For the 9 percent of the ISU student body who are international students, transitioning to life in Ames can be both challenging and rewarding.

The 2007-2008 Iowa State Fact Book said international students arrived from 106 different countries.

Their adjustment to life in Ames gives perspective on what it is like to experience a new country.

Hassan Hassan, senior in electrical engineering, has been here for over three years. Originally from Sudan, Hassan spent most of his life in the Middle Eastern countries Oman and the United Arab Emirates. 

“I came to Iowa State when a friend recommended ISU for its engineering program,” Hassan said. 

However, he experienced trouble in learning English.

“I had no problem in writing, but it was harder to speak.” Hassan said. “In Oman, I spoke Arabic and only learned textbook English.”

Hassan said he was welcomed by many Sudanese students on campus, which led Hassan to become a member of the multicultural fraternity, Sigma Lambda Beta.

“It is easy to create a community you fit into,” Hassan said. “To get the most of your college experience, reach out to others. We all do not have to be the same to get along.”

As a second-generation college student, Hassan said he encourages students to “get out of your comfort zone” like his father did when he became the first in his family to attend to college.

“My family came from a poor background, but my father was the first to go to college and also to go and work in different countries such as Oman and U.A.E.,” Hassan said.

Manju Catherine Pothen, graduate student in mechanical engineering from Kerala, India, has been here since mid-August. She already finds the people in Ames a lot nicer.

She said she doesn’t have a problem speaking English because it is the first language in South India.

Unlike Pothen, Nicky Zeng, freshmen from China, said he has a little trouble understanding the American accent.

“People in Ames understand that I am an international student and are willing to speak slower for me,” Zeng said.

When Zeng first arrived on campus, he accidentally got lost while trying to find his dorm.

“I went to the wrong dorm, but the girl moving us in offered to drive me over to mine,” Zeng said. “She was very nice and helpful.”

One area in which Zeng said he thinks Ames can improve upon is its Chinese food.

“[The food is] good, but different from Chinese food at home,” he said.

Jorge Gallegos, senior study abroad student in engineering specials, said he shares Zeng’s sentiment about missing the food from his home country.

“The food is good, but I miss the spices,” Gallegos said.

Visiting from Monterrey, Mexico, Gallegos said he is having “a blast” in Ames. Because his college, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, is in a city, it does not have a well-defined campus. Dorm living is a new experience for him.

“Our college does not have dorms like Iowa State,” Gallegos said. “We have never lived in a dorm, so it is fun.”

Top 8 countries for ISU international students from fall 2007

1. China, 764 students

2. India, 340 students

3. South Korea, 262 students

4. Malaysia, 109 students

5. Taiwan, 80 students

6. Turkey, 51 students

7. Mexico, 46 students

8. Indonesia, 43 students

— Information from Marcia McDowell