Overview
I always tell my students the same thing before they leave, whatever you're picturing right now, the actual first week will be busier, more paperwork-heavy, and more emotionally uneven than you expect, and that is completely normal. Nobody arrives on campus and simply starts attending beautiful lectures on day one. There is a whole logistical layer to get through first, and underneath that, an emotional layer most students are not warned about at all. Let me walk through both, because knowing what's coming genuinely makes it easier to sit through.
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What Does the Actual Schedule of Orientation Look Like?
Most universities run a structured orientation, sometimes called O-Week, Fresher's Week, or International Student Orientation depending on the country, in the days immediately before classes begin. This is where the practical groundwork happens, and it is genuinely worth attending every session even when parts of it feel repetitive or optional, because this is often where unwritten, practical information about the city and the institution actually gets shared, the kind you will not find in any official document.
Expect campus tours, ID card issuance, academic advising or timetable confirmation sessions, and, for international students specifically, a dedicated check-in with the international office where your visa or immigration documents are verified and any local registration requirements are explained. Student ambassadors, often current students from a range of backgrounds including your own country, are usually heavily involved in this week specifically to make the transition less overwhelming, and international-specific meet-and-greet sessions and cultural club fairs are frequently where students report meeting their very first real friend on campus.
What Administrative Tasks Actually Need to Happen This Week?
Beyond the social side, there is a real checklist to get through, and it helps to know it's coming rather than discovering it piecemeal. Confirming your course registration or module enrollment, since timetables sometimes shift right up until the first week. Setting up your student email and learning management system access, since most course materials and communication run through this from day one. Completing any local registration your specific visa category requires, which in some countries needs to happen within a set number of days of arrival, not weeks, so check your visa conditions directly rather than assuming there's no rush. Finalizing your local bank account if you have not already. And locating the practical basics, library, health center, international student office, nearest grocery store, before you actually need them under pressure.
I tell students to physically walk these locations during orientation week even if they feel unnecessary in the moment, because knowing exactly where the health center is on the day you actually need it is a completely different experience from trying to find it while unwell.
Why Might This Week Feel Emotionally Uneven, Even When Everything Is Going Well?
This is the part I most want students to hear before it happens, not after. The first few days after arrival are often genuinely exciting, novelty carries you, everything from public transport to grocery store layouts feels like a small adventure, and this initial stretch is sometimes described as the honeymoon phase of adjusting to a new place. What surprises students is that this excitement is not always sustained through the whole first week, and it is completely normal, not a sign that anything is wrong, if moments of homesickness, disorientation, or quiet overwhelm show up even in these very first days, particularly once the busy structure of orientation quiets down and you're left with unstructured time for the first time.
Research on cultural adjustment has consistently found that this pattern, excitement giving way to a harder emotional stretch, is close to universal among international students, and that the more difficult phase often actually deepens somewhat after the first week or two, once the distraction of arrival logistics fades and daily life settles into something quieter. Missing familiar food, feeling isolated even while surrounded by people, or briefly questioning the whole decision are all part of a genuinely normal adjustment process, not a signal that something has gone wrong with your choice.
What Actually Helps During This First Week?
Building even a loose routine early, regular sleep, regular meals, some form of movement, does more to stabilize the adjustment than almost anything else, more than forcing yourself into constant socializing or, at the other extreme, isolating yourself until you "feel ready." Say yes to orientation events even on days you would rather stay in, since friendships during this period tend to form through repeated, low-stakes contact, the same people showing up to the same events, rather than one perfect instant bond. Seeking out other students from your own country or region can genuinely help in these first days, but I encourage students not to stop there, since building relationships beyond that group is usually what makes the following months feel genuinely settled rather than just familiar.
And if low mood, persistent anxiety, or a real inability to function extends well past this first week, most universities have counseling or student support services specifically staffed and resourced for international students navigating exactly this kind of adjustment, and reaching out to them is a completely ordinary, sensible step, not an overreaction.
What Mistakes Do I See Most Often in This First Week?
Skipping orientation sessions that feel optional, and then missing practical information that only gets shared once, in person, during that week. Expecting the excitement of arrival to simply continue uninterrupted, and then feeling confused or alarmed when a harder emotional stretch shows up, even though it is an entirely normal and near-universal part of the adjustment. Waiting to make friends until you feel fully settled, rather than showing up to events while still a little overwhelmed, since that is actually when most of these early connections form. And putting off local registration or administrative deadlines because the week already feels overloaded, when some of these genuinely have fixed, non-negotiable timelines attached to your visa status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal to feel homesick even in the first few days, before the excitement wears off?
Yes, entirely. While many students do experience an initial period of excitement, it is completely normal for homesickness or disorientation to appear even within the first week, particularly once the structure of orientation quiets down and unstructured time begins.
What administrative tasks should I prioritize during orientation week?
Course registration confirmation, student email and learning platform access, any local authority registration your visa requires within a specific window, and finalizing your local bank account if not already done. Treat visa-related registration deadlines as fixed, not flexible.
How do I actually make friends in the first week?
Through repeated, low-stakes contact rather than one big instant connection, orientation events, international student meet-ups, cultural clubs, and classes you attend consistently. Say yes to events even on days you'd rather stay in, since this is genuinely when most early friendships form.
When should I be concerned about how I'm feeling versus assuming it's normal adjustment?
Some homesickness, disorientation, and emotional unevenness in the first weeks is a normal and near-universal part of international student adjustment. If low mood, persistent anxiety, or an inability to function extends well beyond the first couple of weeks, reaching out to your university's counseling or international student support services is a sensible, ordinary step.
Should I mainly spend time with students from my own country during the first week?
It's a completely natural and often comforting starting point, but I'd encourage building connections beyond that group too, since a broader network tends to make the following months feel more genuinely settled rather than just familiar.
About the author: Supreet Raju is CEO of StudyWhere, helping students and families navigate universities, visas, and scholarships with clear, practical guidance.
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