Education is all a matter of building bridges. -Ralph Ellison, American author

Do you dream of attending college or university in the U.S.? Begin this fall with IEC@DVC’s Academic Bridge program! The Academic Bridge program provides international students with the support that is necessary to begin their college career in the U.S. To celebrate the upcoming Fall Bridge, we are taking a look at the advantages of IEC@DVC’s Bridge Program and then celebrating this program with some English idioms about bridges.

The Advantages of IEC@DVC’s Bridge Program

With IEC@DVC’s Academic Bridge Program, students take two classes at Diablo Valley College. For the Fall 2017 Bridge Program, students take English 162 and Cultural Anthropology 130.

Why choose the Academic Bridge program? Here are some of its many advantages.

Academic Credit

Start earning credits for your bachelor’s degree now! With each class, students earn 3 credits that will transfer to their final degree. After the Bridge Program, students are 6 credits closer to graduating. Most degrees are 60 credits, so these first 6 units are a big step towards your final degree!

IEC support

When moving to a new country to learn English, students of course have many questions. Academic Bridge students receive the full support of the IEC staff. Any questions that you have can be asked at IEC: ask them about how to get a driver’s license, what to do when you are sick, what your education options are, and even how to use public transportation.

 

Study Sessions

Bridge Program students are provided study sessions to receive tutoring and help with the class reading and lectures. By attending the study sessions, you are receiving the extra help and support you need to succeed. The study sessions are organized by teacher aides; these teacher aides work with the IEC Academic Bridge professors to make sure that communication is always open between students and teachers.

Academic Success Series Seminars

In addition to study sessions, IEC@DVC students attend Academic Success Series Seminars once per week. The guest lecturers cover topics such as Time Management, How to Transfer to DVC, Joining the DVC International Student Club, and The Importance of Being Socially Involved On Campus. This valuable extra information helps students make the most of their time studying in the U.S.

Campus Visits

After Diablo Valley College is the next big step: university! IEC@DVC Bridge students tour local universities, which are some of the best in the U.S. (and in the world).  Students typically visit UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and San Francisco State University.

Pre-registration for next semester’s classes 

Are you planning to stay at DVC after the Bridge Program? You have access to early registration for the next semester! Thanks to this opportunity, students do not need to worry about the classes becoming full.

Activities

Make friends and explore the Bay Area! IEC@DVC Academic Bridge students enjoy many social activities such as San Francisco tours, trips to the Napa Valley, excursions to Yosemite, and events such as free movie days, laser tag, bowling, swimming, and hiking.

English Idioms with “Bridge”

When we think of bridges, we think of connecting people and things; this is why the Academic Bridge program has “bridge” in its name: the program is the connection between international English students and U.S. college! The word “bridge” is also used in many common English idioms. It is no surprise that many of these idioms are associated with connecting people.

Build bridges

Definition: to promote friendly relationships between people or groups.

Example: The friendly baseball game between our company’s two offices helped build bridges so that the company is a strong unit.

Burn one’s bridges

Definition: to something which damages a relationship and makes it impossible to return to an earlier state.

Example: He’s leaving his job soon, but he told his boss two months before. He didn’t want to burn any bridges at this company.

Bridge the gap

Definition: to connect two things.

Example: The politician is trying to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor with a new plan for funding adult education.

Cross that bridge when we get to it

Definition: to not worry about a future problem and to plan on dealing with this problem in the future.

Example: My roommate just started his classes at DVC and he’s already worried about taking the GRE exam for his graduate school application. I told him to cross that bridge when he gets to it!

Water under the bridge

Definition: an idiom used to talk about something in the past (usually a negative experience) that is no longer important.

Example: My roommate apologized AGAIN for breaking my favorite bowl. I told her it’s water under the bridge!

 

2017 Fall Bridge Program

Are you interested in the Fall Bridge Program? Read the Academic Bridge flyer and contact IEC@DVC for more information! Students can apply online: click here to apply.

Application Deadline: September 15
Mandatory Orientation: October 19 & 20
Classes: October 23 – December 7, 2017
Program includes:

• English 162 – (3 units)
• Cultural Anthropology 130 – (3 units)

*classes are pre-selected by IEC. Students are not able to choose.