Hi everyone, I am currently on F1 visa doing PhD in STEM disciple with program end date on my I-20 to be May 2028. I am considering traveling after October. When I enter US after my travel, I'll be given the AUD of May 2028. But I plan to graduate in May 2027, so my question is will I have to file EOS along with my OPT application?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice on choosing a university in the United States for a Master's degree.

I graduated from a UK university in July 2024 with a First Class Bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering and Computer Systems. While studying, I found that I was much more interested in the IT side of the course, especially cybersecurity, networking, systems administration, and related areas. Because of that, I'd like to transition into IT by pursuing a Master's in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Information Systems, or a similar field.

As an international student, my biggest concern is affordability. I'm hoping to find universities that offer:

• Affordable tuition for international students
• Strong IT/Cybersecurity programs
• Good career opportunities and industry connections
• Scholarships, graduate assistantships, or other funding opportunities

I'm open to universities anywhere in the US, as long as they provide good value for money.

If you've studied in the US, know of universities that fit what I'm looking for, or have any advice on applying as an international student, I'd really appreciate your recommendations. I'm especially interested in hearing about schools that may not be as well-known but have excellent IT or cybersecurity programs at a reasonable cost.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi everyone,

I'm an international student admitted to a master's program at Westcliff University starting next term.

My situation is a bit unusual:

• I have a stable online teaching business that generates recurring monthly income.
• I'm also expecting additional payments over the coming months.
• I already have companies interested in hiring me once I'm eligible to work under my F-1 status.
• However, I don't currently have enough liquid funds in my personal bank account to meet the proof of funds requirement for my I-20.

I'm looking for legitimate solutions and would really appreciate hearing from people who have been through this process.

A few questions:

• Did your university accept proof of recurring self-employment or business income?
• Did you use a financial sponsor? If so, who sponsored you?
• Can the financial sponsor be someone living in the U.S., or do they need to live in my home country?
• Can a U.S. company sponsor my proof of funds, or does it have to be an individual?
• Has anyone used an education loan or another accepted alternative?
• Are there any other options I should discuss with my university?

Thanks in advance for any advice or personal experiences!

I have one week to decide between:

• USF – B.S. in Computer Science
• Valencia – B.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering Technology (ABET accredited)

About me:

• International F-1 student
• Long-term goal: AI + AgTech (robotics, IoT, automation, smart farming)
• Over the remaining two years of my degree, USF will cost about $10–15k more than Valencia.

USF Computer Science

• Stronger foundation in AI/ML, software engineering, and data science
• More research and internship opportunities
• Appears to offer more OPT/STEM OPT job opportunities after graduation because of the broader range of software and AI roles

Valencia ECET

• ABET accredited
• Strong in embedded systems, IoT, electronics, and automation
• Great fit for AgTech hardware
• Potential pathway to an M.S. in Agricultural & Biological Engineering later

My concerns

• Many ECET jobs in Florida seem tied to defense companies that international students can't easily work for.
• I'm worried an ECET degree may limit OPT job opportunities in software, AI, and data compared with a CS degree, even though it's STEM eligible.
• At the same time, I wonder if hardware + embedded systems + AI will be more valuable in the long run as AI changes software development.

For those with real experience:

1. If you graduated from ECET as an international student, what jobs did you actually get during OPT/STEM OPT?
2. Was paying an extra $10–15k for Computer Science worth it because of the additional internship and job opportunities?
3. If your goal were AI + AgTech, which path would you choose today?

I'd especially appreciate advice from international students, ECET/CS graduates, hiring managers, or engineersworking in AI, embedded systems, robotics, IoT, or AgTech.

I'm looking for real-world experiences, not just "CS has more jobs." Thanks!

Got admits from both for MS starting Jan 2027. Coming from a software engineering background (2+ yrs as SWE, laid off recently), trying to pivot into semiconductors. Both programs are CHIPS Act aligned so either way I'd be eligible for the industry.

ASU - ECE

• Multi-stream, so I get flexibility to pick a specific path later instead of committing now
• Tuition + cost of living is noticeably cheaper than Boston
• Arizona has a ton of fab activity right now (Intel, TSMC, ON Semi etc) so recruiting/industry exposure could be strong

Northeastern - Semiconductor Engineering (Boston)

• Has a co-op program, basically a 4-6 month internship built into the degree
• Program is laser focused on chips industry specifically, not general ECE
• Boston obviously more expensive, tuition + COL both higher

Since I'm switching from software to hardware, I feel like the co-op could be huge for actually breaking in and having something real on my resume. But ASU's cost + location (literally in the middle of the new fab boom) is tempting too, especially since I'm currently between jobs and watching my savings.

Anyone here gone through either program, or hiring in this space which one would actually move the needle for someone trying to break into semiconductors coming from a non-hardware background?

Please read this

Hi! I’m considering studying in Prague, Vienna, or Budapest, and I’d love to hear from international students who currently live in, or have previously lived in, any of these cities.
What are the biggest pros and cons of living there as a student? I’m especially curious about the cost of living, housing, public transport, safety, social life, language barriers, university experience, and how easy it is to make friends.
Honest opinions are very welcome, including the less pleasant parts people tend not to mention. Which city would you personally choose and why?
Sending you all love. ♥️

Helloo

I am looking for any Ethiopian student who is in Canada or applying their student visa to Canada on this fall intake as I am a new Ethiopian student heading to Canada and I am still waiting student visa.

Hey everyone, hope you’re all doing well.

​I’m an Algerian student looking into studying abroad in Malaysia bachelor in business administration(specifically considering UPTM — Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia in KL).

​Just wanted to reach out to anyone currently over there or who went through this route to ask a few real questions:

​Life & Adaptation: How is life over there overall for an Algerian / foreigner guy? Is it easy to adjust to the environment and people?

​Living Costs: What are realistic monthly living expenses looking like right now for a student (shared housing, food, transport, daily stuff)?

​Work & Earning: What’s the situation with making money while studying? I know local part-time work has rules, but how do people handle living expenses or online/remote side work over there?

​University/Area: Any honest feedback on UPTM or living around Cheras / Kuala Lumpur in general?

Guys. Which uni do you recommend for ED. I am Uzbek who is seeking for full ride.

Sat 1480
Ielts 8
Good essays
Average Ecs
Gpa 5/5

Major: finance. I care more about aid and real chance, so I lost my hope for Ivy. Any other good recommendations?

With this new update, if I have a status approved for one university for masters and wanna change to another university for master degree too, am I not allowed to do that anymore?

Hi! My brother is moving to NY under an F-1 visa to complete high school. The school does not offer an insurance and not every carrier covers a 14yo. If you gave purchased ISO or ISI insurance lately can you tell me your experience? Is one better than the other? Any other insurance rec?

Thanks!

Hi everyone! 

I'm moving to the UK on 20th August and my accommodation contract in Nottingham starts on 5th September. I'm looking for someone to share a place with during these 15 days to split the accommodation cost.

I've found a double room for £304 for the entire stay, so it would be much more affordable if we share it.

If you're arriving around the same time and are interested, please feel free to message me. Happy to discuss the details!

Thanks! 

I’m looking for some perspective from people who have been in a similar situation.

I have around 8 years of software engineering experience, mostly in large service-based companies in India. I recently completed my master’s in the US, and now I’m trying to transition into a mid/senior software engineering role here.

The problem is that I seem to fall into an awkward middle ground.

I’m not really a new grad, so entry-level/new grad roles aren’t a great fit because of my experience. At the same time, I don’t have experience working at well-known product companies, which seems to make mid/senior roles much harder to break into.

I’ve been taking interview prep very seriously. I’ve solved ~800 LeetCode problems over the last couple of years. I wasn’t someone who naturally “got” DSA. In the beginning, I’d study solutions, understand them deeply, and code them multiple times until I really understood the pattern. Over time I’ve definitely improved, and now I can solve a fair number of medium problems on my own. If I get stuck, I still go back to understanding the solution and practicing until it sticks.

I’ve started interviewing, but the results have been discouraging.

• Large tech company (SWE II): Didn’t clear the coding screen. The problem wasn’t a standard LeetCode question—it felt like a harder medium that required recognizing the right approach quickly.
• Large tech company (Senior SWE): The interview was more of a problem-solving/low-level design exercise than a typical LeetCode question. I chose the wrong data structure early, and that decision snowballed throughout the interview.
• Enterprise software company (MTS): I was given two coding problems. I solved the first in about 5–10 minutes, but completely blanked on the second. Looking back, it wasn’t impossibly difficult - probably a harder medium - but I just froze and couldn’t think clearly. I’m still waiting for the result, but I’m not very optimistic.
• Robotics startup: Cleared the take-home assessment and recruiter screen, then reached the system design round. I don’t think I performed poorly, but I also don’t think I demonstrated the level of depth they were looking for, so I wasn’t selected.
• Fintech company: Cleared the recruiter stage and had an initial hiring manager interview that was focused entirely on my resume and experience. I walked away feeling optimistic because the conversation went well, but I wasn’t selected to move forward.

One thing that makes this especially stressful is that getting interviews itself is incredibly difficult in the current market. Every interview feels like I can’t afford to fail because I don’t know when the next opportunity will come.

I keep telling myself that improvement is a matter of time and practice, and I genuinely believe I’ve gotten much better than where I started. But after every rejection, it’s hard not to wonder if I’m approaching this the wrong way.

For those who successfully transitioned from service companies (or from outside the US) into product companies here:

• Did you go through a similar phase?
• Is this just a numbers game, or did you change your strategy at some point?
• Is targeting mid-level roles the right approach, or should I be thinking differently?

I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences - both success stories and failures. Sometimes it feels like everyone else is making the transition except me, so hearing from people who’ve actually gone through it would help.

Thanks in advance.