Student Experience
The Vietnamese and International Community at TXST: Student Groups, Clubs and How to Fit In Fast
The biggest worry for students abroad isn't tuition or English — it's loneliness. Good news: Texas State University hosts 1,500+ international students from 93 countries and an extremely active club ecosystem — you won't lack community.
Vietnamese community at TXST and around Austin
Vietnamese students at TXST run their own network for housing tips, grocery runs, airport pickups and Tết and Mid-Autumn celebrations. More broadly, the Austin – San Antonio area has a large Vietnamese community with markets, restaurants, temples and churches — on weekends you can eat pho, buy bánh chưng and speak Vietnamese freely. The TXST Vietnam Office connects new students with seniors before departure.
Clubs and student organizations
TXST has hundreds of registered student organizations — academic (IEEE, business and marketing societies, nursing), cultural (Asian Student Association, international student groups), recreational (soccer, badminton, climbing, kayaking) and hobby-based (photography, gaming, e-sports, dance). Each semester starts with Bobcat Days / Student Org Fair on the quad where you sign up.
Programs for international students
- International Student Orientation — week one, meet every new international student.
- Conversation partners — paired with American students for English practice and cultural exchange.
- Cultural events — International Education Week, global food festivals, Lunar New Year.
- Academic support — Writing Center, free tutoring, Supplemental Instruction for tough courses.
Bobcat traditions to experience
- River Jump — leap into the San Marcos River with hundreds of new students.
- Game day — Saturday football with tailgating and a stadium in maroon and gold.
- Homecoming and the Bobcat Trail — alumni festival and parade.
Five tips to settle in fast
- Join at least one academic club and one hobby club in your first week.
- Live on campus in year one and talk to your floor-mates.
- Go to professors' office hours — American academic culture rewards initiative.
- Take an on-campus job — the fastest way to make American friends.
- Stay close to the Vietnamese community, but don't stay only inside it.
Want to meet Vietnamese students at TXST before you arrive? Contact the Vietnam Office.
