Nasser Alzughaibi is a sophomore majoring in computer science at Idaho State University. Alzughaibi is an international student who hails from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Alzughaibi came to the United States to further his education.
“I moved from Saudi Arabia when I was 17,” said Alzughaibi. “I went to Canada for two years, and I learned my English there.”
At first, Alzughaibi did not know if he would like ISU. But since coming to Pocatello, ISU has become his home and he said that he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
Alzughaibi spoke positively about his educational experience at ISU.
“There are not a lot of students, meaning you will get a better education,” he said. “You don’t have 300 or 400 students in a class, so the professor can direct ideas to individuals better.”
The community atmosphere of ISU is another positive aspect of attending the university, said Alzughaibi.
The International Programs Office has been a great help to many international students at ISU. Alzughaibi also mentioned that he was very appreciative of the many cultures that he is exposed to here.
“As an international student, I am not only learning about the U.S. culture, I am learning about other students’ cultures as I meet them,” said Alzughaibi.
Aside from living briefly in Canada and now the United States, Alzughaibi has done a lot of traveling throughout his life. He has been to various places in Europe, including London and Spain, and he has also been to Romania, Germany and Mexico.
Being so well-traveled, Alzughaibi has not had any trouble adjusting to life in Idaho or the United States. Alzughaibi said that adjusting to education here was the hardest part, as school here is more difficult than school in Saudi Arabia.
As a Saudi Arabian, Alzughaibi wanted people to know that his homeland isn’t the foreign desert-land that many believe it to be. English is widely spoken and the country feels much like the United States, he said.
“There are people there from Europe, from the United States, from Canada, from Russia; it is very multi-cultural,” said Alzughaibi.
U.S. dress is also similar to styles in Saudi Arabia. Alzughaibi said that he wears the same clothing at ISU and in Saudi Arabia.
Alzughaibi spends most of his spare time with friends. He said that everyone here has been very friendly, and he has met a lot of people simply by being on campus and taking classes.
Alzughaibi said that he enjoys hanging out, cooking, working out and going to Boise or Salt Lake City for shopping.
In school, Alzughaibi especially enjoys taking English classes. He said that he likes learning the technicalities of the language and improving his speaking and writing skills.
After finishing his bachelor’s degree, Alzughaibi plans to attain a master’s degree or move back to Saudi Arabia. As for now, he is enjoying his time at ISU.
“That’s my town, in Pocatello; I love it,” said Alzughaibi. “ISU is getting better and better each year.”
