🎓 Chaotic, But With Two Degrees | Life in America

My Journey Through the Most Unhinged Yet Iconic College Experience.

My journey through the American education system, Visa system have been… a lot.

A mix of iced Matchas, crying over Tableau Exams, learning Digital Marketing (somehow), and trying to figure out why people jog in shorts during snowstorms. What started as an academic pursuit turned into a full-blown lifestyle adventure—complete with culture shocks, late-night realizations, and enough lifting of grocery bags to qualify for weight training.

Let me break it down.

Eller Thinking forward Conference 2025

The American Classroom

My journey through the American classroom has been anything but “normal.” In fact, I’m still trying to figure out what normal means here.

One week it’s a grumpy group presentation with people who haven’t responded on the group chat since week two. The next, it’s a timed quiz that mysteriously unlocks at 11:07PM. There are PowerPoints with 80 slides and professors who say, “Don’t worry, this won’t be on the test”—spoiler: it is.

Let’s not forget the legendary take-home exams that somehow feel harder than the in-person ones. Or the online discussion boards, where 50% of responses are “Great point, I agree,” and the other 50% are AI-generated vibes.

Presentations? You’re either over-prepared with animations and handouts… or winging it in a hoodie, pretending not to read off the slide. There is no in-between.

And yet—somehow—I learned. A lot, actually. Including how to survive academic plot twists without crying every time.

Celebrating Our First Simulation Score!

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Daily Life in American Style

Daily life in America? It’s a mix of cardio, chaos, and convenience culture—with a side of weather confusion.

You walk for 25 minutes and realize you still haven’t reached the “next street” because the blocks here are practically their own zip codes. You carry 20 grocery bags like a warrior because you're not doing two trips, even if it means cutting off circulation in your arms (They turn purple sometimes!). You power through 8AM classes with a matcha in hand, trying to look awake while your soul is still booting up.

And weekends? Oh, you thought they were for fun? Nah, it's meal prep, laundry, and debating if Should I walk 25 minutes to save $3 or pay for an Uber and regret spending money on these when reviewing my finances over the weekend.

Weather! It’ll be bright, sunny, skies clear… and you step out only to be personally attacked by an icy wind that makes you question your Dress choices. Meanwhile, Americans? Out here running in shorts, like the breeze is just a suggestion. I’ve seen people jog in weather that made me want to cry. And somehow, they're smiling. These people are built different. Literally—so fit.

And don’t even get me started on crossing the street. I used to fear for my life every time I approached a crosswalk. Now? Cars stop. They wave me through. Like I’m royalty. I’ve never felt so seen. Pedestrians are basically sacred here—I’ve had full SUVs pause their lives just so I could awkwardly jog across with my 20 grocery bags.

Oh, and the food struggle? Try being vegetarian in a world where Steak is treated like a love language. It’s tough out here. I’ve had to make peace with endless naked spinach, build-your-own Poke bowls, and side-eyeing every “veggie” option just in case it’s been sprinkled with surprise meat. My protein intake? Mostly Greek Yogurt and emotional resilience.

Trust me It was 0 Celsius! ( 0 +23 *2 = 46 F)

Culture Shock & Core Memories

Let me tell you what they don’t put in the college brochures.

Living in the U.S. came with a set of unspoken rules no one prepares you for. People casually say “What’s up?” and I still don’t know how to respond—do I answer? Smile? Run? Why is it a question with no real question?? Small talk here is practically a sport.

Having a car isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity—especially after walking 40 minutes to a store that claimed to be “just down the street.” And sneezing? It’s a community event. You could be giving a serious presentation, and the moment someone sneezes, everyone pauses to bless them. Then there’s the water—tap water is not just safe here, it’s trendy. Bonus points if you bring it in a massive Stanley cup with a straw thick enough to be used for bubble tea. But it’s not all struggle. I’ve had moments that became core memories—like my first fall with actual red-orange crunchy leaves (yes, I took 100 photos), my first Super Bowl party where I didn’t understand the game but got way too into the snacks, and the time a stranger called me “Honey” and held the door open like I was a guest on a talk show.

Brought Indian elegance to American chaos

And of course, no day in my American life is complete without some deeply panicked Google searches like: “Is it legal to jaywalk in the US?” “Do you tip at self-checkout?” “Can I microwave this?” “Will I get deported if I forget to file taxes?” “Is talking during class... a crime?”

Spoiler: most of these are technically not illegal. But I’m not taking chances.

There’s a lot more where that came from. The awkward, the absurd, the Google history and now CHATGPT history I hope no one ever sees.

Catch you next time—for more chaos, cultural confusion, and the answers I found at 3AM. Subscribe to my blog!