Being an International Student at Penn

Written By Talia Sacks (W’24); Edited by Emma Conrad (W’24)

Are you a new or fresh-out-of-COVID international student looking for some advice on how to navigate college life, MANY miles away from home? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

My name is Talia, and I’m a sophomore from South Africa. My transition to Penn was somewhat unusual: my entire fall semester was taken at home. YES, in a different timezone, and YES, I could not get a visa (you know the struggle). Anyway, I arrived at Penn for the first time in the spring of my freshman year, and as amazing as it was, it was a very big adjustment and culture shock. So here are some tips and tricks that I put together that make being an international student a whole lot easier:

  1. Build support networks - HOME and abroad.

    For most people, coming to college is an opportunity to meet new people and step outside of their comfort zone. I think for many people, this means slowly drifting away from your friends at home and neglecting some old friendships. This may be what’s best in some situations, but for me, my home friends are involved in my everyday life at Penn and are a facetime away. This makes me feel so much less homesick and helps me escape the pressure of Penn. (I call my best friend from home every single day! There is nothing better than having a familiar voice comfort me at the end of a very difficult day.)

  2. Get involved for YOU, not your resume.

    There are so many opportunities, especially at Penn, to get involved in clubs and societies that truly align with your values and passions. The truth is that there are many clubs at Penn that people simply join to put on their resumes: no one wants to attend these clubs’ meetings and no one wants to get too involved. My advice to you is to join clubs where you want to participate because this is where you will find like-minded students and have the opportunity to make true friendships. (Joining Wharton Women and participating in Greek Life helped me meet my best friends and gave me communities that will support me no matter what!)

  3. Student support services will actually help you (who would’ve thought!)

    I felt like I should include this as a tip because different student services at Penn really helped me in so many ways. As international students, we sometimes feel shy to make ourselves vulnerable and ask “dumb” questions that everyone else seems to know the answer to. But trust me, making use of student support services will really change your Penn experience. Career Services are AMAZING. I for one was not prepared for the pre-professional culture that is so strong at Penn, and my advisor at Career Services really helped me adjust to it. He explained how the internship process works, the confusing visa requirements for us non-US baddies, and helped me make my resume a work of art. Additionally, my academic advisor was such a big help. The classes you can take in this place are ennnddddlessss, and she has really helped me narrow down my choices, understand my requirements, and craft a great schedule each and every semester. 

I strongly believe that these three tips shaped my Penn experience and helped me truly enjoy my time here so far. I hope some part of this can help you acclimate to Penn! We are all in this together, the good and the bad, so please reach out to me or any other international students when you are in need of some extra love.

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