Culture Shocks In US: Making Friends, Internships, and More As A Nepali Immigrant

Coming to the U.S. from Nepal isn’t just about learning to cook, surviving fire alarms, or navigating zebra crossings. For Ayush Bharati, the culture shock went deeper — into the unspoken rules of friendships, language, and professional growth. In this segment of our SKS Media feature, we explore how he made sense of a completely new social and academic landscape.

Making Friends: From Instinct to Intention

“In Nepal, we make friends without even trying. Even if someone bullies you or yells at you, they can still end up your best friend.”

Ayush reflects on how friendships back home come naturally, often lasting a lifetime. He shares stories of meeting up with childhood friends a decade after graduation and trekking together to ABC (Annapurna Base Camp). That kind of organic connection is something he didn’t find immediately after coming to the U.S.

“Here, it’s different. You think, ‘Does this person understand my English?’ You have to put in effort to make small talk.”

In Nepal, small talk is spontaneous. In the U.S., especially early on, Ayush had to think, translate, and mentally prepare himself to carry a conversation — particularly with non-Nepalis.

But over time, confidence builds.

“Now it’s been seven years. You get whitewashed a little — not in a bad way — just more fluent, more confident. But in the beginning, it’s hard.”

One cultural observation stood out to him:

“When a non-Nepali speaks Nepali, every Nepali smiles. We feel proud. But if you go to France and speak French, no one cares. Nepalis just appreciate connection more.”

Internships: The Game-Changer Nobody Tells You About

If Ayush could change one thing about his college journey, it would be starting internships earlier.

“In Nepal, internships aren’t even a thing. We don’t talk about them in school. But here, in the U.S., you should start as early as freshman year.”

He didn’t know that. So by the time he began applying, others had already built a head start.

“A Mongolian friend of mine landed an internship in his first semester. Two or three months in. Now he’s a software engineer at Amazon. We gave him that head start because we didn’t know.”

Ayush spent his third year struggling to catch up and finally got an internship in his final year — one that ended up shaping his entire professional journey.

“Even today, in interviews, I talk about that internship. It helped me transition from college to industry. Because college and industry are totally different worlds, especially for international students.”

He admits he probably wouldn’t have started at a community college if he had the chance to do it again.

“Community college is great, but very small. Professors don’t always come. It’s hard to build momentum early. I would have gone straight to a four-year university.”

Still, he made it work.

Friendships After Graduation: A New Challenge

In college, making friends was possible through everyday interactions — in the canteen, classes, or campus events.

“You meet people. Even if you're introverted, you end up making friends eventually.”

But after graduation, it’s a different story.

“You don’t see people anymore. Everyone’s busy. Everyone’s working. You have to be intentional — attend events, network, reach out. It doesn’t happen automatically anymore.”

Ayush believes internships also play a key role in building these longer-term connections — not just for jobs, but for community.

Key Takeaways from Ayush Bharati’s Journey:

• Friendships in Nepal come naturally. In the U.S., you build them intentionally.

• Language is more than words — it affects how free you feel in conversations.

• Start internships early. Don’t wait. They open doors to jobs and networks.

• After college, relationships take effort. You need to put yourself out there.