Welcome to the USA Student Guide, your dedicated resource for thriving in the United States as an international student.
Our Mission
Coming to the United States as an international student is an incredible academic and personal milestone. However, it also introduces a massive shift in culture, lifestyle, and educational expectations. From navigating campus dining and finding the right tech for your courses, to mastering study productivity in a new academic system, adapting can be overwhelming.
Our mission is simple: To help the international community succeed on and off campus. We provide clear, accurate, up-to-date, and actionable guides on:
- Navigating student lifestyle and campus culture
- Finding the best tech tools, laptops, and software for your courses
- Mastering study productivity and time management
- Building habits that lead to academic and personal success
Who Runs This Site?
Ankit Karki
I came to the United States to pursue my Master of Science in Financial Engineering at Columbia University (Aug 2018 – May 2020). Like many international students, I arrived with two suitcases and a lot of unanswered questions about how college life actually worked in this country — from navigating US banking and health insurance to figuring out the right tech setup for demanding graduate coursework.
I built the USA Student Guide to be the resource I wish I had on day one. Through my own experience as an F-1 student, I’ve put together practical, honest guides on everything from campus housing and scholarships to study productivity and cultural adjustment.
I built this platform to demystify the international student experience through:
- Lived Experience: I navigated F-1 visa requirements, graduate-level coursework in a second language, and the culture shock of arriving in a new country without a local support network.
- Actionable Advice: We skip the generic advice and give you practical tips you can use today.
- Community Focused: My goal is to help the next generation of international students build a successful, balanced life in the US.
Our Core Values
- Empowerment through Education: We believe that the right tools and habits are key to a successful life in the United States.
- Accessibility: We break down complex academic expectations into simple, actionable strategies.
- Integrity: We will never recommend a tech product or app that we wouldn’t use ourselves.
Get in Touch
We are always looking for ways to improve our content and help you succeed in the US. If you have questions, feedback, or content suggestions, please visit our Contact Page to send us a message.