Ask HN: Moving to US from Argentina for college. Any advice for a newcomer?

The US is a big place, so your experience will vary on exactly where you're going to.

Take an inventory of things that you use in Argentina and how you plan on getting those in America (must-haves).

Avoid discussing religion/politics/race unless you are familiar with what would be offensive to certain people. Mask-wearing could also get political although I think most people would be fine if you choose to mask.

Otherwise, you should be fine. Good luck!

Something to keep in mind is that the culture here is different per state, city and maybe even neighborhood depending on the city. It's a big place, especially out west, usually my foreign friends struggle to realize how far away things are (hours or days of driving). On that note unless you live in a huge city like NYC having a car is almost necessary, it's just the way the infrastructure was built in the 60's and very few places have updated it since then.

Probably the things you will enjoy the most will be the food. Try some ranch dressing, get a cheeseburger, have some regional specialties like BBQ(every state does it different), Cajun or even pizza (NY style is very different from Chicago).

All of that said, my favorite thing about the US is the national parks, especially out west they are incredible. Some of my favorites being: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Arches, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. Even people that live here not many have had the chance to see these places, but they can still get crowded depending on the time of year.

good luck, I hope you have a great time.

Of immediate importance given the current state of the world: make sure you get your covid test within 3 days before boarding your flight (this is a CDC requirement for every inbound flight to the US and it may or may not have been brought up by your airline)

Other misc stuff:

- Look for international student groups/clubs in your campus; it's a great way to make friends, especially once things start opening up with the vaccination rollouts.

- Bring a stash of alfajors and other local goodies, you'll miss them soon enough.

- Be prepared to learn about the differences in spanish dialects from every country in south america :)

A few items:

- The US system of credit cards is really weird. If you do not happen to have an American Express (which does cross-border), you should try to open up a credit card as soon as possible. Most likely with the bank that you use for checking accounts. Do not pay off the balance before it is due. Wait until the bill is finalized, then pay it within a day or two. Look up “credit score” and “how to build credit”

- Rental agreements are on a 12 months basis (at least in NYC). You might need a guarantor to get an apartment or proof you have enough money to pay the bill for the 6 months or so since you don’t have a credit score

- health insurance is really funky. They are employment based (employers decide your plan provider). Nobody understands their health plans. There is health, vision and dental insurance as the main ones. Expect to pay a lot of money out of pocket and to never know what you will pay in advance

- as you said tipping is mandatory. 18% is the lower limit.

- drinking in public places is usually prohibited

- if you get caught drinking under 21, it is a misdemeanour and you can get arrested

- I hate to say this but: cops are not your friend. Know your rights

> get a cheeseburger, have some regional specialties like BBQ

OP said they were from Argentina.

My advice was literally going to be "Don't expect meat when you order it in the States, because it's going to be a sad comparison to what you're used to."