New students at Iowa State are exposed to a new world of experiences. But when they are from a foreign country, the college experience takes on a whole new perspective.

A new way of life, a different language, a new custom and the whole college culture are all strange and different. Parties, the Greek system, Homecoming, campus police, marching bands and college football — all things Americans find familiar, many international students find to be alien.

The ISU campus and Iowa in general are a different environment for many. Shihwu Sung, the adviser for the Taiwanese Student Association, said that Taiwan, compared to Ames, is very different.

“Students from the Taiwan Association say that home is crowded. The area here is wide open. The environment change is a whole lot different. In Taiwan people are close together brushing shoulders in the streets,” Sung said.

“It’s a nice place to study,” said Joeann Lee, a transfer student from Taiwan in hotel and restaurant management. “I have been here for three weeks. The school provides a lot of facilities.”

Lee said that her college in Taiwan was more enclosed compared to ISU’s large campus.

Classes and professors are also an obstacle for new students to overcome. Large classes and teachers who speak quickly and with an accent can be frustrating. “I can only understand 90 percent of what they say. I think all the classes I attend are big,” Lee said.

The way Americans behave is also different for foreign students.

“If we have contact with people in the street in Taiwan, they will not smile at you. People here smile and say hello,” Lee said.

The various international groups such as the Chinese Student Association or the Peruvian Student Association help to assist the students.

Sung said new students are given assistance so they can be better oriented with Ames. These new students are taught study skills, how to get around campus, and other skills all new college students learn.

But there are other things, simple to Americans, that are new to international students. A trip to the grocery store to get the necessities of college living can be an unfamiliar experience.

Being in these international groups gives the new students a chance to feel comfortable in the transition.

“It’s nice to know someone on campus speaks your language and knows your customs and beliefs,” Sung said. “There is a feeling of safety in numbers.”

Lee said new international students often do not participate in certain activities. School work and cultural differences are often part of the problem. Lee said that she just did not have the time to participate. She had often seen signs for groups she found interest in, but school had priority.