At first, Khadija Ghanizada had a tough time adjusting to the United States.

She was 17 when she first came to America on a full scholarship in 2017 to attend Emma Willard School in rural upstate New York, far from any metropolis. That was tough for Ghanizada, who came from Kabul, Afghanistan's largest city, populated by nearly 5 million people.

She missed the busy street life.

"Slowly, day by day, I started to make friends and adjust to American culture, food and the people around me. I watched American teen TV shows to learn about my peers and what they like and dislike," she said.

Ghanizada eventually moved 60 miles south along the Hudson River, toward New York City, to attend Bard College, where she is a junior. But she still remembers her early years in the U.S.

Founded in 1814, Emma Willard School is one of the oldest boarding schools for girls in the U.S. When Ghanizada attended, even though 25% of the students were not from the U.S., there were no other Afghans — or Pakistanis or others from neighboring Muslim-majority countries.

"At Emma Willard, there were only two of us who wore a headscarf," or a hijab, she said. "For me, wearing a headscarf is a simple way to keep a tie to my country. It is not for religious reasons. It is the only thing I can hold on to and express myself. It helps with homesickness."

But to some people, she said, her headscarf suggested she was a serious Muslim who prayed five times a day.

"I felt uncomfortable wearing a headscarf during the Trump administration and its ban on travel to the U.S. from Muslim countries, and I thought of giving up my headscarf for my own safety," she said. "But I kept it because it made me feel close to home. I miss my family and Afghan food, but I remind myself that I made a choice to be here to get a good education and make a future."

She watches TV shows online that she and her family would watch at home, such as the hugely popular "Afghan Star," modeled on "American Idol." She talks with her family weekly. She also cooks Afghan foods such as qabili and bolani.

"You can always go back home, but you can never get another opportunity to study in the U.S., and this motivation helped me overcome homesickness," she said.

More than 1 million international students seeking a world-class education attend college or university in the U.S., according to the Institute for International Education, headquartered in New York. They come to the U.S. typically around age 18, alone and without family to help them unpack their belongings in their new dorm rooms.

From Barbados

Nicholas Trotman left Barbados for the U.S. to attend high school at United World College (UWC) in New Mexico. He said he had a difficult time adjusting to American culture because it was so different from his own.

"I had a gradual adjustment to American culture, food and new friendships. When I came here, I had to start my life all over again," he said.

"We came together as international students and saw each other's differences, as well as how much we have in common," Trotman said. "And we were all homesick and could help each other."

New friends were key to helping him overcome homesickness, he said. They became like his family, and he never felt left out.

From Bangladesh

Siam Hussain, from Bangladesh, also attended UWC.

"It was hard to adjust to a new place, culture and people. One thing I am good at is making friends very quickly and getting adapted to the environment and people," Hussain said.

Spending time with friends and keeping himself busy with school helped him not dwell on how much he missed his family. He tried to not be alone. He loves cooking, so he made Bangladeshi food, which also helped.

"It has been my dream since childhood to study abroad, and I have to deal with all these feelings and achieve my goals and get a good education," he said.

The administration of President Donald Trump said on Monday it will review Columbia University's federal contracts and grants over allegations of antisemitism, which it says the educational institution has shown inaction in tackling.

Rights advocates note rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias since U.S. ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Hamas militants' deadly October 2023 attack.

The Justice Department said a month ago it formed a task force to fight antisemitism. The U.S. Departments of Health and Education and the General Services Administration jointly made the review announcement on Monday.

"The Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government," the joint statement said.

The agencies said no contracting actions had been taken yet.

"The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University."

The agencies did not respond to requests for comment on whether there were similar reviews over allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.

Columbia had no immediate comment. It previously said it made efforts to tackle antisemitism.

College protests

Trump has signed an executive order to combat antisemitism and pledged to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Columbia was at the center of college protests in which demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel due to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on Gaza. There were allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia in protests and counter-protests.

During last summer's demonstrations around the country, classes were canceled, some university administrators resigned and student protesters were suspended and arrested.

While the intensity of protests has decreased in recent months, there were some demonstrations last week in New York after the expulsion of two students at Columbia University-affiliated Barnard College and after New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies job listing at Hunter College.

A third student at Barnard College has since been expelled, this one related to the occupation of the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia last year.

The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.

It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.

In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.

Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.

"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.

An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."

House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."

Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.

Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.

The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.

"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."

The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.

STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)

U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.

Read the full story here. (January 2025)