High rates of health problems have been reported among undergraduate students, with increased stress levels among college undergraduates in the United States in several fields of study. Academic life stresses are believed to play an important role in the health of students, which may affect their learning abilities and educational performance on top of their health Aim Understanding the effect of cultural and environmental changes on individual's behavior. Methods : Graduate students from the Middle East who spent two years in the United States were selected for interviews. Colaizzi's phenomenological descriptive method of inquiry was adopted. Results: Thirty-eight statements were extracted from the interview and sorted into nine themes--Away from home: homesickness; school is challenging and stressful; it is not cold it is freezing; lack of physical activity; social norms vs. peer pressure; dietary patterns and available options; away from home and arriving to new home; time is money; and day to day expenses. An exhaustive description was created from the themes and the formulated meanings and was adjusted and validated by the interviewees. The fundamental structure was developed accordingly. Conclusion : Despite changes in culture and environment, students' behavior and lifestyle have been affected in different ways, some were positively affected like being more time efficient and focusing more on work, and some were negatively affected like being under stress, eating unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Students were aware of the changes in their lifestyle and were always trying to modify them.