in the school has been rewarding to me. At the same time, I would recommend not to rely completely on the visa officers: keep yourself informed and double check that all the procedures and forms have been completed and submitted whenever planning a travel abroad…just in case.
A challenge that many foreigners face is to understand the American insurance/health system, especially if they come from countries where healthcare is provided by the government. In graduate school I simply purchased the insurance provided by the University, but later I had to figured out whether an HMO vs. a PPO would work better for me. Conversations with advisors, colleagues and friends were useful as well as their referrals to physicians and dentists.
Buying a (used) car is stressful for anybody but even more so for a foreigner. I think that advice and assistance from somebody with “local” experience can relieve at least part of that stress.
As for the language, despite my studies at home and my good comprehension of written English, I was definitely not prepared for the full immersion experience I faced here. During the first week of graduate school, I went home every single day with splitting headaches, since the process of mentally translating back and forth from English to Italian was tremendously intense and fatiguing. I found it very useful to take a pronunciation course at a community college near home. It educated my ear to the sounds of American English and increased my ability to speak confidently (although it did not erase my thick Italian accent…).
Concerning homesickness, one of the things I missed the most beside my family and friends was food. Fortunately, in the past ten year or so, at least in the Chicago area, many ethnic grocery stores have opened and also regular stores have started carrying products that I used to miss a lot (and that one cannot legally carry with you from your country, like prosciutto). Learning where these places are made a tangible positive impact in my day to day life.
Maura Porta
Midwestern University
Some suggestions for a foreign student or scholar:
First, it is very important to get in touch with the students association of your country in the place you are going to. People in this association will provide some basic help such as driving you out to do shopping. And it will be in your native language! Don’t be surprised and complain when you meet some people who are not nice to you. Keep searching and there will be some nice people who are helpful and would like to make friends with you.
Secondly, be prepared for difficulties. The first 1-2 years is going to very hard. Try your best to be positive and don’t be upset. When you meet difficulties, ask for help from classmates, colleagues and neighbors. Don’t ask for help from only one person, because it will make the person tired and everyone is busy and they have their own stuff to do. Ask help from different persons will make the relationships good.
Third, if you don’t know how to drive, learn as fast as you can. Once you get your own car, you will be able to do a lot of things. In the end, don’t hesitate providing help to others when newer people come to you, because you were helped by others too.
Forth, practice your English as often as you can. I met a family and talked with them very week. That was helpful.
Juan Gao
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Caroline covered a lot of the main points. Here are my other thoughts:
The first 6-9 months in any new place can be really hard. Feeling homesick and lonely during this time is totally normal. You will need to put more effort into making new friends than you expect, particularly if you no longer have the ready-made peer group that comes with being in school. Be proactive, open to trying new things, and hang in there, it will get easier.
A major source of frustration and stress early on is going from having all the trappings of adulthood back home, to suddenly having none of those things. Reach out to foreign students and post-docs at your new place of employment. They have had to navigate that process themselves and are invaluable sources of advice on how to get yourself set up again.
Major banks seem much less flexible in dealing with people who lack credit histories than your local credit union might be. The bank I had an account with would not give me a car loan, despite my salary being direct deposited with them every month, but I was able to secure a car loan fairly easily from the credit union associated with my employer. Credit unions sometimes hold seminars on understanding and building your credit history, which can be quite informative.
Erika Boesen
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Thank you Dr. Rickards, the article is very thorough and practical. I would like to add some suggestions:
1- Research about the type of VISA you are applying to, some of them have restrictions and you can be benefited by applying to different ones or taking some precautions. For example, H1B does not allow you to go to school unless you ask for special permissions or if you have a J1 VISA you might be subject to the 212(e) restriction in which you are required to go back to your country for 2 years after your J1 expires. You can get information about the two years home country physical requirement at the US State Department site (see below).
2- Find out whether the city you are going to has public transportation. Some cities like Detroit require you to own a car, so you need to be ready to take the driving test as soon as you arrive and to buy a car after that. It is easier if you learn to drive in your home country and if you get an internationally recognized driver license which speeds up the process in the US. Having the freedom to go wherever you want by yourself will accelerate your adaptation to the new life.
3- Be prepared for the cultural shock. Differences in the way people relate to each other, the type of activities done in the free time, etc., may be very different and sometimes make you feel lonely or lost: embrace the change and take advantage of the new experiences you can get by living in this country and go for that!
4- One difficult part of leaving your country, family, friends, and culture at this stage in life is that you do not have much free time to spend meeting new people. In addition, people of the same age either have their own family or are busy with their jobs too, so making new friends is harder than when you were in high school or college. My advice is for you to push yourself to start new activities or courses that will increase your exposure to people and this will allow you to make new friends and help you experience first-hand the American culture. Every city has their own attractions so take advantage of that and meet people that share with you the love for art, outdoors, sports, music, literature, movies, etc.
5- Don’t be shy to be yourself, some cities are more exposed than others to foreign people so sometimes you may have trouble even making yourself clear. Just understand that as we (humans) tend to feel more comfortable around people like us (same language, same culture) so do Americans... so be patient, give them time to know you and they will get used to your accent and feel at ease around you.
I hope this help you make this transition a bit easier. Remember that you are taking a big step out of your comfort zone which will make you feel uncomfortable at the beginning but will get easier with time and the more often you do it (stepping out) the bigger your comfort zone will be, to a point in which you will feel that “life starts where your comfort zone ends”. Congratulations, you should be proud of yourself!
Vanesa Ramseyer
Wayne State University
I am a graduate student living in the United States for almost two and a half years now and one thing that I can say for sure is that it’s not easy. The initial few days are even worse since that is the time when people are most homesick and usually want to get back to the familiar environment back in their home country. I actually feel myself to be fortunate enough to get admission into a student friendly department that takes good care of their students, especially international students. Each student is assigned a senior student of the same department, who has gone through some of the same procedures, as setting up a bank account, applying for a social security or even looking for apartments. I think it is also the student’s responsibility to try to open up, meet other students in the department, and ask for their help regarding coursework, selecting a lab and other stuff if necessary. Communication can be a problem during the first few days, but since science is universal and does not really depend on the language, this is merely a problem after 2-3 months, especially in a country like US. Apart from the academic and professional environment, in order to learn and understand the new culture, students should have an open-mind and not always compare situations with their home country. They should experiment with new things, be enthusiastic enough to know the traditions, culture and try to be involved with those rather than being confined to their own culture and festivals.
Urmi (Bobby) Basu
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Questions:
Thank you, Dr. Rickards, for this very informative and interesting article! Your advice about handling homesickness and culture shock should be especially helpful for anyone moving away from home. For international students or postdocs, are there opportunities for getting involved in social events and other programs through the International Programs Office at universities, or do these offices primarily focus on immigration and logistical support? What is your advice on this?
Angela Grippo
Northern Illinois University
Response:
Thanks for your great question Angela. During my post-doc I was one of very few international scientists working in a government laboratory, so there weren’t any social events where I could meet others in my position. However, many academic institutions will have a much larger international student/post-doc community, so will often host social and cultural events and other relevant programs (e.g., tax preparation; visa requirements). Just as an example, UNTHSC has an International Student Services website (see link below) and an active International Student Association who host a variety of social and cultural events (even a friendly game of cricket once in a while!). Many institutions also have postdoctoral associations, open to both local and international post-docs. One word of warning, however, is that while these associations can make the transition to your new home much easier, they may also limit your social networking opportunities. My advice would be to get involved in a diverse range of social activities so you can move beyond your “comfort zone” and really immerse yourself in your new environment and culture.
Caroline