I have been studying in the US for 4 years now, and I've made some mistakes along the way.
So I sat down to reflect on what I wish I knew before coming to the US. With them, I could have gotten the best US opportunities without making many mistakes.
After thinking about it, I wrote out 50 points divided into five parts:
Scholarship
Visa
Mindset
Money
Lifestyle
We have covered Part 1 (Scholarships), Part 2 (Visa approvals), and Part 3 (Mindset)
Today, let's talk about money (saving, making, and spending):
1: Be financially intelligent
When you come over here, you will make more money than you've ever made.
The system is designed to give you money and then collect it back through your rent, food, bills, and other expenses.
You might be earning $2000 per month, when you convert this to your currency, it sounds really juicy.
However, you will also need accommodation. A one-bedroom apartment in Georgia costs around $ 1,000 per month.
What of your bills: electricity, gas, internet, phone bill, sewer, and trash? Another $300 per month.
Then you bought a 2020 Toyota Camry, and you're paying $300 per month and $200 for insurance.
How much do you have left? $200
We haven't spoken about your food. We haven't spoken about your family members who will call you to "send funds" for them.
Start learning about good financial management. Find ways to save money for yourself every month. Make better financial decisions.
2: Sharing apartments is a great way to cut costs
Rent depends on the state you live in, but sharing apartments always saves costs.
For example, in Georgia, you can live alone in a one-bedroom apartment for $ 1,000 per month.
Or, you can share a 2-bedroom apartment costing $ 1,500 per month with a housemate.
Or share a 3-bedroom apartment costing $ 1,800 per month with 2 housemates.
You can see how your rent payment reduces from $ 1,000 to $750 to $600, simply by sacrificing some comfort.
Fellow international students in your school can be your housemates. I stayed with international students during my master's and when I started my PhD.
Your university will have on-campus housing options. They will be expensive, so it's best to rent a regular 1-bed or 2-bed apartment close to the campus.
3: Facebook Marketplace and Backmarket are good places to buy used, cheap things
When I was in Nigeria, I never used Facebook Marketplace due to concerns about fraud.
I never even knew it existed.
Moving over here, I used Facebook Marketplace to get my bicycle when I just came for my master's. I used it to buy my first car and to get many more things.
Now, fraudulent people are everywhere, so still be careful when using them.
Another website where you can find used items, especially tech products, is Backmarket.
My friend, Muna, introduced me to them in 2022, and I've been a faithful customer ever since.
You can use these websites to get used things at a good price.
4: Think Temu and Shein first when you want to buy new, cheap stuff
If you prefer brand new instead, then Temu and Shein have what you need.
You can get almost anything on Temu (probably except a car., Lol)
They sell clothes, shoes, couches, tables, chairs, gadgets, etc.
I don't buy tech from them, however, I prefer to get those from Backmarket. Except I want to get a new iPhone, for example, which makes sense to buy from Apple.
They are both Chinese companies. Trump has now imposed tariffs on goods imported from China. I don't know if their goods will still be affordable by next year.
We will watch and see how things unfold. I know the Chinese guys always find a way.
5: The US rewards people who plan ahead
As I was about to finish my master's in 2022, I needed to apply for my Optional Practical Training (OPT). This is what allows you to work in the US after studying (without needing a work visa).
So I started asking questions and realized I can apply for it 90 days before my graduation.
I was to graduate on April 30, 2022, so I planned to submit my application by February 1st. I finally applied on February 17th, and they started producing my card on March 4th. The production was completed on March 8th, and I received the card that same day.
A painful mistake students make is waiting until the last minute before they apply.
They want to get a job offer or graduate first. Now, when they do, they have to pay an additional $1,685 to process the card faster. They could have avoided that by planning ahead.
The same happens with internships and job applications. You need to start applying for them 1 year before (more on this later).
You can get more of my OPT story in this video:
6: Use summer to make money
Summers (May to August) are great for making money.
As an international student, you are required to take at least three classes in the Fall (August to December) and Spring (January to May) semesters.
But in the summer, you can choose not to take any class or just one or two (if you want to graduate earlier).
Internships mostly happen in the summer. They help you earn more money and may assist you in finding a job after finishing your studies (more on this later).
Usually, when school is in session, you can work for up to 20 hours per week. But in the summer, you can work up to 40 hours per week on campus, even if you don't get an internship.
Don't waste your summers.
7: USA jobs are competitive
The US is the dream country of so many people.
This is a land of opportunities, but as you want to come here, other people want to come here too.
When many people apply for the same job, the job application process becomes highly competitive.
Recruiters are now using AI in their applicant tracking systems (ATS). The ATS screens your resume first to see if you are a good fit before the recruiter sees it.
Therefore, if your resume cannot pass the ATS, you will not be called for an interview.
Two ways to improve your chances of getting a job are:
Networking in conferences (which we spoke about last week)
Doing internships (which we'll talk about next).
8: Try your best to get Internships
Internships make the job search process after your studies much easier.
Some of my friends got full-time jobs after finishing their master's degrees at the companies where they interned.
Internships typically occur in the summer, but applications open in the previous Fall. You need to start your search and applications as soon as you arrive.
When you've finished enjoying your first days in the US (which is important), start looking for internships.
Handshake, LinkedIn, and Indeed are good platforms to find opportunities. You can enable alerts on these platforms to notify you when relevant internships are posted.
But like we talked about last week, career fairs and conferences are simpler ways to find internships.
9: Learning a hand skill will make you so much money
Back in Nigeria, I cut my hair for ₦200 (which is less than $1). When I came to the US, I was surprised to see that a regular haircut is $40. And if you cut twice a month, you're paying $80 for a haircut, and everyone wants to look good.
So I had to learn how to cut my hair myself.
But what if I had learned it before coming and could do it professionally? I can charge $20 to barb my fellow international students, and I'll be making at least $100 every weekend (most times even more).
Hair plating makes even more money. It was $1 in Nigeria and $200 here. As an international student, if you charge $50, you'll have ladies queue up at your doorstep every weekend.
Some other hand skills that make money are sewing clothes, photography for weddings and events, and cooking food on a large scale. If you learn and practice this in your country before coming here, you'll have a good income on the side.
10: Have Plans A, B & C after graduation
The US is so organized, and you have to always be on your best game.
When you graduate, you have 60 days to leave the country (if you aren't getting OPT).
If you get your OPT, you have 90 days to report a job that is relevant to your field.
So you need to have multiple plans for how you will legally stay in the US after you graduate.
And this is very important for non-STEM courses, which have just one year of OPT to work after studying.
My Plan A after my master's was to do a 4-year PhD.
My Plan B was to get a job, which is why I applied for OPT.
I didn't have a Plan C.
Some students' Plan C is to get another master's degree while working on their green card.
Different strokes for different folks.
That’s it!
As always, thanks for reading.
Hit reply and let me know what you found most helpful this week—I’d love to hear from you!
See you next Wednesday when we'll wrap up this series by talking about the US lifestyle and culture.
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