Resources for International Students

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Services for International Students and Scholars

Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) is a unit within Global Affairs that serves international folx with visa assistance, legal compliance while at UC Davis, and functions to foster an environment where students feel at home.

Image of students in a group smiling at camera

Global Ambassador Mentorship Program

The Global Ambassador Mentorship Program is designed to help new first-year and transfer international undergraduate students successfully adjust to life at UC Davis.

Two students at laptop happily looking at each other

The Pal Program

As part of Global Affairs, the Pal Program pairs up UC Davis undergraduate students for intercultural conversation experiences. Participants can increase their intercultural awareness, practice a target language, and develop friendship.

Your health and well-being matter. You deserve to always be treated with dignity and respect, and you deserve access to resources that consider your international student identity and lived experiences.

SHCS is committed to affirming and providing support for our International Student community members.

Note: If you have any suggestions for improving this page or would like to share a health and wellness resource, please email the Health Education & Promotion department at hep@shcs.ucdavis.edu.

A Student's Perspective: Suzuran

Wellness Resources for International Students

Building Social Connection
In addition to the Pal Program and Global Ambassador Mentorship Programs mentioned above, other opportunities and resources include
- Global Affairs, housed in the International Center, welcomes domestic and international students and scholars alike to share experiences, engage in dialogue, and be a part of community events.
- The Global Learning Hub features leadership opportunities, internship/research opportunities, study abroad information, global community engagement opportunities, and more.
- Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) houses an event calendar, Facebook group, and various other resources for International students.
- The Center for Student Involvement: Registered Student Organization page. There are many cultural student groups that can foster a sense of belonging through integration into the general student body, you are Aggies too!
- UC Davis' Community Resource and Retention Centers, as well as Academic Retention Initiatives, serve many communities on campus by providing programming, events, and academic support.
- Check out our UC Davis Social Survival Guide
- The Davis International House builds community, international understanding and cultural connections.
Ways to Take Care of Yourself
- Check out our SHCS Insurance page for International Students or the SISS Health Insurance Resource.
- Schedule a visit with your primary care provider. Students covered by SHIP insurance can do this anytime at no cost. Students without SHIP can come in a see a primary care provider for $15. All students can be seen at Student Health and Counseling Services.
- Eye exams are available at the Student Health and Wellness Center.
- Find a range of mental health resources on the Aggie Mental Health website. If you're not sure seeing a mental health provider is right for you, check out alternative ways to relieve stress, including Campus Recreation activities.
Meet our Providers
- Use provider bios to find providers that identify with you, speak multiple languages, or specialize in/have cultural or international experiences
- Many providers list languages they speak; additionally, providers list identity tags on the bottom of their profile. If you click on an identity tag (e.g,, "former international student"), it will take you to a page with all providers that share that identity.
- If you are making an appointment within Health-e-Messaging, you can select one of the following when you make your appointment
- 1. I would like to schedule an appointment with a counselor who identifies with my community
  2. I would like to schedule an appointment with a counselor who has a focus, interest or specialization in a particular area
  3. I would like to schedule an appointment with a counselor who provides therapy in a language other than English
Managing Academic Stress
The jump into UC Davis can be incredibly difficult. This is normal. 50% of UC Davis students report that stress negatively impacts their academics. Here are some resources to help
- Academic Assistance and Tutoring Centers
- Healthy UC Davis maintains a comprehensive list of health and well-being resources.
Homesickness
Feeling homesick is normal and impacts International students and domestic students alike.
- Health topic on Homesickness
- Health UC Davis' building community page hosts information on how to feel connected in college, tips for studying abroad, helpful podcasts, and more.
Other Resources
- International Student and Scholar Handbook
- Watch videos and read stories of UC Davis students who have been through hardship and shown resilience on our Resilience Through Campaign page.
- Looking for ways UC Davis student have fun without alcohol or other substances? Visit our Safe Party website community section.
- ASUCD has Free Legal Services for housing stress
- Aggie Compass basic needs center is a great resource for food and crisis support
- UCD Health34 provides free, non-emergency support and service navigation for mental health and basic medical care

A Student's Perspective: Weiming

"College is a place where there can be many social opportunities. Don’t hesitate to chat with your classmates who sit next to you. Maybe a fantastic friendship can happen within random chats. If you just came to UC Davis, Aggie orientation is a good place to meet other students who are just like you. For international students, there’s a Global Ambassador Mentorship Program to help you make connections to current students as well as other new international students in a small, engaged community. Other than that, there are many student clubs and organizations on campus, so make sure you watch out for those in order to find fellows who have similar interest as you. The trick is don’t be afraid of reaching out. You are welcomed here and others are eager to make friends with you.

UC Davis provides a variety of resources to support students’ mental health well-being. There is a collection of resources on Aggie Mental Health website. There are many workshops and focus groups to address mental health concerns. Other than that, the student health center at UC Davis provides both therapy and psychiatry service for students. They are available on campus and are accessible to students. You don’t need to travel to other places to get those services. Don’t ever hesitate to seek professional help if you feel you are in need. Talking to a therapist can be an efficient way to cope with mental health problems. If you have your medical insurance through UCSHIP, they have connections with outside providers as well. I am personally using UCSHIP and they connected me with a therapist through Lyra. You can find more information here about how that works. Remember it is alright to ask professional help when you are in need, and you are being strong by taking actions to take care of yourself."

A Student's Perspective: Sudikshya

Homesickness

Yes, I did experience homesickness, especially in the first two quarters at UC Davis. Even though I had some family and relatives living an hour away, I often missed my home and family in Nepal whenever I was alone. To the students who are experiencing homesickness, my advice would be a) to accept that feeling of homesickness as completely normal so that this makes it easier to deal with it, b) to have a designated time to talk with family and friends back home, c) create a time for yourself every day such as walking, journaling, exercise to help with these emotions and d) find your community, on and off campus, and connect with them.

Academic Stress

I have a story to share that helped me normalize academic stress. During my first quarter, I felt I was not performing well in the course discussions and the assignments. Everything I did here, such as readings and writing assignments, was new. In one of the courses, I did not receive a grade that I had expected, which shook my confidence. Due to that experience, it was important to address how I perceived my academic performance and deal with the impact that perception had on me. So, I started to change my perception. Instead of thinking that I did not perform well, I started to accept that everything here is new to me, that I am learning new things every day, and that adjusting to a new academic environment takes time. Rather than assessing my performance, I shifted the perception of it as a learning process that made it easier for me to deal with academic stress. This is still my mantra for dealing with different kinds of academic stress.

Familial Stress and Parent Expectations

As an international student, I am far from my parents and siblings. The fact that I cannot help them when they need me or be there for them is something that I feel very strongly. My parents understand that I am far away and need to focus on my studies, so they manage things independently, but I always check in and see if everything is okay. Sometimes, when my parents or siblings need my help or their health is not good, such things create stress. To deal with such stress, I first try communicating with them and my siblings to see what they need and if I can help. If not, I reach out to other resources or relatives and friends to see if they can offer support. If neither seems possible, I encourage them to do it independently or help them find alternatives to that particular task. Regarding my study expectations, my parents want me to study well and do my best. There are moments when I feel I am not performing well. I try to tell them about the situation and how I feel. I also focus more on my accomplishments and share them with my family back home, which makes them happy and proud. While there is no particular way to deal with familial stress, communication is key to ensuring that everybody is aware and well-informed about situations on both sides.