American Culture Guide for International Students

The American culture intrigues everyone especially those who are going to study abroad. Since a lot of international students have issues adapting, here’s a guide on the American culture and how students can easily adapt to the culture. Read on for major details on the American culture. 

Understand everything about the American culture before you travel to study in USA. Also, understand how culture is influenced and what people in the USA usually do to identify themselves as Americans. As international students, it is significant to understand everything about the country and its culture for a smooth transition for long-term survival. So here’s a guide on American Culture and how students can adapt themselves to the culture easily. 

What is American Culture?

A very popular culture which thrives on independent thinking and a liberal mindset with a mix of conservative mindsets is none other than the American culture. The home of pop culture and a place where the vibe is very independent, the American culture has its attractions. USA is also known for its slang since it uses casual interaction. The American slang is popular across the world.  The following sections will cover everything about the American culture that international students must know about before studying there.  

American Culture and Lifestyle

Since American culture is very liberal, it is bound to attract many people towards it. The American culture and lifestyle is founded on 11 basic value principles and they are as follows:

Foundation Value Principles of American Culture	Brief Description
Independence	Americans value their freedom and independence in terms of choices, education and decisions of living on their own at their own terms. Nobody forces anyone to do anything.
Equality	Equality in all aspects of life, gender, ethnicity, race, finances and speech, American culture proudly accepts and follows equality.
Individualism	Individuality is given greater importance in American culture. People in America are free to do what they wish to and are not force-bound by their parents, peers or anyone else. Individuals are free to make their own choices.
Democracy	America is a democracy and follows the Federal Government type of functioning where a president is elected and he/she forms a government.
Nationalism	Americans respect their country and have a sense of belongingness. The children recite the Pledge of Allegiance and all major sports events witness the singing of the national anthem.
Meritocracy	Based on merit, those working in the US can witness a change in their socioeconomic positions. Thus, meritocracy works in the US for its nationals.
Directness	Directness or straightforward communication is the ideal way of putting things forth. This is how communications in are personal and professional realm work.
Innovation	While Americans like to stay up to date with technology, they do not hesitate to bring innovative changes in their technologies.
Consumerism	America is home to many brands of phones, clothing, accessories and other things. Thus, consumerism is fuelled by these brands that work well in the USA.
Informality	Most of the communication in the USA happens informally, thus, there is less portrayal of differential behaviour towards the high or low class. Hence, fostering the egalitarian mindset, communications are informal in the USA.
Effective Use of Time	The right use of time with correct planning and judicious use is how Americans are trained. Being late for an event or meeting is considered disrespectful in America.

Thus, American culture is not very complex, it is free-flowing, fun and very freedom-centric. Students who study in America can adjust easily to an open-minded culture but must value the above-given principles. 

Check: Top Reasons to Study in USA

American Food Culture

The American food culture is mostly fast-food based culture, it's like eating on the go. There are numerous food trucks, restaurants and food stalls which sell fast food, fried food and a variety of foods from different cultures and cuisines. Ideally, these foods are the most popular among Americans:

Meals in America	American Food Options
Breakfast Options in America	Cereals / cookies and milk PB&J sandwich Pancakes Butter and toast Hash browns French toast Chicken and waffles Sausages  Creamcheese bagel Baked beans
Lunch Options in America	Hot dogs BLT sandwich Salad Avocado toast BBQ ribs Steak  Mac and cheese
Dinner Options in America	Chicken Fried Steak Chicken / Beef Wings Cheeseburgers Pizza Green Chile Stew Po’Boy Sandwich Burrito  Pot Roast
Snack Options in America	Cheetos  Nachos  Pringles Chips Ahoy Lay’s  Oreos Hershey's / MnM’s / Snickers Fritos
Desserts in America	New York Style Cheesecake Baked Alaska Apple Pies Blueberry Cobbler Cinnamon rolls Waffles Banana split

Indian students going to study in the US universities, will get enough options for breakfast lunch or dinner and even for snacks. Even if the Indian students are vegetarians, they can also find some good options. Thus, students can also find a lot of vegan options while they study in the USA, thus, they should not worry about changing their food habits to a great extent.

American Culture Traditions

American cultural traditions are not very robust but have deep-meaning occasions which are celebrated. In total, 12 official holidays are offered by the Federal Government of USA. 

Official Holidays in America

Let us look at the official day offs in America and the dates on which they are commemorated, 

Official Off Days in America	Dates of the Official Offs
New Year’s Day	January 1
Martin Luther King’s Birthday	Every 3rd Monday in January
Washington’s Birthday	Every 3rd Monday in February
Memorial Day	The last Monday of May
Juneteenth National Independence Day	June 19
Independence Day	July 4
Labor Day	Every 1st Monday of September
Columbus Day	Every 2nd Monday in October
Halloween	October 31
Veterans’ Day	November 11
Thanksgiving Day	Every 4th Thursday of November
Christmas Day	December 25

International students studying in America, may or may not find holidays that are officially granted in their home country. However, they can still enjoy the local festivities while studying in the USA. 

Students who are studying in the USA will get all these days off. For part-timers, these holidays will be paid too. Thus, students can look forward to having a holiday on all occasions as specified above. 

American Clothing Culture

American dress culture is casual and formal, in the majority of the cases, informal wear is more preferred than formal wear in the USA. There is a country-side look which was associated with the American culture with cow-boy hats and dangris or shirts and jeans. Thus, clothing is very informal in the USA. 

Female Clothing in America

American dress culture for women is simple - there are:

• Dresses - cotton / casual or formal
• Dangris
• Shirts and jeans/trousers
• Skirts and Tees
• Hulpil
• Poncho 
• Sweater with skirts/jeans

Male Clothing in America

Males have limited choices in clothing and they typically wear:

• Shirts and jeans
• Sweatshirts 
• Sweaters
• Dangris 

Thus, students who travel to the US, will not have limited dressing options. They can go for comfort wear to college or university. But for formal occasions, both males and females shall follow the dress codes in the US. 

American Culture Ettiquette

Etiquette defines a culture more broadly and helps people understand how it works. So international students travelling to US for higher education, can understand a bit more about the American culture and the etiquette it follows.

Greetings Etiquette in America

Usually, people greet each other by saying:

• Hi! Or Hello!
• Good morning! Or Good afternoon! Or Good evening!
• Morning! Or Afternoon! Or Evening!
• How do you do?
• Hey!
• How’s it going?
• What’s up?

US Dining Etiquette

• Unfold your table napkin as soon as you sit on the table.
• Wait for everyone to be served before you start eating.
• Avoid putting glasses upside down if you do not want a particular drink, rather politely refuse.
• Avoid making noise while eating.
• Also avoid talking with a mouth full of food.
• Do not bang on the table or make noise with your cutlery 
• Be kind to the servers and be polite. 

Common Etiquette in USA

Usually, a couple of common etiquettes form a part of the American culture and these are as follows:

• Dress appropriately as per the dress code
• Be punctual with your timings because it is rude to not follow a schedule.
• Americans like keeping pets, so if you are uncomfortable ensure you inform them beforehand
• Be polite and use words like please, thank you, sorry and others to not sound rude.
• Avoid encroaching into someone’s personal space, as this is also rude.
• Do not nudge someone unnecessarily, if someone says no it means no in USA.
• Finally, be direct with your conversations and do not beat around the bush.

International students who’d be travelling to the US for higher education will not face grave issues in settling down if they follow these etiquettes in USA. 

Difference Between Indian and American Culture

There is a huge difference between Indian culture and American culture, let us quickly understand from the table:

Indian Culture	American Culture
A more family-oriented approach, where a hierarchy is followed in Indian homes.	This culture is more individualistic and gives importance to one’s needs and choices.
Conversations are more indirect and not everything is conveyed properly in one go.	Here conversations are straightforward.
Indian culture is more traditional and focuses on collectivism.	US culture is individualistic and very open-minded.
A mix of both conservative mindset and modern mindset.	Here the mindset it very modern and broad-minded.
In India, everyone is greeted by ‘Namaste’ which means nobody is above or beneath any individual.	Here the greetings are very casual irrespective of a formal or informal setting.
Indian culture has loads of festivals and celebrations because of a diverse community.	There are limited celebrations and major celebrations happen for 3 to 4 occasions only.

While the list is endless about the Indian culture vs US culture, it is only essential to understand that each culture has its dynamism and will vary at each stage of functionality.

Overall, it can be concluded by saying that, though American culture is not complex. Thus, for Indian students to adapt to the American culture while studying there, will not be a herculean task. 

If you are interested in studying abroad or wish to study in the USA, you can sign up for free counselling at Shiksha Study Abroad Counselling.