Episode 81
How to THRIVE As An International Student (Grades Don't Matter) - w/ Bhushan
Moving abroad for studies often gets reduced to a checklist: applications, visas, internships, and landing that first good job. In this episode of Ready Set Do I sit down with Bhushan Chougule, a graduate student at Purdue University studying Engineering Management, to talk about what most study-abroad advice misses — the small, human things that actually make your time overseas feel like living instead of surviving.
Who this is for
- You are making a career move across countries and the paperwork is part of the stress.
- You would rather hear Bhushan's version while the mess is still fresh than get another polished hindsight sermon.
Key takeaways
- THRIVE As An International Student (Grades Don't Matter) - w/ Bhushan
- Building Social Connections in a New City
- In this episode of Ready Set Do I sit down with Bhushan Chougule, a graduate student at Purdue University studying Engineering Management, to talk about what most study-abroad advice misses — the small, human things that actually make your time overseas feel like living instead of surviving.
- We start with the practical moves: how to move to a new city for an internship or job without burning cash, how to scout housing that balances convenience and safety, and simple rent-optimization tactics that make a real difference to your monthly budget.
- simple things that take our experiences as international students in foreign lands to the very next level. Things like...
- an internship or a job, how to find housing, how to build social relationships and date, going about differences in...
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Transcript-backed moments
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I'm Naman Pande. This is the Ready Set Do podcast. And in this episode, my guest is Bhan Choule. At the time of recording, Bhan is a graduate student at Purdue University studying engineering
Purdue University studying engineering management. And the topic of our conversation today is actually something that is grossly overlooked in study abroad circles. Getting a good job and
abroad circles. Getting a good job and saving a ton of money is obviously critically important. But in our mad dash to do so, we often overlook the simple things that take our experiences
simple things that take our experiences as international students in foreign lands to the very next level. Things like how does one move to a new city for an internship or a job, how to find
an internship or a job, how to find housing, how to build social relationships and date, going about differences in work culture between India and America, understanding core American values, and last but not least,
Show notes
Moving abroad for studies often gets reduced to a checklist: applications, visas, internships, and landing that first good job. In this episode of Ready Set Do I sit down with Bhushan Chougule, a graduate student at Purdue University studying Engineering Management, to talk about what most study-abroad advice misses — the small, human things that actually make your time overseas feel like living instead of surviving. We start with the practical moves: how to move to a new city for an internship or job without burning cash, how to scout housing that balances convenience and safety, and simple rent-optimization tactics that make a real difference to your monthly budget. Bhushan and I dig into cost-of-living trade-offs and everyday money hacks — from grocery strategies to budgeting apps — that compound into meaningful savings over a semester.
More in Cross Borders
Same mess. Different guest. Pick the next conversation that feels closest to your real life.