Another culture shock you may experience is the extra-friendly nature of the Americans. Here, the weather has an impact on people’s moods. During summer and fall, Americans are generally very amiable. They greet strangers with generous smiles and open hearts. I was initially confused when I first encountered this casual and friendly gesture from the locals. I wondered why they would even greet me. They barely knew me! Since we are not accustomed to being greeted by strangers for no reason in our country, we find the ‘small talk’ culture interesting. However, international students excel at assimilating themselves into new cultures. Dear upcoming international students, enhance your communication skills and embrace an interactive environment.

One of the most challenging culture shocks for many international students, especially those coming from South Asian countries, is the struggle with sudden responsibilities because they have always relied on either parents or helping hands to accomplish household chores. Here, everyone must do or share workloads at home. It is always a good idea to learn basic survival skills like cooking, driving and laundry. These are not gendered tasks but surviving skills for any individual.

Finally, how can I forget the naming issue? It took me some time to realise that I am no longer addressed as ‘Sonali ma’am’: an attribute I used to receive from my Bangladeshi students. Though Juliet in Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet utters, “What’s in a name?”, I felt its significance strongly after coming to the US. Students now call me either Professor Banu or Jainab. While this was a cultural surprise, I was also taken aback to be addressed as a ‘professor’. Regardless of your professional designation, if you are a teacher, you will be addressed as a professor.

The writer is a PhD Student in Rhetoric, Writing and Culture and a Graduate Teaching Assistant Department of English at North Dakota State University.