RE: introducing myself to the community
Welcome to Steemit, @arunsubramanian!
It's great to hear about your life and what you want to share on the platform! I'm sure your posts about life as an international student in the US will be fascinating!
I always give the same advice to all new Steemians, so I'll leave these tips here for you in hopes that they will help you along the way.
Familiarize yourself with the way the platform works by browsing the FAQs.
Check out the Steemit Etiquette Guide for tips on how to interact with others in the community and how to introduce yourself to everyone.
If you'd like some advice on how to make your posts great, take a look at this guide I posted about polishing your posts.
Finally, when it comes to commenting, check out this guide that will get you on the road to becoming a comment expert!
I'll be following along to take a look at your future posts, but if you're interested in plugging into a community that focuses on supporting its members and curating great content, look no further than The Unmentionables. Come check us out!
The rest is up to you, so best wishes and happy Steeming!
Of course if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!