While you are overseas, the people you meet will be curious about your family, home, university, and community. To make it easier for you to satisfy their curiosity, choose some photos, perhaps even a small map, to take along to show them where you come from. If you will be staying with a host family, an inexpensive book of pictorial essays about your state would be a thoughtful gift to bring, and can act as a wonderful ice-breaker in helping you get settled in. As difficult as it is to handle criticism directed toward you or your country, knowing who you are culturally will help you deal with it in a more friendly and informed manner. Change is indisputably good, leading to development, improvement, and progress.
Time is of the utmost importance and needs to be used productively.
Americans see themselves as highly individualistic in their thoughts and actions. Americans feel they can take credit only for what they accomplish as individuals. Competition brings out the best in any individual in any system. The future is very important, as are the improvements it will surely bring. Americans are informal in all areas of their life, from language to dress.