The first international student stepped onto the Iowa State campus in 1878. Since then, the university has hosted thousands of international students. During the 2023 school year, there were 2,718 international students from 52 countries.
Ronnit Nandu, a junior in chemical engineering, is the president of the International Student Council and an international student from India. Nandu came to Iowa State because of the university’s research program and the support from the university.
“I wrote an email as a freshman and thought the professor might be busy and not reply, but I got a reply within the first 15 minutes of me sending it,” Nandu said.
The International Student Council aims to create an environment that enhances the international community and creates a platform for international students to discuss their culture and lifestyles.
The council raised $13,000 last year to give beds to incoming international students planning on living in University Village.
This is one of the several clubs on campus directed towards international students.
Mayank Ranjan, a sophomore majoring in aerospace engineering from India, is the treasurer of the International Student Council. Ranjan came to Iowa State because of the engineering program and the support system Iowa State gives international students.
“One thing that stood out to me was how much support they give you for additional extracurricular stuff that you do in engineering,” Ranjan said.
International students leave a country they consider home and come to Iowa State for higher education. They have to adjust to new types of travel, transportation, education, food and language.
Tuan Nguyen, a junior from Vietnam studying computer science and the secretary and humanitarian awareness director of the International Student Council, said having too much freedom was the biggest change.
“In the classes, you do your own thing and have your own pace,” Nguyen said. “So if you fall behind, you have to do everything on your own. Professors are not gonna chase after you. It definitely took me some time to integrate and understand how to be productive.”
Nandu said the hardest part about coming to Iowa State was the dining centers and the fast-paced environment.
“I’m a vegetarian, and the dining centers are not very vegetarian-friendly,” Nandu said. “[Campus is] a little fast-paced, and it comes in waves, so that can be something new too.”
Ranjan said the biggest adjustment for him was transportation. Ranjan lived in Wilson his first year and said having the motivation on the weekends to go and get food was difficult without always having access to transportation, especially in the winter.
Several international students are thousands of miles away from home, meaning they don’t always see their friends and families often.
Nandu said he normally goes home during summer breaks but hasn’t been home in a year and a half. Nguyen hasn’t been home since the summer of 2023. Ranjan goes home only for summer and winter breaks.
During university holidays when some international students can’t go home, Nandu said that he has visited some of his family living in America.
“I travel with my friends for shorter breaks, like Thanksgiving or spring break,” Nguyen said. “Or I go visit my family in Georgia. Sometimes I just do my own thing. There’s, like, schoolwork or volunteering.”
One of the major issues international students face at Iowa State is food. Ranjan said that dining centers aren’t open during the longer university breaks, which can be an issue for several international students.
“When I was a freshman, a lot of my friends just came to my dorm and cooked in the community kitchen, but that got really tiring to do after getting the groceries and it being cold outside,” Nandu said.
Nandu, Ranjan and Nguyen all said they’ve enjoyed the welcoming environment at Iowa State.
Nandu said Iowa State has been a very inclusive environment and supportive of international students. He said that he’s enjoyed seeing people in a good mood every day and everyone has a kind nature.
Ranjan thought it would be tough to make friends at Iowa State but was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming nature of Iowa State students.
“I like how people here are really friendly.” Nguyen said. “They are really welcoming towards international students, and I had no trouble making friends when I first came here. Everyone was so welcoming and kind.”
Nandu said that if any students are interested in representing their culture or advocating for others, the International Student Council would be open to giving students leadership roles.
