I love IELSP

*Tugas Kepulangan dari Mbak Chichi
*Caution: the longest essay I made

The IELSP experience had change me in many aspect in my life such as the way I think, the way I behave, and the way I study. What I mean by the way I think is that before I imagine United States as one powerful and sophisticated country, I never think that such powerful country has basic but major problem like health care and hunger. It was gave me a big shock. I learned these when I took speaking and listening class. Other shock came from how kind and friendly people were in Ames. After all this time, I’ve been keeping the stereotype of individualist American. However a stereotype nothing more than a generalization I was surprised with the hospitality and care I’ve got from American and all people in Ames.

Second is the way I behave. Being overwhelmed with unexpectable information, now I tend to behave openly toward difference. Not only for Americans or other foreigners, but also for my Indonesian friends. The diversity, actually started from the tiniest interaction I had which is in my apartment with my room mate. Then it continued as a group of Indonesian, then the immerse classes, and interaction with Americans. I started to think that nothing right or wrong about the culture, it was just different. I also tend to be more discipline. I saw and experienced that disciplinary is ‘fixed price’ in US. Never had I seen before that we have to walk in one side, neither had I seen that bus leave the passenger because they’re 5 seconds late. It seems very strict and no bargain for the disciplinary here. However, I started to like it and comfortable with it. I observed that the supreme point in disciplinary is when we don’t need to watch each other, because we believe everybody obey the rules. It was pronounced by self-checkout system in some public facilities. It’s so amazing. The last piece of how I was changed in the way I behave is the independence of each person. I was ashamed by how independent the teenagers here are. It was a big gap for US and Indonesia. Teenagers in Indonesia tend to do one thing for one time. For example, a teenager which is student must just study, and also the contrary. Sometime the tuition paid by scholarship but most of the time, their parents paid for it. There are just a little number of student who work at the same time. Now, I need to adapt the American culture of work, be independent.

The third is the way I study. There was a lot differences we might find from American culture of study and Indonesian culture of study. For example: interaction with teachers, activity in class, and homework. Interaction with teachers is one big difference of both countries. In Indonesia, it is rare for student to address the teacher by the first name, sit together to chat, and had the teacher at office time and consult about the lesson in class. Yet, those all happen in US. Considering that the teachers are the most important part of study or learn, it was very helpful that teacher and student are equal in communication. Next one is the activity in class which is also different, there are a lot of interesting activities in class that help us understand the lessons better. The homework were also a bit different from our homework in Indonesia, in this course we had a various homework, so it kept challenge us, although most of the time, the homework was too much for us, but nevertheless we survived it.

For me, being one of grantee is one big help. I was very thankful that everyday I tried to do my best in participating the program. For example, I was once no good in grammar, because I actually never learn grammar. I couldn’t stop wonder why I was in the higher class of grammar. It was torturing since I knew nothing. However, because of great teacher we had at the course, they helped me to understand from the very beginning of grammar lesson. They always there at the office and waited for us to ask some help. At the end of the course, thankfully I had an almost full point for quizzes before the achievement test. Not only a big help in grammar, the course was also help me on writing. Before, I also knew nothing about type of essay, punctuation, connectors, thesis statement, topic sentence, conclusion. Now, after each week progress in writing class, I started to write better essay and obeyed the rules in writing at the same time. I was very grateful to had my teachers, because writing is my favorite subject and is my hobby, now that I learn the proper writing, I could apply it everyday. Last but not least, is speaking and listening ability. Being in native speaker environment, trained my tongue to speak and my ears to listen. Now, my direct speaking ability increased, and also my listening ability. I could listen and take note at the same time as my listening and speaking teacher taught me. As an addition, my TOEFL skill was also increasing. Considering all TOEFL tutoring we had within the program, I started to progress my TOEFL skill. Before I participated in IEOP, I’ve got 533 for ITP TOEFL. A month after I participated, it was increased to 557 on TOEFL Practice. At the end of the program I’ve got 563 ITP TOEFL and was eligible to apply graduate school at Iowa State University. I am thankful to God, to IIE, and IIEF for the progress.

Beside the advantages in language proficiency, the pluses of the program were: we’ve got to know many people from different culture. It was fun and interesting to communicate with other people from US, Vietnam, Korea, Africa, India, Middle East countries, North America countries, China. I learned their culture and their mother tongue. Now I was able to say “Hello” or “Good Morning” for 6 or more language. We bond it together. Although it was very hard to say goodbye, the memory of friendship and the harmony in diversity are priceless for me. Moreover, after we immersed in this program, we could introduce our culture. There was some proud in my heart that now, we made them learn about Indonesia, and they love Indonesia, and hope to visit Indonesia. The next one is the bond with Indonesian. Lived too far from our country effectively integrated us to each other. Not only within the group, but also with Indonesian that have been living there for years.

As an advantageous and great program, I don’t really know how the program could be improved more. However I ever heard from IELSP alumni that they had a weekend to stay at native speaker houses. I am quite curious the feeling of living with Americans. I didn’t regret that we didn’t have the chance since we had many American friends. We were able to get the best hospitality during the program from our friends, and that was also great experience.

Now that the program finished, and I was extremely encouraged by the program, I am ready to reach next objective which is applying scholarship for master degree. I need to work on my thesis and then get the best GPA. I want to get more experience abroad (beside US) for the next two years before I comeback to Iowa State University for Journalism graduate school. With my GPA, TOEFL score, and my experience, InsyaAllah (with God’s willing) I’ll get it!

It’s still amazing that a girl who came from strict society that not allow female to go to college, finally made it and return from USA. Most of the time I thought it was only dream. But as my coordinator, Miss Xiong, always said “dreams do come true!”. I believe in something powerful that lead me here. The power of dream, the law of attraction, and God’s willing. Thanks for everything IIE, IIEF to made it happen for me. Without you, I’ll never be here, to take advantages, apply it and be useful for human being. Thanks a lot.