8 Tidbits of Advice from an International Student Turned U.S. Lawyer

In August 2018, I hopped on a plane from my hometown in Bangalore, India, and came to the United States to study law for a second time. I had just spent the last five years of my undergraduate life learning antiquated common law norms that govern the Indian legal system. I can’t for the life of me recall why I decided, “Oh yes—let’s go halfway across the world and jump into another cesspool of trauma”—but I did—and now my life is decidedly better because I took that plunge. I began my studies at California Western School of Law, not knowing a single person and having no family in the surrounding area to lean on.

Now that I am a few years into my legal career, I can confidently say I have learned a thing or two, and I thought I might share them with you.

*A disclaimer—my story is dissimilar from most immigrant stories. I didn’t get off a plane at LAX with my dream cardigan or come to the U.S. with just $5 in my pocket. In fact, legally, I needed to have enough money to cover at least my first year of law school. I couldn’t work off campus, so there was no way to supplement the money my parents routinely sent me from India. So, objectively, the advice I give comes from someone who had at least some form of privilege. Therefore, this advice is probably better suited for international students who are trying to get their JD or LLM. Feel free to pluck from it if you think it’s applicable to your life as well.

 But, I still think it’s useful advice—especially if you’re on the verge of throwing in the towel. So, here goes:

1. Breathe: Yes, breathe. I know you probably hate it when you’re having a full-blown existential crisis and your friend’s first recommendation is to breathe—but it’s necessary. I’d like to be able to tell you that just taking a deep breath is going to solve all your problems. It probably won’t, but at least you’ll have decent blood oxygen levels.
2. Acknowledge: Acknowledge that you’ve decided to embark on a difficult journey—one that is not for the weak or the faint of heart. You’re going to be leaving behind your family, your home, and the only environment you’ve probably ever known. It’s an overwhelming experience—and it is okay to feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. You’ve invested time and most likely tens of thousands of dollars to get here. You’ve got expectations riding on you and your own hopes. It’s okay to acknowledge this and allow these thoughts to settle.
3. Reinvent Yourself: As scary as a new environment can be, it’s also an opportunity to redefine, evaluate, and recreate. The benefit of not knowing anyone, or being in a new environment is that you have as much of an opportunity to shape it, as it does to shape you. Don’t run from it. Use the tools of introspection and retrospection to create a new persona—a new individual if you will. See what works, and what doesn’t, and try new things. Be the Meryl Streep of your own life—gliding effortlessly into role after role, but still staying true to who you want to be.
4. Welcome Growth: I’m not sure if I’m going to like this iteration of myself forever. Perhaps, sometime down the road I will decide it’s time to be someone else. That’s okay and it’s a concept called growth. What I do know is that I like who I am now, and I would argue that this is the most important part of this experience. Learning to like, and perhaps love, who you are every day.
5. Don’t be Afraid to Learn: When I first came to the States, I thought that my previous legal education would give me a leg-up. How quickly my hubris was shattered. In India, we were taught that good writing always involved a robust vocabulary, eloquent framing, and a rock-solid belief that a single sentence needed to be a paragraph long. Americans (thankfully!) do not write like that. I had to unlearn twenty-four years of grammar and sentence structure and learn that a good sentence should probably only be about fifteen words long.
6. Find a Support System: Whoever it is, this is an imperative step. The easiest way to beat homesickness is to quite simply—build another home. The benefit here, is that you get to choose who your friends and family will be. Step out of your cultural comfort box, and find people you wouldn’t normally meet. Yes, it involves the awkwardness of being vulnerable with absolute strangers, but you won’t learn anything if you don’t try.
7. Take Each Day One Step at a Time: I know that as an international student one of the first thoughts that generally leaps into your head is—what’s next? What’s after school? Where do I go? What sort of job will I get? I’d recommend trying a different mindset. Enjoy each moment for what it is. Law school will consume your life anyway, leaving you with few free moments in your three years of legal education. Take a leaf out of a procrastinator’s book—make a difficult problem, tomorrow’s problem.
8. Visit a Cheesecake Factory: Finally, make sure you visit a Cheesecake Factory. It’s a quintessential American experience.