Want to start a topic for those who came to the US to pursue their educational degrees. Everything that has to do with F1 visas, J1 to F1, CPT/OPT, on- and off-campus employment, economic hardships, and further naturalization steps can go here.
I myself spent 8 years studying and working in the US. 4 years doing bachelors in marketing + 1 year of OPT and then 2 years of MBA + 1 year of OPT after that.
Knowing certain things in advance would help me save time and money for countless discussions with immigration attorney.