Studying in the States: The Bare Essentials

Rotunda at the University of Virginia
but many other campuses also have
a similar dome-shaped building.

Welcome! This blog is dedicated to provide advice to the thousands of foreign students who come to pursue higher education in the United States of America, also known as the US, the USA, America, or the States.

I have happily gone, and I am still going through this journey myself and have learned a thing or two in the process. I do not claim to be an expert on any of the topics here but I intend this blog to be a guide to the bare minimum knowledge that I think a foreign student should be aware about. For the US reader this might be an interesting look through the lens of a foreign national who has lived here for a bit over eight good years.

In my many years here I have often found among my fellow foreign friends that some of them are not aware of who is Jay Leno, who was Prince, what is a Twinkie, or what is tailgating. Even more worrisome, some might not even know about the existence of Native Americans, what makes the South different, or what is a FICO score. Here is a list of topics so you have an idea of what this is about:

- Student Visas in the States: The Bare Essentials.
- Higher Education in the States: The Bare Essentials.
- Finances in the States: The Bare Essentials.
- Politics in the States: The Bare Essentials.
- Driving in the States: The Bare Essentials.
- People of the States: The Bare Essentials.
- Finding Housing in the States: The Bare Essentials.
- Grocery Shopping in the States: The Bare Essentials.
- Dining Out in the States: The Bare Essentials.
- Pop Culture of the States: The Bare Essentials.
- History of the States: The Bare Essentials.
- Foods of the States: The Bare Essentials.
- Traveling the States: The Bare Essentials.


I will keep adding to this list as I keep writing but I hope you suggest me new topics along the way. Welcome to this blog and let me know if you find it useful so that I can keep updating it.