American Customs That May be Unusual to International Students

Food Portions

For Americans, the portions served in restaurants seem completely normal, and when an American restaurant-goer cannot finish all the food on the plate, the rest is simply taken home. However, to many international students and guests coming to the United States for the first time, the amount of food served in restaurants or even at home can be quite overwhelming. Although in America, “the bigger the better” motto is used when it comes to most things and getting more for your money is extremely important, it is crucial to understand and accommodate visitors who are surprised by this custom.

Ice in Water and Other Beverages

In addition to being fascinated by America’s large quantities of food, foreign guests are also surprised by the American love of ice cubes in beverages. To most Americans, the more ice there is in a beverage, the colder and more enjoyable it is (especially in the heat of the summer). This custom may seem completely standard to a U.S. native, but to individuals from abroad, this habit is totally unknown. In fact, bring used to room temperature and warm drinks can make this American practice hard to become accustomed to.

Bills are all the same size

In most other countries, different denominations of money come in varying sizes. For instance, the bills of the Chinese Yuan get increasingly larger in size as the denominations get greater. So, when coming to the United States, having bills of different amounts all be the same size can be quite confusing when it comes time to pay.

Tipping

In the United States, tipping is a typical restaurant etiquette and is seen as a way to thank your waiter/waitress for their service. Usually, the bigger the tip at the end of the meal, the better the waiter or waitress performed throughout the meal. In other nations, tipping is uncommon and, in some cases, is considered unacceptable and rude. So, if a foreign guest forgets to tip, understand that they may have forgotten as their customs may not align with America’s.

No Bartering

When an American sees the price of something is a store, it is usual accepted as a non-negotiable amount that must be paid for the item. The only place in the U.S. where it may be acceptable to try to adjust the price is at a flea market or garage sale or other extremely informal settings. On the contrary, for people from other countries, bargaining is an extremely common practice in a great majority of consumer settings.

Grades are a private matter

In other nations around the globe, talking about marks in school and accomplishments is normal in and outside of the classroom. In the U.S., students are taught to not share their grades as it could be seen as rude or arrogant.

Hugging

In America, showing affection is very common among friends and family, and sometimes, hugging someone upon meeting them is acceptable. However, for friends from abroad, hugging too quickly after meeting or too often can be seen as a violation of personal space. So, although you many be very excited about your new homestay guests, always try to make sure you’re not offending them or startling them in any way.