International students fly to Iowa from all over the world to attend Iowa State, but transportation can be a problem after they land.

International students are increasingly choosing to apply for their own driver’s licenses.

When arriving in the U.S., international students do not have the luxury of immediately obtaining their licenses and have no way of getting around other than the bus or riding with friends.

“I do not have my driver’s license at home or in the U.S, but I am hoping to get it next year,” said Qinming Zhang, freshman in engineering from China. “I have never driven a car before.”

Although some international students have already been through the driver’s training course and have passed the driver’s road test back at home, they still need to follow the Iowa driver’s license policy.

For an international student to receive an Iowa driver’s license, he or she must pass a permit test and a road test.

“I took the road test in December of 2012, but I did not pass it that time,” said Hanxiao Hu, junior in journalism and speech communication. Hu is also from China. “During winter break, I went to California with my friend and did a lot of driving which helped me prepare. I then ended up taking the road test again in January, and that is when I passed.”

Compared to China, the process of getting a license in Iowa is straightforward. In China, potential drivers are required to pass four different road tests.

The first test is to get a permit, which has 100 questions. To pass the test, applicants need to get 90 or more of those questions correct. The second test is reversing the car. The third test is multiple situational scenarios the driver has to answer to pass. The fourth test is the on-the-road test.

“These tests cost $300 altogether. You just keep taking the tests until you pass; you do not need to continue to pay $300. One kid took the reversing test eight times before he passed,” Hu said.

Most residents in Iowa have to have a permit for six months before a obtaining a license. But some international students said they are not required to have their permits for a specified amount of time before taking their driver’s tests. However, they do still need to prepare for both the permit test and the driver’s test to pass.

“I just walked into the [Department of Transportation] and took the permit test,” said Benjamin Ch’ng, graduate student in electrical and computer engineering from Malaysia. “The questions were pretty straightforward, and the same day I was able to take the drivers test.”

Learning the rules of the road is essential for the students. Learning the different signs, knowing how to handle one-way streets and obeying stoplights are all included in being a good driver.

In other countries it is common for driver’s training to be done in a manual car instead of an automatic car.

“When I got my license, I just used my friend’s car. After about six months, I decided to start looking for my own car,” Ch’ng said.

The state of Iowa offers the driver’s test in 21 languages. For an international student to obtain a driver’s license in Iowa, they need to present proof of identity and residence, a non-commercial driver’s license or identification card and immigration documents. They must also pass a vision, written and driving test and pay they appropriate fees.

Students can find specific fees on the Iowa Department of Transportation website.