After immigrating to the United States, you will find that the living habits at home are very different. We may not adapt to it at first, but after living for a long time, not to mention following the local customs, at least you will get some American atmosphere. I am a new arrival. American students have learned some common sense about life in the United States, hoping it will help them immigrate to the United States and study abroad.

1. Payment methods in American life

Credit cards are very commonly used in the United States, but you still need to prepare a certain amount of cash with you as a tip for daily consumption when going out. In order to establish your own credit record, it is recommended to apply for a credit card issued by an American bank as soon as possible after immigrating to the United States. If you apply for a debit card first, be careful not to use the debit card for online transactions.

2. Telephone in American Life

In the United States, if you do not need to use a telephone line to access the Internet, you can directly buy a mobile phone. You can use your mobile phone to make calls more easily using an IP phone card. You will know the specific situation after you have used it, so I won’t go into details. The phone comes free with the service plan in the United States.

If you think free mobile phones are not good, you can buy one with your own money. It's a personal decision in this regard. Cell phone expenses are about $50/month. It should be noted that calls beyond the free minutes are very expensive, 40 cents/minute, so be careful not to overcharge.

3. Internet access in American life

Internet access methods in the United States basically include: dial-up, DSL, cable TV, wireless, and satellite. Currently, DSL and cable TV cables are used more frequently. Typical prices: DSL $20/month, cable TV $50/month.

Many schools have campus-wide wireless networks, which students can use for free after applying for an account; some also provide dial-up Internet accounts for free use by students. You can find out the specific situation by asking around after arriving at the school.

4. Grocery shopping in American life

Unless the place you go to is really remote, you can always find an Oriental store in your city, village or town. Oriental stores are mostly opened by Vietnamese, Chinese, and Koreans. In the Oriental Store, you can find condiments, raw materials, etc. needed for Chinese cooking. Supermarkets run by older Americans are now starting to have Asian food on their shelves. So, shopping for groceries won’t be difficult. Of course, it’s unrealistic to think that you can buy everything.

5. Eating when immigrating to the United States

Most Chinese immigrants to the United States still choose to cook and eat by themselves. Firstly, they are more accustomed to eating, and secondly, they save money. In order to save cooking time, it is recommended to cook only two to three days' worth at a time. Note: Americans do not bleed pigs when they kill them. Therefore, when roasting meat, the meat should be soaked in water for a period of time, then boiled, drained of the water, and then washed with warm water. Then proceed to regular cooking.

6. Electricity usage in American life

After immigrating to the United States, you will find that the voltage in the United States is 110V, while the voltage in China is 220V. Therefore, electrical appliances with a rated voltage of 220V generally cannot be used in the United States. Electric heating equipment may be available, but it is a serious under-voltage operation and will shorten the life of the equipment. There is no need to bring the above equipment.

Appliances using 110V-240V adaptive power supply can be brought to the United States. The layout of the three-phase plug in the United States is the same as that of most desktop computer case power supplies, that is, a cylindrical prong plus two parallel flat prongs, which is completely different from the commonly used three-phase plugs in China. The two jacks of American two-phase sockets are different in size, with one side slightly larger than the other, but they are compatible with Chinese two-phase plugs.

7. Washing clothes in the life of immigrants in the United States

There will be a big change in the life of immigrants in the United States: Americans do not have the habit of hanging clothes to dry in the sun after washing. After washing, use the dryer to dry. Therefore, the clothes shrink a lot. So, when buying clothes here, be sure to buy something a little larger.

Most apartments do not have a separate washing machine for each room. Instead, a laundry room is set up to house several coin-operated washing machines and dryers for residents to use. If you feel that this kind of public washing machine is unhygienic, then you should ask your landlord if you can install a washing machine in your house. It is recommended not to pretend without the landlord’s consent