International Student Experience Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Feeling alone as an international student is far more common than anyone admits — and there's real help, often free, that most students never use. In this episode, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Isra Yaghoubi shares what actually helps when you're far from home and quietly struggling. We get honest about the loneliness no one warns you about, why admitting you'r...

Send us Fan Mail A short, guided meditation for international students — for the moments you feel alone, far from home, or too hard on yourself. Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Isra Yaghoubi guides this gentle loving-kindness and self-compassion practice you can return to anytime you need to feel a little less alone. Loving-kindness meditation comes from Eastern practice and has been widely stu...

Send us Fan Mail Most international students focus so much on surviving the pressure that they forget they're living in one of the most exciting cities on earth. This episode isn't about overcoming hardship; it's a reminder that you can maintain your F1 status while still creating the best, most chaotic memories of your life. In this episode, you’re not getting another checklist on...

Send us Fan Mail What is the true cost of pursuing a dream? For Zahra M. Aghajan, moving from Iran to the US for her love of science meant navigating a path of profound challenges, heart-breaking choices, and deep self-discovery. In this deeply moving and powerful conversation, Zahra shares her story with incredible courage and honesty. She details the complex motivations for leaving her home, inc...

Send us Fan Mail Chance Lim grew up in Seoul being told to put her head down, stop asking questions, and become someone she wasn't. She didn't. Instead, she left Korea alone — no family abroad, no roadmap — took a blind leap, and built a life and a following in America. But when she went back to show her success? Nobody even reacted. That's when she realized: who was she proving wro...

Send us Fan Mail Chance Lim, an international student in the U.S., shares her full journey — from getting a campus job (which many students struggle with), to earning scholarships, and landing multiple internships and job offers in a competitive market. More importantly, she talks about something most people ignore: how to avoid burnout how to not obsess over outcomes how to grow as a person while...

Send us Fan Mail Edward Haryono shares his Indonesian immigrant journey — from moving to America for education to navigating the H-1B visa and green card process while building a life as an entrepreneur. What is it like to grow up in a middle-class family in Indonesia and pursue opportunity in the United States? In this episode, Edward Haryono shares his journey from a small-town upbringing in Ind...

Send us Fan Mail A quiet, honest conversation about two international students who find love, identity, and independence while studying film in LA — without trying to label or justify their choices. 时间轴 (Time Axis / Timestamps) 00:00 开场简介 (Intro) 02:10 中国的生活经历 (Life in China) 04:45 为什么中国学生选择留美 (Why Chinese students come to USA) 07:44 两位中国留学生如何在美相遇并结婚 (How t...

Send us Fan Mail Is it worth moving to Hollywood in 2025? For Italian filmmaker Simone Tringali, the answer is yes—but the path wasn't easy. In this episode, Simone shares his calm and insightful journey from a small town in Italy to film school in Ireland, and finally to Los Angeles on an O-1B Artist Visa. He breaks down the reality of the O-1B visa process , sharing crucial advice on why yo...

Send us Fan Mail "I was waiting 5 months... then suddenly they denied my OPT." This is just one part of Yu's incredible journey from Tokyo to Los Angeles. He had to leave the US twice due to immigration errors, all while chasing his dream of becoming an actor. His story is one of amazing positivity, even in the face of unbelievable challenges. In this episode, Yu gets real about gro...

Send us Fan Mail การค้นพบตัวตนที่แท้จริงของคุณในต่างแดน? ใน EP นี้ของ Outsiders Insiders Experience เราจะมาฟังเรื่องราวจาก นิธิ แสงแก้ว (Nithi Sangkaew) นักเรียนไทยที่เชื่อว่าชีวิตของเขาได้เริ่มต้นอย่างแท้จริงเมื่อมาถึงอเมริกา ปัจจุบันนิธิเป็นนักเรียน Community College ที่ต้องการเรียนต่อปริญญาโท (Master's) และตั้งเป้าถึงปริญญาเอก (PhD) ในลอสแอนเจลิส เขาจะมาแบ่งปันเส้นทางการเปลี่ยนแปลงและเติบโ...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever felt invisible or been taken for granted in a new place? In this powerful episode of Outsiders Insiders Experience, we hear the incredible story of Sakunit Srilom who moved from Thailand to an American high school and completely transformed her life. She shares her raw, honest journey of dealing with a difficult language barrier and navigating friendships. She reveal...

Send us Fan Mail His American dream was born in a cinematic moment: a 14-year-old on the Golden Gate Bridge, listening to Maroon 5, deciding "I'm gonna live here". But what happens when the dream meets the unfiltered reality of Los Angeles? In this deeply honest conversation, our guest from Japan shares the real story of his international student journey. He expected total English i...

Send us Fan Mail Discovering your true self in a new country? In this insightful episode of Outsiders Insiders Experience, we hear from Nithi Sangkaew, an international student from Thailand who believes his life truly began when he arrived in the USA. Now community college student wants pursue Master's and aiming for a PhD in Los Angeles, Nithi shares his remarkable journey of transformation...

Send us Fan Mail Is an expensive LA film degree worth it when the jobs are leaving? We investigate the Hollywood Lie in this special episode, exploring the gap between film school and the real-world industry. We get two unique perspectives: Kanishka Aggarwal, a filmmaker from India navigating the O-1B artist visa, and Savvas Yiannoulou, a US Film Production Manager who chose not to study in LA to...

Send us Fan Mail Ever feel caught between cultures while trying to find your place? In this powerful episode, Carel Tan shares her unique journey as an international student from Taiwan, navigating life in Los Angeles while embracing her Taiwanese, Filipino, and Korean heritage. Carel gets real about the initial nervousness, language worries, and the specific culture shocks she faced – from LA&apo...