You also may find that sharing your feelings with another student from your country who has been here longer can offer insight into your feelings. Americans usually are willing to answer questions and explain situations which may be unfamiliar to you, so never hesitate to ask for assistance. Individualism and self-reliance are valued traits in American life, and society encourages people to make most personal, career, and educational decisions independently. Although the family is very important, the role of immediate relatives may differ substantially from the part they play in your country. From a very early age, children are encouraged to be self sufficient.
Parents provide advice and assistance when needed, but the importance of the individual is stressed.
This self-reliance does not mean that family and friends are less important to Americans, but it means the relationships between relatives and friends may differ from the relationships you have known. The United States, as the name suggests, is a union of 50 separate states joined together to form one nation. Many laws are federal, which means they are the laws in all the 50 states. Each state, however, has its own laws and regulations which cover much of what the federal system leaves out. States are divided into smaller governing units called counties.