Student Activities and Services

activity picture  

The IEI offers many activities and services to its students.

IEI students can make new friends and get more practice speaking English by taking advantage of some of these IEI-sponsored social opportunities.

IEI services include an international student adviser, the institutional TOEFL and access to the University of Illinois Health Center.

IEI Students at Turkey Run State Park

Activities

Here are some examples of student activities that take place during the semester.

  • Conversation Partners: In this program, IEI students meet with University of Illinois students for conversation and cultural exchange once a week. One university student is paired with two IEI students, so IEI students have more opportunity to talk.
  • IEI Social Activities - Each semester the IEI organizes social activities for students and lets them know about social events on campus that they might enjoy as well. Some of the events that happen are:
    • Campustown dinner: Several teachers accompany new students to two popular restaurants in the heart of the student district. This very popular activity helps students and teachers get to know each other in an informal setting during Orientation Week. 
    • Bus tour of Champaign shopping plus dinner at the mall: During Orientation Week, new students learn to use the city bus system as they travel to the main shopping district on the north side of Champaign. Students and teachers then explore the local mall before eating dinner together at the food court.
    • Walking tours of campus and campustown lunch: During Orientation Week, small groups of new students are led by IEI teachers on hour-long tours of the UIUC campus. These tours not only help students learn where things are on campus, but also gives them fun facts about UIUC history and our community. After the tour, students and teachers had lunch at the large student union food court.  
    • The All - IEI Welcome Picnic or Party happens at the beginning of each semester. IEI students have fun and relax while meeting other IEI students and teachers.
    • The IEI Chicago Trip is a chance for students to spend the day exploring Chicago, one of the major cities near Champaign-Urbana. Students can shop, visit museums or just walk around and enjoy the sights.
    • Halloween Party: This popular fall party for students and teachers includes a costume contest and several traditional American Halloween traditional activities, such as apple bobbing and a haunted room.
    • Class Activities - IEI teachers arrange social events for their classes outside of class time such as playing volleyball, having potlucks (a dinner where everyone brings food from their country), seeing movies, having picnics and going bowling or ice skating.
    • I-Help: A teacher helps interested students register for one of several different community volunteer opportunities coordinated through the university.  
    • Illinites: These are Friday night events held regularly at the Student Union, featuring free food, music, movies, and other fun activities. An IEI teacher or intern will accompany students to one or more of these events .
    • Valentine's Party: This popular Spring Party gives students a have fun with IEI friends and Convo Partners. Students have time to talk and dance informally in the beginning of the party, then tango teachers offer free tango dance lessons.
    • Hockey Game: Students and a teacher go to a home UIUC men’s hockey game. The UIUC men’s club hockey team is quite well-known regionally and has won its national division championship several years in a row.
    • Krannert Tour: A teacher accompanies students on a guided tour of the UIUC Krannert Art Museum. Located on the UIUC campus, Krannert is one of the larger and more respected fine art museums in Illinois.
    • Volunteering: With the help of the activities coordinator and an IEI intern (assistant) students have the opportunity to get involved in a variety of volunteer activities such as visiting residents of a nursing home, serving food at a homeless shelter, and teaching children at an elementary school. These projects are on-going throughout the semester .

  • Cosmopolitan Club - Cosmopolitan Club is a cultural and recreational center which has a wide variety of events for international students on campus. IEI students can attend events such as international dinners, theme parties (like the Halloween or Valentine's Day Party), talks, exhibitions, and others.

Services

  • Activity Notifications: All students receive a weekly email which details three or four local events of interest coming up the following weekend. In addition, students are emailed as other more immediate opportunities become known.
  • International Student Advising: The IEI's international student advisor is available to help students with questions about their academic progress, applying to American universities, life on campus, adjustments to life in the United States, immigration issues and other concerns students might have.
  • Institutional TOEFL: The standardized test of English proficiency (TOEFL) is offered twice during the Fall and Spring semesters and once during the Summer session. The score from this exam is valid only for entry into the University of Illinois, but taking it can give students valuable practice for taking the International TOEFL.
  • Health Services: All IEI students must pay a student health service fee which lets them use the university's McKinley Student Health Service for routine health care. Learn more about McKinley Health Center .