Comments from IIEP Students - The University of Iowa

What Our Students Say Conditional Undergraduate Admission TOEFL Linguistics/ TESL at Iowa Photo Gallery	Read comments by students from many countries! Azhar Abdulla, U.A.E. Ayako Ueda, Japan Xiang Zhang, China Shiori Yamazaki, Japan Dullas Kumar Alahapperuma, Sri Lanka Azalea Guadalupe Suarez Moreno, Peru Sisi Shen, China Daegon Cho, Korea SawSan Bawazeer, Saudi Arabia Sung Do Ko, Korea Victor Lopez, Nicaragua Wilianto Widjaja, Indonesia Anne Marie Agodio, *Ivory Coast* "Coming to America was like a big adventure to me. All what I knew about America was from Hollywood movies. Since I was a kid I thought that America is exactly like what I’ve seen in the movies: gangs, chasing cars and Beverley hills. I’ve never thought of coming to America before graduating from high school. When I knew from the scholarship office that I was assigned to study in Iowa I was so excited. Many friends and family members tried to convince me of not going. [...] But my dad stood up for me and he encouraged me to come. When I came to the U.S.A., I first landed in the Minnesota, Minneapolis airport. [...] After that we took a local plane to Cedar Rapids, IA. As soon as we arrived my friends and I noticed something weird in that airport, something that we haven’t noticed in Minneapolis. Everybody was smiling at us, from the officers in the checking in booth to the porters. I was so happy at that time because I felt like they are welcoming us. After staying in Iowa for a month and a half I realize that Iowans are so friendly. I’ve never seen people like Iowans. I have traveled to many countries in Europe and the Arab world and met many people but I’ve never met people as nice as Iowans. They smile to everyone even if they don’t know them, they open doors for you and are always helpful when you need help. I was planning to study in another state next year but after what I have experienced with Iowans I might change my mind and stay here." Azhar Abdulla, U.A.E. Fall 2006 "If I express Iowa in one word, it is safe. When I decided to study in the U.S., it was the first time to live abroad in my life. So, I was very nervous about the security issue because my images about the U.S. were the high crime rate and a dangerous country. However, once I started living in Iowa City, I found it was my wrong guess. For example, I stupidly left the door of my car unlocked so many times, but surprisingly nothing has happened so far! If I had done the same thing in a big city such as LA or NY, my car would have been stolen and displayed at a car dealer in a few hours. Why is Iowa City is such a safe place? The reason is people living in Iowa City are mostly the university students and employees, and a few farmers. I believe Iowa City is one of the safest places to live in the U.S. So, if you want to concentrate on your study, Iowa City is a very good place." Ayako Ueda, Japan Fall 2006 "IIEP is an amazing place where not only can you improve your English proficiency but also can you have a good opportunity to meet international friends. You can learn other countries’ history, culture and custom. As long as you arrive in America, you will represent your country instead of yourself. So, learn more your own country’s general culture and history. You will have many chances to share your own country with your classmates. If you have enough time to prepare before you come to Iowa, you should learn several of your countries’ food recipes. It can help you to live here independently and make some friends due to this as well. In my class, I made some friends from Japan, Korea, and, Taiwan. Through getting along with them, I also learned how to cook their countries’ food. That’s wonderful." Xiang Zhang, China Fall 2006 "When I first arrived in Iowa, I didn't know anybody, of course. That made me feel lonely. However, once the class started, I could meet many people from various countries. It was so much fun to talk with them, and it was also a good opportunity to practice English. I also learned new things from each of my classes. What I learned here was completely different from what I learned in Japan. In Japan, we studied English as a subject which is required to enter university, but here I learned to think about the meaning of words deeply, think about them logically, and use them as tools for an actual communication." Shiori Yamazaki, Japan Summer 2004 "End of the day it made me ask a question. Did the IIEP help us to change our personalities? To me, the answer is obvious. Yes, of course. Today my personality has changed. When I came here, I was an ordinary average person, but today I’m a man with the courage and ambition. This will be a real change of my life. In other words, the IIEP is the most significant turning point of my life. [...] So we should be grateful for the IIEP and its great teachers made up such personalities. I’ve learned from different countries and different teachers. In fact my parents were teachers. However, I have to say honestly that I’ve met best teachers from the US. The important thing is most of them from the IIEP." Dullas Kumar Alahapperuma, Sri Lanka Spring 2004 "IIEP has given me the opportunity to learn the English language. The classes are challenging and friendly. They are given in clear and pleasant form. The teachers are very friendly, so they are always available when I need their help. One beautiful experience for me has been to know many people from other countries such as Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Venezuela, Mexico and Turkey, because in order for us to know each other we have to speak in English. It has been wonderful because I have learned about other cultures by only speaking English. Another experience has been the comfort and security that the city and its people (Iowans) have given me to improve my communication. These are some experiences about my English learning in the IIEP." Azalea Guadalupe Suarez Moreno, Peru Fall 2005 "To those who are coming here, my advice would be learn more about your country—knowledge you can bring to the U.S. to share with others. Since you’re coming to a different country, you’ll meet with different people from other countries. However there’s one thing in common, which is they’ll be interested in your country. They want to learn more about your country through asking your questions. And if you don’t know how to answer them, you’ll not only embarrass yourself but also lose an opportunity for people get to know your country. So I suggest that you should at least be familiar with some aspects of your country, like the culture, geography, politics, etc. Also it would be very helpful that you travel a lot to different cities in your country. More important, bring some pictures will be of great help." Sisi Shen, China Fall 2006 "Let me guess...You are thinking about studying English abroad and you didn’t decide where you’re going to study. Here’s the answer for you. Come to Iowa City!! I bet you’re going to love this city and you’re going to get much more than you thought. When I arrived in Iowa, I didn’t know what I should do. I was totally confused because I haven’t lived abroad and I wasn’t sure whether I could do well. However, after beginning classes, I could meet many good friends from many countries like China, Japan, Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia. I haven’t thought about taking classes with people from different cultures. It was a really fresh experience to me. You can also make American friends in dormitories. I could also meet many nice IIEP instructors. They always encouraged me to improve myself, and I could improve my English by help from them. You can experience many cultures in the IIEP classes, and you can meet people who really help you to study English. It’s going to be the best experience you have ever had. Don’t hesitate and make a decision!" Daegon Cho, Korea Fall 2006 "Our grammar teacher gave us a pre-test in our first day in her class. She kept the results until the last day of the semester. At that time we took the same test again. To prove that we learned from this class, we compared the two results to see our progress. I scored 9 out of 20 in my first pre-test on the other hand; I scored 20 out of 20 when we took the test again at our last day. That clearly shows how much I progressed throughout the semester. [...] I had a lot of non-Arabic friends; therefore, we communicated with each other in English. Furthermore, when I came back home and started my job I was more experienced in English, which allowed my coworkers to depend on me to communicate with others in English. Even when I type in Arabic, I remember the rules we use when we write paragraphs in English. They are almost the same rules. The most important thing I learned during my stay in Iowa especially during the September 11 attack was not to judge all based on the actions of individuals. Principles and teachers and even the students in IIEP helped us during that difficult time. They made sure that we felt safe. I believe that in everywhere in this world there are good people and there are bad ones. And from my deepest heart I hope peace will spread out to the whole world. And for the one who is deciding whether to be enrolled in this program or not, I say: GO AHEAD, don't hesitate, because you will learn something new for sure." *SawSan Bawazir, Saudi Arabia* Fall 2001 "Have you ever thought about how pleasant living in Iowa City is? Well, if you don’t agree with this idea, I’ll tell you why it is. I’m from Seoul, the capital of South Korea, which is one of the megalopolises with almost 12 million inhabitants. It is too hard to experience nature in Seoul but here in Iowa City, I can wake up with bright and beautiful sunshine and birds singing. There are a lot of lovely rabbits and squirrels in the yard of my apartment and campus. Also I can enjoy the beautiful sunset and clean and fresh air. In this environment, I feel I have become healthier mentally and physically. I always have dreamed about this kind of life in the small and quiet town and finally this dream has come true in Iowa City." *Sung Do Ko, Korea* Summer 2003 "I think that Iowa City is an excellent place to live for English students because people of Iowa are very friendly. In addition, the city is small and safe; so, you can find everything that you need close to the university campus. Near the university there are clothing stores, supermarket, restaurants, banks, etc. The University has a nice dormitory building and provides a good system of transportation for students. I would like to tell potential students that IIEP has high quality in teaching-learning process in English as a second language. The English Program has skillful teachers and an excellent staff team." *Victor Lopez, Nicaragua* "The teachers were very skillful and helpful. They always answered all of the student questions in class and outside of class as well. They also gave extra time for those students who were interested to learn more. The staffs were also very kind and helpful. They answered all of the student needs." *Wilianto Widjaja, Indonesia* "I arrived in IIEP in January 2005. Before coming here, I was wondering about the teachers and the people I would meet in my new department. However, I was very surprised by the director and the teachers. They are such nice persons, always willing to help us learn more and study in good conditions. Our director is always available for us, helping us with our problems and all the questions we can have. When my friends and I are talking about something or want to have advice or an orientation, we all have the same reaction: "I will go and talk to the director" because we know that she will always help us. Our teachers are also amazing. We have really enjoyed our classes and learned quickly how to write and speak English. When I arrived in January, I hardly spoke or understand English, and if you'd asked me to read in English I just couldn't. But after one semester I can read novels, newspapers, and I have improved my speaking and my writing. During this semester, my teachers helped me and were always available to correct my mistakes. Also, studying at IIEP is a great occasion to meet people from different countries. Today I have friends from Korea, Venezuela, Mexico, Taiwan, Czech Republic, and other countries. In conclusion, the IIEP has given me more than I expected when I first arrived here. We study in very good conditions in a department which is very friendly and helpful. I will strongly recommend it to every person who wants to study English efficiently and in good conditions." Anne Marie Agodio, the Ivory Coast Summer 2005

Read comments by students from many countries!

Azhar Abdulla, U.A.E.
Ayako Ueda, Japan
Xiang Zhang, China
Shiori Yamazaki, Japan
Dullas Kumar Alahapperuma, Sri Lanka
Azalea Guadalupe Suarez Moreno, Peru
Sisi Shen, China
Daegon Cho, Korea
SawSan Bawazeer, Saudi Arabia
Sung Do Ko, Korea
Victor Lopez, Nicaragua
Wilianto Widjaja, Indonesia
Anne Marie Agodio, Ivory Coast

"Coming to America was like a big adventure to me. All what I knew about America was from Hollywood movies. Since I was a kid I thought that America is exactly like what I’ve seen in the movies: gangs, chasing cars and Beverley hills. I’ve never thought of coming to America before graduating from high school. When I knew from the scholarship office that I was assigned to study in Iowa I was so excited. Many friends and family members tried to convince me of not going. [...] But my dad stood up for me and he encouraged me to come.

When I came to the U.S.A., I first landed in the Minnesota, Minneapolis airport. [...] After that we took a local plane to Cedar Rapids, IA. As soon as we arrived my friends and I noticed something weird in that airport, something that we haven’t noticed in Minneapolis. Everybody was smiling at us, from the officers in the checking in booth to the porters. I was so happy at that time because I felt like they are welcoming us. After staying in Iowa for a month and a half I realize that Iowans are so friendly. I’ve never seen people like Iowans. I have traveled to many countries in Europe and the Arab world and met many people but I’ve never met people as nice as Iowans. They smile to everyone even if they don’t know them, they open doors for you and are always helpful when you need help. I was planning to study in another state next year but after what I have experienced with Iowans I might change my mind and stay here."

Azhar Abdulla, U.A.E.
Fall 2006

"If I express Iowa in one word, it is safe. When I decided to study in the U.S., it was the first time to live abroad in my life. So, I was very nervous about the security issue because my images about the U.S. were the high crime rate and a dangerous country. However, once I started living in Iowa City, I found it was my wrong guess. For example, I stupidly left the door of my car unlocked so many times, but surprisingly nothing has happened so far! If I had done the same thing in a big city such as LA or NY, my car would have been stolen and displayed at a car dealer in a few hours. Why is Iowa City is such a safe place? The reason is people living in Iowa City are mostly the university students and employees, and a few farmers. I believe Iowa City is one of the safest places to live in the U.S. So, if you want to concentrate on your study, Iowa City is a very good place."

Ayako Ueda, Japan
Fall 2006

"IIEP is an amazing place where not only can you improve your English proficiency but also can you have a good opportunity to meet international friends. You can learn other countries’ history, culture and custom. As long as you arrive in America, you will represent your country instead of yourself. So, learn more your own country’s general culture and history. You will have many chances to share your own country with your classmates. If you have enough time to prepare before you come to Iowa, you should learn several of your countries’ food recipes. It can help you to live here independently and make some friends due to this as well. In my class, I made some friends from Japan, Korea, and, Taiwan. Through getting along with them, I also learned how to cook their countries’ food. That’s wonderful."

Xiang Zhang, China
Fall 2006

"When I first arrived in Iowa, I didn't know anybody, of course. That made me feel lonely. However, once the class started, I could meet many people from various countries. It was so much fun to talk with them, and it was also a good opportunity to practice English.

I also learned new things from each of my classes. What I learned here was completely different from what I learned in Japan. In Japan, we studied English as a subject which is required to enter university, but here I learned to think about the meaning of words deeply, think about them logically, and use them as tools for an actual communication."

"End of the day it made me ask a question. Did the IIEP help us to change our personalities? To me, the answer is obvious. Yes, of course. Today my personality has changed. When I came here, I was an ordinary average person, but today I’m a man with the courage and ambition. This will be a real change of my life. In other words, the IIEP is the most significant turning point of my life. [...] So we should be grateful for the IIEP and its great teachers made up such personalities. I’ve learned from different countries and different teachers. In fact my parents were teachers. However, I have to say honestly that I’ve met best teachers from the US. The important thing is most of them from the IIEP."

"IIEP has given me the opportunity to learn the English language. The classes are challenging and friendly. They are given in clear and pleasant form. The teachers are very friendly, so they are always available when I need their help. One beautiful experience for me has been to know many people from other countries such as Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Venezuela, Mexico and Turkey, because in order for us to know each other we have to speak in English. It has been wonderful because I have learned about other cultures by only speaking English. Another experience has been the comfort and security that the city and its people (Iowans) have given me to improve my communication. These are some experiences about my English learning in the IIEP."

"To those who are coming here, my advice would be learn more about your country—knowledge you can bring to the U.S. to share with others. Since you’re coming to a different country, you’ll meet with different people from other countries. However there’s one thing in common, which is they’ll

be interested in your country. They want to learn more about your country through asking your questions. And if you don’t know how to answer them, you’ll not only embarrass yourself but also lose an opportunity for people get to know your country. So I suggest that you should at least be familiar with some aspects of your country, like the culture, geography, politics, etc. Also it would be very helpful that you travel a lot to different cities in your country. More important, bring some pictures will be of great help."

"Let me guess...You are thinking about studying English abroad and you didn’t decide where you’re going to study. Here’s the answer for you. Come to Iowa City!! I bet you’re going to love this city and you’re going to get much more than you thought. When I arrived in Iowa, I didn’t know wh

at I should do. I was totally confused because I haven’t lived abroad and I wasn’t sure whether I could do well. However, after beginning classes, I could meet many good friends from many countries like China, Japan, Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia. I haven’t thought about taking classes with people from different cultures. It was a really fresh experience to me. You can also make American friends in dormitories. I could also meet many nice IIEP instructors. They always encouraged me to improve myself, and I could improve my English by help from them. You can experience many cultures in the IIEP classes, and you can meet people who really help you to study English. It’s going to be the best experience you have ever had. Don’t hesitate and make a decision!"

"Our grammar teacher gave us a pre-test in our first day in her class. She kept the results until the last day of the semester. At that time we took the same test again. To prove that we learned from this class, we compared the two results to see our progress. I scored 9 out of 20 in my first pre-test on the other hand; I scored 20 out of 20 when we took the test again at our last day. That clearly shows how much I progressed throughout the semester.

[...] I had a lot of non-Arabic friends; therefore, we communicated with each other in English. Furthermore, when I came back home and started my job I was more experienced in English, which allowed my coworkers to depend on me to communicate with others in English. Even when I type in Arabic, I remember the rules we use when we write paragraphs in English. They are almost the same rules.

The most important thing I learned during my stay in Iowa especially during the September 11 attack was not to judge all based on the actions of individuals. Principles and teachers and even the students in IIEP helped us during that difficult time. They made sure that we felt safe. I believe that in everywhere in this world there are good people and there are bad ones. And from my deepest heart I hope peace will spread out to the whole world.

And for the one who is deciding whether to be enrolled in this program or not, I say: GO AHEAD, don't hesitate, because you will learn something new for sure."

"Have you ever thought about how pleasant living in Iowa City is? Well, if you don’t agree with this idea, I’ll tell you why it is. I’m from Seoul, the capital of South Korea, which is one of the megalopolises with almost 12 million inhabitants. It is too hard to experience nature in Seoul but here in Iowa City, I can wake up with bright and beautiful sunshine and birds singing. There are a lot of lovely rabbits and squirrels in the yard of my apartment and campus. Also I can enjoy the beautiful sunset and clean and fresh air. In this environment, I feel I have become healthier mentally and physically. I always have dreamed about this kind of life in the small and quiet town and finally this dream has come true in Iowa City."

"I think that Iowa City is an excellent place to live for English students because people of Iowa are very friendly. In addition, the city is small and safe; so, you can find everything that you need close to the university

campus. Near the university there are clothing stores, supermarket, restaurants, banks, etc. The University has a nice dormitory building and provides a good system of transportation for students.

I would like to tell potential students that IIEP has high quality in teaching-learning process in English as a second language. The English Program has skillful teachers and an excellent staff team."

"The teachers were very skillful and helpful. They always answered all of the student questions in class and outside of class as well. They also gave extra time for those students who were interested to learn more. The staffs were also very kind and helpful. They answered all of the student needs."

"I arrived in IIEP in January 2005. Before coming here, I was wondering about the teachers and the people I would meet in my new department. However, I was very surprised by the director and the teachers. They are such nice persons, always willing to help us learn more and study in good conditions. Our director is always available for us, helping us with our problems and all the questions we can have. When my friends and I are talking about something or want to have advice or an orientation, we all have the same reaction: "I will go and talk to the director" because we know that she will always help us.

Our teachers are also amazing. We have really enjoyed our classes and learned quickly how to write and speak English. When I arrived in January, I hardly spoke or understand English, and if you'd asked me to read in English I just couldn't. But after one semester I can read novels, newspapers, and I have improved my speaking and my writing. During this semester, my teachers helped me and were always available to correct my mistakes. Also, studying at IIEP is a great occasion to meet people from different countries. Today I have friends from Korea, Venezuela, Mexico, Taiwan, Czech Republic, and other countries.

In conclusion, the IIEP has given me more than I expected when I first arrived here. We study in very good conditions in a department which is very friendly and helpful. I will strongly recommend it to every person who wants to study English efficiently and in good conditions."