International Student Experience Podcast

We Were Broke International Students in LA — And Had the Best Time of Our Lives

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550459/fan_mail/new] Most international students focus so much on surviving the pressure that they forget they're living in one of the most exciting cities on earth. This episode isn't about overcoming hardship; it's a reminder that you can maintain your F1 status while still creating the best, most chaotic memories of your life. In this episode, you’re not getting another checklist on how to build a resume or survive hardship; instead, you’re getting a roadmap on how to choose joy and actually live your life while studying abroad. Through a collection of hilarious, real-life stories—from getting a free haircut via a wild Yelp review to finding the best free views of the city from Mulholland Drive—we prove that you don't need a massive budget to create an unforgettable college experience. But we also don’t shy away from the deeper realities, diving into the quiet pressures of identity, representing your home country, and learning how to step out from under the weight of expectations to claim your own path. Whether you are navigating your own student journey or just miss the nostalgic chaos of your college days, this conversation is your ultimate permission slip to find balance, protect your future, and have the absolute best time of your life. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 0:12 Most fun time in USA as an International Student 5:54 Random encounters in LA with people and celebrities  12:55 Neighbors in LA who takes you to strip club as well as advice on whom to part with 16:11 cultural shock in LA , In N Out Burger, return policy and lion is my pet story 25:25 tipping culture and funny Barber stories.  34:06 How to make friends as an International student 37:08 Why you should got to community college before going to university 42:11 Pressure of being an African international student experience 46:39 Scary experience in LA 49:30 Dating Experience, challenges and stories 57:42 LA Culture and how it can motivate you 01:01:03 Advice to international students, How to make great memories and not just survive 01:05:38 Favorite childhood memory  International Student Experience Podcast Real stories. Honest conversations. Practical guidance from international students who lived it. Have an international student story to share? : yourstory.oie@gmail.com Subscribe for new episodes every week #InternationalStudent #InternationalStudentMentalHealth #StudyAbroad #MentalHealth #SurvivalMode #InternationalStudentExperience #Therapy #StudentLife #CollegeMentalHealth #YouAreNotAlone #StudyAbroadMentalHealth #InternationalStudentLife Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550459/support] 🎙 International Student Experience We share real stories from international students who have lived this journey before you — so your path can be easier. Every guest opens up about what they wish someone had told them. The mistakes they made. The lessons they learned the hard way. The wisdom they gained from navigating life, education, careers, and identity in the United States. If you are an international student or about to become one — these conversations exist to make your journey lighter, clearer, and a little less lonely. You don't have to figure it all out alone. Learn from those who have already walked this path. Watch full video episodes on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalStudentExperiece Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio Have a story to share or want to be a guest? Email us at yourstory.oie@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @ise.podcast [https://www.instagram.com/ise.podcast/#] TIKTOK : @ise.podcast [https://www.instagram.com/ise.podcast/#] YouTube: International Student Experience Subscribe for new episodes every week If this episode helped you, share it with another international student who  needs to hear it. We are still not reaching enough International students, please help us reach to more people by reviewing the podcast and sharing with other International studen...

From Tehran to Los Angeles — She Refused to Give Up on Her Dream | International Student Story

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550459/fan_mail/new] What is the true cost of pursuing a dream? For Zahra M. Aghajan, moving from Iran to the US for her love of science meant navigating a path of profound challenges, heart-breaking choices, and deep self-discovery. In this deeply moving and powerful conversation, Zahra shares her story with incredible courage and honesty. She details the complex motivations for leaving her home, including the specific hurdles for women in her field and the "unbelievably hard" F1-visa process that is a unique challenge for Iranian students. Her journey is one of inspiring resilience. She gets candid about the waves of loneliness, the cultural shocks of arriving at UCLA (plus some hilarious misunderstandings), and the devastating, personal impact the Muslim ban had on her and her family. Zahra also speaks openly about: How grad school "breaks you down emotionally" and how therapy became an essential tool for her to heal and grow. How she built a new "family" in LA through friends who made her feel at home. The joys and beautiful similarities of marrying into a different culture. Her hopes and dreams for raising a bicultural daughter in America. Throughout the episode, she and host Harshrajsinh Gohil have a compassionate and insightful discussion comparing the cultures of Iran, India, and the USA. This is a story you won't want to miss. Have a story to share? Email us at yourstory.oie@gmail.com TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 04:59 Life at Home in Tehran 20:21 Choosing UCLA 22:54 Experiencing cultural shock when returning home, Iran and India 25:40 Cultural shocks in Los Angeles 28:46 US Student Visa challenges 34:54 Muslim Ban and it's Impact 44:50 Life at UCLA 01:03:44 Marrying in a different culture and raising children in the US 01:11:32 What would you borrow from American culture and Iranian culture About Outsiders Insiders Experience:  Welcome to International Student Experience, the essential podcast for international students navigating life, study, and careers in the USA. We share authentic stories and practical advice to help you thrive. Each episode provides a guide to the biggest challenges of studying in America, with expert advice on everything from the F-1 visa, OPT, and H-1B to overcoming culture shock and building your community. SUBSCRIBE to International Student Experience for more stories and guides! https://www.youtube.com/@UCixFl0MqYWyoAjtF4QPx-pQ Apple Podcast Channel - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/international-student-experience/id1848975904 Spotify Channel - https://open.spotify.com/show/5yV9JNNRRF4fBvKw5QETNC?si=e6aec8e007664df8 iHeartRadio Channel -  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-international-student-exp-302843551/ Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550459/support] 🎙 International Student Experience We share real stories from international students who have lived this journey before you — so your path can be easier. Every guest opens up about what they wish someone had told them. The mistakes they made. The lessons they learned the hard way. The wisdom they gained from navigating life, education, careers, and identity in the United States. If you are an international student or about to become one — these conversations exist to make your journey lighter, clearer, and a little less lonely. You don't have to figure it all out alone. Learn from those who have already walked this path. Watch full video episodes on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalStudentExperiece Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio Have a story to share or want to be a guest? Email us at yourstory.oie@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @ise.podcast [https://www.instagram.com/ise.podcast/#] TIKTOK : @ise.podcast [https://www.instagram.com/ise.podcast/#] YouTube: International Student Experience Subscribe for new episodes every week If this episode helped you, share it with another international student who  needs to hear it. We are still not reaching enough International students, please help us reach to more people by reviewing the podcast and sharing with other International studen...

From Trying to Prove Everyone Wrong to Finding Peace | Chance Lim's Honest Story

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550459/fan_mail/new] Chance Lim grew up in Seoul being told to put her head down, stop asking questions, and become someone she wasn't. She didn't. Instead, she left Korea alone — no family abroad, no roadmap — took a blind leap, and built a life and a following in America. But when she went back to show her success? Nobody even reacted. That's when she realized: who was she proving wrong all along? In this episode, Chance and I talk about what really happens when you live between two cultures — the identity pressure, the "you're not Korean enough" comments from her own followers, the loneliness of not fully belonging anywhere, and why that in-between space might actually be the most honest place to live. I share my own story too — from a small village in India to Los Angeles, choosing love over tradition, and learning to accept what I take and leave from both cultures. You are not the prime minister of your country. You don't have to represent anyone. Just be yourself. Have a story to share? Email us at yourstory.oie@gmail.com TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 01:00 Why Chance didn't fit into Korean culture growing up 03:30 The pressure of becoming who you're not 04:26 Korea's education system and suppressing individuality 07:10 Taking a blind leap — leaving Korea with no roadmap 09:00 Looking back on Korea with more compassion 12:00 She proved everyone wrong — then realized no one cared 13:30 Hersh's journey from a small village in India to LA 16:00 Accepting and rejecting parts of your culture 18:00 You don't have to represent your country 19:45 Chance's favorite childhood memory  Have a story to share? Email us at yourstory.oie@gmail.com 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yV9JNNRRF4fBvKw5QETNC 🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/international-student-experience-podcast/id1848975904 🎙️ iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-international-student-exp-302843551/ 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalStudentExperiece #InternationalStudent #KoreanAmerican #IdentityCrisis #NotKoreanEnough #ThirdCultureKid #StudentLifeUSA #KoreanInfluencer #ChanceLim #StudyInUSA #CulturalIdentity #BelonginG #InternationalStudentExperience #F1Visa #ImmigrantStory #DiasporaIdentity Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550459/support] 🎙 International Student Experience We share real stories from international students who have lived this journey before you — so your path can be easier. Every guest opens up about what they wish someone had told them. The mistakes they made. The lessons they learned the hard way. The wisdom they gained from navigating life, education, careers, and identity in the United States. If you are an international student or about to become one — these conversations exist to make your journey lighter, clearer, and a little less lonely. You don't have to figure it all out alone. Learn from those who have already walked this path. Watch full video episodes on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalStudentExperiece Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio Have a story to share or want to be a guest? Email us at yourstory.oie@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @ise.podcast [https://www.instagram.com/ise.podcast/#] TIKTOK : @ise.podcast [https://www.instagram.com/ise.podcast/#] YouTube: International Student Experience Subscribe for new episodes every week If this episode helped you, share it with another international student who  needs to hear it. We are still not reaching enough International students, please help us reach to more people by reviewing the podcast and sharing with other International studen...

The Exact Strategy International Student Used to Get a $25K Scholarship, 5 Internship & 3 Job Offers

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550459/fan_mail/new] Chance Lim, an international student in the U.S., shares her full journey — from getting a campus job (which many students struggle with), to earning scholarships, and landing multiple internships and job offers in a competitive market. More importantly, she talks about something most people ignore: how to avoid burnout how to not obsess over outcomes how to grow as a person while chasing success This is an honest, unfiltered conversation with Harshrajsinh Gohil about what it really takes to succeed as an international student. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 02:21 First Month in the USA and Cultural shocks 07:23 Advice for on what to do before and right after moving to the USA 13:18 How to get a campus job as an International Student 19:00 Understanding immigration laws for International students 21:10 How to get scholarship as an International Student 24:05 Why she is so disciplined and hard working 27:09 What to learn from mistakes of International Student 29:34 How to take care of your mental health as an International Student 33:44 Why you should not be too hard on yourself as an International Student  36:28 How to get paid internship as an International Student 45:13 Things to do in internship that can lead you to get a job offer 48:57 How to get Job as an International Student 51:50 Plans after Student Visa and why not take any pressure of H1B Visa  56:10 Her Online community for International Students resources 57:53 TikTok Video focused on International Students  Resources & Links 🌎 Crossworld (International Student Community): https://www.notion.so/cross-world/CROSSWORLD-2c0537c65dbc8040b009c3d4eb4c9e72?source=copy_link 📊 Crossworld Database (as shown in video): (Screenshots included in this episode) 📱 Chance Lim on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doachacha Special thanks to Chance Lim for sharing her experience and allowing us to feature her content and insights. Crossworld platform screenshots are used for educational and informational purposes.  ⚠️ Disclaimer This content is based on personal experiences and is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, immigration, or professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation. Have a story to share? Email us at yourstory.oie@gmail.com About International Student Experience:  Welcome to International Student Experience, the essential podcast for international students navigating life, study, and careers in the USA. We share authentic stories and practical advice to help you thrive. Each episode provides a guide to the biggest challenges of studying in America, with expert advice on everything from the F-1 visa, OPT, and H-1B to overcoming culture shock and building your community. SUBSCRIBE to International Student Experience for more stories and guides! https://www.youtube.com/@UCixFl0MqYWyoAjtF4QPx-pQ Apple Podcast Channel - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/international-student-experience/id1848975904 Spotify Channel - https://open.spotify.com/show/5yV9JNNRRF4fBvKw5QETNC?si=e6aec8e007664df8 iHeartRadio Channel -  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-international-student-exp-302843551/ #InternationalStudent #F1Visa #StudentLifeUSA #internships  #JobSearchUSA #CPT #OPT #StudyInUSA #CareerAdvice #InternationalStudents #h1bvisa #jobtips #studyabroad Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550459/support] 🎙 International Student Experience We share real stories from international students who have lived this journey before you — so your path can be easier. Every guest opens up about what they wish someone had told them. The mistakes they made. The lessons they learned the hard way. The wisdom they gained from navigating life, education, careers, and identity in the United States. If you are an international student or about to become one — these conversations exist to make your journey lighter, clearer, and a little less lonely. You don't have to figure it all out alone. Learn from those who have already walked this path. Watch full video episodes on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalStudentExperiece Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio Have a story to share or want to be a guest? Email us at yourstory.oie@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @ise.podcast [https://www.instagram.com/ise.podcast/#] TIKTOK : @ise.podcast [https://www.instagram.com/ise.podcast/#] YouTube: International Student Experience Subscribe for new episodes every week If this episode helped you, share it with another international student who  needs to hear it. We are still not reaching enough International students, please help us reach to more people by reviewing the podcast and sharing with other International studen...

From Indonesia to the U.S.: The Truth Behind the American Dream | International Student Journey

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550459/fan_mail/new] Edward Haryono shares his Indonesian immigrant journey — from moving to America for education to navigating the H-1B visa and green card process while building a life as an entrepreneur. What is it like to grow up in a middle-class family in Indonesia and pursue opportunity in the United States? In this episode, Edward Haryono shares his journey from a small-town upbringing in Indonesia to building a life and business in America. He talks about his education journey, navigating the H-1B visa and green card process, and how his parents’ support shaped his path. Edward opens up about the cultural transition, immigration challenges, and the determination required to start over in a new country and become an entrepreneur. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 03:25 Middle Class Family Life and Childhood in Surabaya, Indonesia  11:40 People get married early in Indonesia and India 15:33 Saving Money for Boys vs Girls in India and Indonesia 19:05 Why he decided to Move to USA for education and His American Dream 22:44 How Middle Class Parents raised and helped 6 kids to get best education abroad. 33:00 Life in Seattle as an International Student 37:51 Life in School in the USA as an International Student, community college, Masters and finding the passion 43:42 Reality of Job hunt as an International Student and Understanding Networking  49:03 H-1B Visa and Lottery Process and Challenges as an Indonesian Student  56:49 Green Card Process For Indonesian Immigrants 59:28 Why Quite Amazon job and Start business  01:04:03 Advice to International students coming to the USA Have a story to share? Email us at yourstory.oie@gmail.com About International Student Experience:  Welcome to International Student Experience, the essential podcast for international students navigating life, study, and careers in the USA. We share authentic stories and practical advice to help you thrive. Each episode provides a guide to the biggest challenges of studying in America, with expert advice on everything from the F-1 visa, OPT, and H-1B to overcoming culture shock and building your community. SUBSCRIBE to International Student Experience for more stories and guides! https://www.youtube.com/@UCixFl0MqYWyoAjtF4QPx-pQ Apple Podcast Channel - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/international-student-experience/id1848975904 Spotify Channel - https://open.spotify.com/show/5yV9JNNRRF4fBvKw5QETNC?si=e6aec8e007664df8 iHeartRadio Channel -  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-international-student-exp-302843551/ Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2550459/support] 🎙 International Student Experience We share real stories from international students who have lived this journey before you — so your path can be easier. Every guest opens up about what they wish someone had told them. The mistakes they made. The lessons they learned the hard way. The wisdom they gained from navigating life, education, careers, and identity in the United States. If you are an international student or about to become one — these conversations exist to make your journey lighter, clearer, and a little less lonely. You don't have to figure it all out alone. Learn from those who have already walked this path. Watch full video episodes on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalStudentExperiece Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio Have a story to share or want to be a guest? Email us at yourstory.oie@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @ise.podcast [https://www.instagram.com/ise.podcast/#] TIKTOK : @ise.podcast [https://www.instagram.com/ise.podcast/#] YouTube: International Student Experience Subscribe for new episodes every week If this episode helped you, share it with another international student who  needs to hear it. We are still not reaching enough International students, please help us reach to more people by reviewing the podcast and sharing with other International studen...