#10) Be conscious of your goals- Whether you came to this country to pursue advanced education or to work always keep your sights on what you want to accomplish. Every time you complete an achievement toward your goal, jot them down as well as the challenges you got pass to get it done. If you do not prefer writing, then every night you lay down in your bed take a mental note and ask yourself, what did I accomplish today that's getting me further into progression?Reason: When you operate with a constant reminder of your goals your focus will remain sharp. This will cause you to stay on your path to success.
#9) Maintain Thick Skin- In order for you to become successful in this country you will need to learn to take some blows without getting knock down. If you are a student that came to this country and your in any grade level that is high school or below expect to be ridiculed about your cultural differences. These are things that you cannot correct immediately, things like your English accent , the way you dress or little things like the way you do your hair. Do not let your cultural differences discourage you, you will adjust to the American culture in due time.
Reason- Its easy to loose your cool and let the pestering get to you ,which can easily lead to negatives like arguments and violence. The last thing you want as a new student or outsider is to be perceived as a villain. This can develop into a you against them situation which is exactly what you should stay clear of because that can potentially cause even more trouble for you.
#8) Be open to learn new things- this point is certainly a must in order for the assimilation process to run smoothly, you will definitely need to embrace American culture but you will need to do it with carefully and with class. Try to learn as much as you can about the education and the legal systems especially because you will definitely have questions about these sectors along the way. Internalize the culture be apart of it and enjoy it but this is not to say disregard your own culture. You want to be somewhere in the middle. If your already proficient in your native language try to speak English as much as possible. This is a key point whatever you learn in this country, know it like the back of your hand. Know what you know better than everyone else around you even the Americans.Reason-By learning much as possible about the new culture and lifestyle it will cause you to standout especially in school which is pivotal. This is not to say show up your peers, do it with class and people will learn to appreciate what you do and say. Basically the more you learn and know, the higher your chances of success in America.
#7) Positive people- surround yourself with influential people or else you can easily get caught up in the cultural net described in the next point. These people can potentially make a huge difference in your life especially when it comes to motivation. It could be a close friend, a girlfriend or boyfriend or even a teacher as long as the person is positive they have the potential of guiding you toward success.
#6) Avoid the Cultural Net- Just keep swimming toward your goals but remember there are many things that can get you caught up in American society. Your journey to success in America has a fork in the road, a blue or red pill, darkness or the light you just got to choose wisely. Do not fall into the trap that most immigrants commonly get caught in ,which are vanity, contentment, and hanging with the wrong crowd which I will later discuss.
6.b) Vanity-The vanity issue is simple, people who come from different countries usually cannot afford nice clothes and jewelry like they can in America after just getting a regular job here. But because they've never had lavish things before, they tend to make it a priority to acquire material things when they get here. This becomes a setback, counterproductive to what you are trying to achieve. You have to be stabilized and settled financially before you think about splurging. As long as you pay rent somewhere, splurging on material things should not be your priority, it is better to save the money you acquire. Vanity makes your job become obsolete, you start working for the department stores because this is where your paycheck ends up at the end of the day. This is not to say you can't buy a few nice things sometimes. Treat yourself to something nice every month or so , just as a reward for your accomplishments.
#4) Be Careful with relationships- Relationships are a plus but be extremely cautious of the decisions you make while in one. Being in a relationship with a significant other is a realm that holds many different possibilities, it is similar to a dice game, one roll can alter your entire life. Depending on what you roll the outcome can be positive or negative. Ill cycle through the possibilities that you will need to be aware of before you make a leap of faith. If your focused on your education a relationship can quickly lead you to loose that focus as quick as a snap of your fingers. If you make a superb roll with the dice a relationship can positively affect your studies with the influence of your partner. This does happen, I witnessed it first hand with the last girlfriend I courted. Secondly the prospect of having a child or contracting an STD should always be in on your mind if you become sexually active. These two things can be monster waves in the water that can be huge setbacks toward your goals so avoid them at all cost. There are also abusive relationships that exist out there, if your a young female immigrant your significant other may want to take advantage of your legal situation and abuse you. I have also seen this happen very often, if someone feels that your dependent on them they start revealing their true colors, so that's something to be aware of. My advice would be to avoid a relationship through middle school or high school and wait until college to start dating.#3)Stay Proactive-This is a simple rule but crucial always prepare for whatever you do here in this country especially if its important. Stay ahead of everyone else, do your research so that you always know ahead of time there's so many disadvantages that you will face and what you know should not be one of them. Plan ahead and when the time comes to execute do just that to the best of your ability.
#2) Refrain from having children- This could have very well been number one but it is ultra important. As soon as you even start speaking to the opposite sex you should have already gained extensive knowledge about protection and how intercourse works. So don't slip and make a mistake because it can cost you your hopes and dreams. Babies cost more than you think financially, but most importantly a baby will cost you your freedom to pursue what you came here to accomplish or will at least throw you off your path. This is where being proactive is a plus, think before you make your decisions!
