This qualitative case study explored a unique set of challenges faced by international students as they move into the United States for their studies. The study addressed the problem that international students encounter a unique set of challenges and must use emotion regulation to overcome a unique set of challenges. The purpose of this study was to explore international students' experiences with challenges while studying in the United States. Lazarus' transactional theory was the guiding framework for the study. A qualitative case study assisted to explore the experiences of the participants through interviews. Purposive sampling was used to select 17 participants, aged 18 and over, studying in the United States. Thematic analysis and thematic coding were employed to analyze the data. During data analysis, the 13 themes emerged via the examination of the transcriptions, member-checking, and review of the journal notes in response to research questions associated with international students' challenges while studying in the United States. The eight identified themes in response to RQ1 were language barrier, transportation, discrimination, loneliness, college challenges, friendship formation, family support, and group work and the five identified themes in response to RQ2 were professors, pedagogical differences, appreciating the offerings, communities, and coping. The results of the study suggested challenges that international students faced while studying in U.S. colleges were language, culture shock, cultural differences and discrimination. International students' family and instructors' support were the most important factors that helped international students to adjust to American college life and culture. The potential implications include the need for colleges to focus on considering many aspects when planning to provide appropriate language assistance and focus on the importance of establishing friendship formation while international students are studying in the United States. Suggestions for future practice involve that administrators should eliminate language barriers among international students and ensure a positive educational experience in U.S. colleges. Future research should expand on the effects of adjustment in international students' academic achievement and examine graduation rates of international students from universities to see how many students persist and complete their bachelor's degrees. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]