By: William Hernandez After covering his local school districts for his community newspaper for five years, Will launched his own freelance business where he writes about education, community and social topics.
With international students from Russia to the Netherlands and from Brazil to Japan, there is no better place than Los Angeles, California to land for your American experience of language integration, business education and overall success in the U.S.A as a student and an employee. Because L.A. is a melting pot of cultures with nearly 50,000 foreign students, it’s the best city in the country to study abroad.
Here’s a breakdown of the city and the American college experience with hopes to make your journey more comfortable, enjoyable and simplified. Remember, you are not alone in your quest and are one step closer to getting the internship you’ve had your eye on.
Scoring an Internship
You must have patience and endurance when searching for the right job in your field. Often, there are many people vying for the same position as you, so your tenacity and passion must be strong. By coming to America, you have a bit of an advantage as long as you adapt to the country’s ways, because employers are always looking for new and fresh insight and ideas to grow their businesses. Adding your culture would be appealing to them. Some ideas:
- Be sure to have a plan of action to get to the U.S. and include it in your application materials. Also, if a phone or Skype interview is scheduled, be sure to know the VISA process if you haven’t already acquired one. Having this all taken care of looks appealing to a potential boss, explains the interqueen.com.
- Educate and protect yourself from identity theft because thieves scour the Internet for personal information to steal. With the increasing Internet activity you’ll have while setting up details for the trip, it would be a good idea to follow LifeLock on Facebook because it is a good source for protection tips to avoid thieves and various scams.
American College Experience
Education is huge in California. Los Angeles has some of the finest, most respected institutions in the country, including UCLA, Pepperdine, state colleges and prestigious community colleges. Classes are offered day or night giving you the opportunity to choose which classes you’d like to take.
- Classroom Culture – Attend classes on time, bring your computer or notepad to take notes, respect the Professor by speaking up only when asked to and try to find a home close to the school so you can use public transportation or ride a bike. Traffic in L.A. is something you will want to avoid.
- Midterm and Testing Culture – The college experience brings pretty common testing practices. Midterms gage your learning halfway through the semester and then finals will be at the end of the semester. Study, study, study. Libraries and study halls on campus are good places to get prepared for exams. Also, you can find study groups in class that work together in person or in chat rooms online. If you do not have home access to the Internet, Internet cafes in which to find peace and quiet along with a Wi-Fi signal are everywhere.
The Culture of Friendship and Networking
L.A. is a bridge between cultures, a land of hope and a land of the free. It takes passion, guts and constant action to succeed in this city. Never stop trying because things will not just come to you. Friendships are the key to networking in your adult life, and because of L.A.’s strong entrepreneurial spirit, you will be surrounded with potential contacts that could lead you to your dream internship.
But be careful when meeting new people, because you never know who wants to help and who wants to breach your personal information to take advantage of you. But don’t worry, those who try to take advantage are easy to spot, especially by a smart, critically thinking student.
Find friends through study groups, team sports, college clubs and off-campus clubs, which all allow you to exercise and explore the city.
Because California is on the far West Coast, the beach offers peace and beauty. Everyone is welcome because L.A. is a progressive, tolerant city.There is a chance to practice your religion without being judged or harassed.
