This book offers an in-depth look at the experiences of international students as they pursued undergraduate degrees in the US. Drawing on recurring interviews with the students and other qualitative data collected over four years, the book investigates how the students' academic development intersected with other life factors, including their status as international students, their linguistic backgrounds, the challenges of functioning in a new sociocultural environment, and the circumstances of living in the US on a student visa. In sum, the book presents an understanding of the students as agentive young adults who exerted great effort to make US higher education align with their own desires for spatial, ideological, and socioeconomic mobility.

"Presenting a multi-year longitudinal case investigation of nine international students at a US university, this book is brimming with insights into the experiences of international students and their agency and identity development. It delves deeply into the academic, cultural, and linguistic experiences of these students, showcasing how they navigate and interact with both their academic environments and home cultural communities. The nuanced perspectives provided are invaluable for academic faculty, practitioners working with international students, and graduate students alike."

-?Dr. Yusuf Ikbal Oldac, Education University of Hong Kong

"This book exemplifies the value of meaningful, unrushed research that speaks across multiple disciplines. Schneider's analyses are thoughtful and precise, grounded in the richness of his participants' experiences, and elevated by just the right amount of theory. His concept of alignment is a valuable theoretical contribution, but what stands out most is the clarity of his writing. He presents a vast amount of data so seamlessly that it feels as though the narratives unfold on their own. This is essential reading for qualitative researchers in any field-a masterclass in clear, well-communicated scholarship."

-?Dr. Nathan Thomas, University College London

This book presents an in-depth look at the stories of nine international college students as they pursued degrees in the US. Drawing on recurring interviews with the students and other qualitative data collected over four years, the book investigates how the students' academic development intersected with other factors, including their status as international students, their linguistic backgrounds, their professional ambitions, and their experiences of living in a new sociocultural environment. By highlighting the themes of agency, identity, and motivation, the book demonstrates how the students worked to make higher education align with their own goals for learning and growth.

Jason Schneider is Associate Professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, & Discourse at DePaul University, USA.