Kotomi Akai, Japan, Entrepreneur and International Business Program
“I chose this program because it had very specific topics like science, business and American culture, not just learning English. I also liked that it was a university town and safer than other places in the U.S.”
Carlos Maya Ortega, Mexico, Entrepreneur and International Business Program
“I applied to the program because I wanted to improve my business skills and learn about new trends in business. Davis was the best option for the amount of time and topics. I have improved my English and my presentation and research skills.”
Jintao (Eddie) Lu, China, Community College Pathway Program
“I chose UC Davis because it’s easier to join the pathway program and go to a community college than to get a high TOEFL score. I didn’t like talking to strangers and I didn’t want to participate in activities. But now I think I can do anything. I learned new vocabulary and idioms, and I improved my grammar and writing.”
I chose UC Davis for its prestige and high academic excellence. I enjoy the high-level of knowledge of my professors. I acquire more study skills and my vocabulary and pronunciation improves every day.” Efren Motto, El Salvador, Academic Engagement Track
The peaceful climate made me forget my busy life in Tokyo, and I could see things with a fresh mind. Every single experience I had here gave me confidence. Making myself understood in English is still difficult for me, but thanks to all the people I’ve met here, I have increased my self-esteem.” Hitomi Shimamura, Japan, Academic Engagement Track
“Studying abroad in the U.S. has easily been the best decision of not just my career, but also my life. The benefit to studying abroad is the opportunity to discover yourself, while gaining an understanding of a different culture. I realized I wasn’t so weak and had enough power to survive in a new country. I would like to use my strength to overcome any situation with a positive attitude and turn adversity into an exciting challenge in the future." Tsukiho Suzuki, Japan, Communication and Culture Program
“I can strongly say that participating in this program was the best choice. I will never forget this summer in Davis.” Jeongwon Yoo, Japan, Communication and Culture Program
Moena Nozaki, Japan
"What I enjoy most about UC Davis is being able to express my opinion in a small class. In Japan, it is difficult to express my opinion because of the large number of students, but now I think it is very fun to participate in class. Being able to learn a language while actually using it is a great experience."
Claire Lutzel Krueger, France
"Studying at UC Davis was an amazing experience that helped me decide what I want to do in life: work in international education. When I went back to France I continued studying English and obtained a bachelor's degree in English as a Second Language. Then I came back to the USA during my senior year of college where I met my husband. I am now a preschool lead teacher in Philadelphia. We are planning on moving back to France so I can go back to school for a master’s degree in ESL. My experience in Davis nourished my love for the English language and the American culture. I was lucky to have great teachers and friends during my year in Davis. I hope to go back there someday."
Daniela Suarique, Colombia
"I had the incredible experience to do my exchange and learn a new language in the Intensive English Program at UC Davis. The program has everything that is required to improve your English: grammar-composition, vocabulary- reading, listening-speaking, and TOFEL preparation. I took classes with many people from other countries; they are my best friends and we are still in touch every time we can. I now work in my own electrical and lighting design company. We import many products from China, so I have to use my English to do international agreements with my suppliers. I am so proud to say that this is the best choice that I could have taken in my life."
Marcela Rojas, Chile
"When I moved to Davis in 2013 because of my husband’s job, I was scared, not only because of the move, but also because of my broken English (400 level). I needed to improve my English because the TOEFL was the principal requirement for getting my license as a physical therapist. The process was extremely difficult, but by enrolling at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, International, it was easier. The adaptation to the new situation was smooth because I quickly got a bunch of new friends from literally all around the world. The teachers were AWESOME. They were very kind and warm people, people I still keep in touch with. I enjoyed every single minute there, and all the activities we had. Now, I’m working for two big hospitals in Dallas, and none of this would be possible if I had not attended UC Davis."
Mulhim Hamad Almulhim, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
"I had a really amazing experience at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, International. I had the privilege of being taught by professional and caring teachers. After I finished the UC Davis courses, I started my master’s and then did my Ph.D. in Law at Penn State Law. Now, I have established my own law office in Riyadh. I also teach business law courses at universities in Riyadh."
Walaa Alshammari, Saudi Arabia
"I'm proud of studying at UC Davis, which is the best place to learn English. In addition to the educational aspect, I gained a lot of skills and development like reviewing weekly reports in Weekly Activities Newspapers, doing volunteer work, and the most important is getting the Leadership Award. Most of this is thanks to the presence of the great instructors. After I returned to my country, the search for work became easy because I have a certificate of the English language. I was teaching English in a private school for one year, and now I work as a secretary. Finally, I'm grateful to my country which allowed me to have a scholarship. Now, I am thinking about going back to the U.S to complete a master's degree."
Zakeyah Alsharif, Saudi Arabia
"I studied five levels at UC Davis. After I finished the Intensive English Program (IEP), I got accepted at Arkansas State University. I started my master’s program in chemistry in 2015, and I will graduate in summer 2017. I work in a research lab and worked as a teaching assistant, as well. Because of IEP at UC Davis, I have been well prepared. I want to say thank you to all of my teachers at UC Davis."
Ruoqi Du, Jinan, China
"I studied in UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, International and it was the happiest and best time I have ever experienced since I graduated from college in 2013. I learned new things, met new people and experienced a new life. My English has improved a lot. I also made many good friends and I still keep in touch with them until now, even though we are in different states or countries. I enjoyed everything and every moment when I was there. Now I am studying in UC Davis School of Law and I think the experience I had in the Intensive English Program was really helpful for me to "survive" studying on campus."
Basil Masri Zada, Communication and Culture Program, Fulbright Scholar, Syria
"This program was offered to me as part of the Fulbright program. Here, I made friends from around the world and gained a better perspective of American culture. I improved my English and am prepared now for my work at Ohio University. When I arrived in Davis, I thought 'Oh, it's a small city!' But it's an artistic, eco-friendly city built for bikes!"
Sermet Sahaner, Communication and Culture Program, Turkey
"I'm an aeronautical engineer and a pilot from Turkey, and succeeded in gaining acceptance to a master's program at CalTech with the help of Fulbright. However, I decided to first take the four-week Communication and Culture program at UC Davis. The four weeks passed so fast, like a dream. I made a great decision by choosing UC Davis. Now I'm going to my university town more relaxed, comfortable and with improved English. Davis is lovely, the teachers and others are friendly and the university is awesome. Thank you very much for this great experience."
Khadija Abdous, Communication and Culture Program, Fulbright Scholar, Morocco
"This was my first time in California! I had never been to the West Coast, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to visit this unknown part of the United States. I decided to take part in the pre-academic program for Fulbright students. I am used to big cities, and to tell the truth, it took me time to appreciate the greatness of Davis. Yet, after a while, I fell in love with the city: its charming quietness, people's kindness and biking everywhere—things you don't find in big cities! The UC Davis campus is just one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever seen."
Matteo Scaltriti, Communication and Culture Program, Italy
"My mother often told me she used to pick tomatoes when she was young before her summer vacation. Well, I came all the way from Italy to California to do the same and make her proud. I picked tomatoes and basil working at the Student Farm in the mornings, improving my English skills in the afternoons. I visited the new Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science on the UC Davis campus, where I formed important contacts for my future career in enology. I have had a unique and unforgettable experience working and studying with wonderful people."
Felipe Aviz, English for Science and Technology Program, Balneário Camboriú, Brazil
"My major is Mechanical Engineering. The English for Science and Technology Program helped increase my technical vocabulary. The instructors were great and helped improve my listening and speaking skills. I enjoyed the site visits, especially to Hewlett Packard, where we saw their testing facility and where they make their instruments. The UC Davis campus is amazing—so big with a lot of trees, very nice."
Tamar Mosulishvili, English for Science and Technology Program, Tbilisi, Georgia
"I am majoring in Medicine, and the English for Science and Technology Program was very useful. The instructors are helpful and encouraging. I love the campus. It has a lot of trees, and I wish we had campuses like this in Georgia. After the program, I plan to apply to medical school and study cardiology or neurology."
Hiromasa Inayoshi, English for Science and Technology Program, Tokyo University of Science
"This is a very good, very challenging program. I met people from many countries, and the instructors were very kind and helpful."
Prosper Zongo, Communication and Culture Program, Burkina Faso
"I am a Fulbright scholar from Burkina Faso, and I took a four-week Communication and Culture Program. I am grateful to the people of this town who helped make my stay a wonderful experience. Contrary to what I believed before coming, people are really nice, welcoming and eager to help foreigners. I really enjoyed my stay in Davis and at UC Davis. The different teachers have wonderful ways of teaching. For instance, dividing the students in small groups, allowing them to ask questions, asking for feedback. As for the staff, contrary to some countries where you are afraid to knock at the door of a staff member, here at UC Davis they are really nice and are always helpful and do their best to make students happy. I am now in South Dakota where I will be staying for two years, but I am planning to come back to Davis during the holidays."
Hugo Alfredo Taracena Pinzón, Communication and Culture Program, Fulbright Scholar, Guatemala
"UC Davis is awesome! Life in Davis has been amazing. I am still impressed with myself that I was able to use a bicycle for transportation. The classes and teachers are fabulous. I have learned many things that I will be able to apply once I start my master's degree."
Chie Matoba, Hiroshima, Japan
"There are two things I changed myself after I finished this program. First is that I improved my English skills. Second is that I can make another countries’ friends. Teachers taught us working knowledge of English and the different customs that we can’t learn from the textbook in the class."
Student, Bangkok, Thailand
"The instructors are awesome. The class is not large, so the instructor can focus on every student. The instructors always challenge students to think critically and emphasize grammar mistakes made by international students. Studying here at IEPP helps me get more ready and more confident in English skills before I start to study a graduate program at UC Davis. The instructors provide a lot of useful materials."
Yevgeny Ilinykh, Novosibirsk, Russia
"The Intensive English Program allows you to quickly learn the language. Davis is a great place not only for studying but also for international communication and sports. University hosts a variety of activities that make it possible to have fun and learn English in a fun atmosphere."
Tarik Murat Islam, Intensive English Program, Istanbul, Turkey
"The Intensive English Program was an amazing experience for me. During the program I made a lot of friends all over the world, traveled the U.S.A. and improved my English skills. So, you can be more fluent and comfortable in English by joining the program, and at the same time you can have fun."
June Sung Park, Gwangju, South Korea
"UC Davis, one of the best colleges in UC system, has a lot of international students. The teachers and staffs are so helpful that you can learn a lot of things from them. People are nice and educated (you could totally understand what "educated" means when you come to Davis), there are a lot of good restaurants and cafes. I strongly recommended, and hope you'll also be there and have a nice experience."
Symbat Irgebayev, Almaty, Kazakhstan
"Well, most importantly, at UC Davis I met a lot of close friends with whom I am still in contact even after several years passed. Now I feel myself very confident at communication with people from other cultures. Second, UC Davis Intensive English Program successfully prepared me for studying in a master's degree program. At the end of 3 quarters I passed iBT TOEFL and was accepted for a master's degree program at New York University, which was my main goal!"
Lien "Rain" Nguyen, Vietnam
"When I was in Vietnam, I dreamed of studying in the United States. UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, International made my dream come true. After two quarters studying at UC Davis, I feel that I become a new person. Instead of being afraid of communication in English before, now I can talk to anyone confidently by English. In addition, I have many friends who are from different countries, and I’ve learned many things from them such as their country, culture, education and economy."
Abdulaziz (Aziz) Alsaif, M.S., UC Davis School of Engineering graduate
“I studied English at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, International for a year and a half in preparation for my master’s degree at UC Davis, and it was the best experience I have ever had. I really think that the Extension Center was the primary reason for my success so far. Because the teachers and the staff were very helpful, and they were happy to answer all my questions and my concerns, inside the classrooms or outside the classrooms, anytime. I learned a lot and my research and writing skills improved a lot. I liked the City of Davis. It’s a quiet town. It’s calm. It’s safe. People are very friendly and educated. There are lots of fun things to do around Davis. You can go to San Francisco, to the Napa Valley. If you like snowing, you can go to Lake Tahoe, and if you like nature you can go to Oregon, or everywhere. The best thing about Davis is the location is in the middle of everywhere. Davis is amazing!”
Abdulrhman (Riman) Alali, M.S., UC Davis School of Engineering graduate
“I came to the United States, not with zero English, but my English was very low. The teachers were very helpful. You didn’t feel like you’re dealing with teachers. They are like one big family at the UC Davis. You can ask the teachers any time outside/inside the classes, anytime they will answer you. I enjoyed going to the classes every day, because every day I learned something. Also, sometimes if you need something extra not just to do your homework, just if you wanted to improve yourself, you can ask them, they will answer you. The staff there was very helpful, too. If you have any questions, you just go there, go to the office and they will help you. Here in Davis, you can meet different people from different places in the world. During my study at UC Davis, I met many people - from South America, from Japan, from Korea - and we were like a very big family together.”
Rosa Yoelma Rodriguez Serpa, Colfuturo, Colombia
"I am having the best experience of my life. I made friends from many different countries, and have learned about their cultures and customs as well as about American life. As a psychologist, this has been very important to my professional development. I am grateful to the university, its teachers and staff."
Mami Akutsu, Japan
"I came to the Intensive English Program because it was in California, and I heard that it was an excellent program. My composition classes are my favorite - I discovered that I really like to write. At first, I would just write very simply, but now I am learning to express a lot of my inner thoughts. The teachers are really supportive and help me develop my style. Davis is an easy place to live. I ride my bike around town, and I like to go to the Davis Farmers' Market on Saturdays, where there is usually music and lots of people to talk to."
Carolina Valenzuela Espinoza – Intensive English Program – Chile
"UC Davis changed my life in a great way. I enrolled to improve my English, but I also found an amazing group of people to help in everything, and a great friendship and study environment. I met my goals, which were to earn a good TOEFL score and to lose the fear of speaking English."