Many U.S. college students have the privilege of going to class in a country that is not torn apart by war. In Iraq, it's a very different story for many students trying to get a higher education.

USA Today reports some students are experiencing the effects the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS) conflict is having in their areas, at college and on their lives.

"When the conflict started, the dean of their universities told [my friends] to leave their universities and their studies. They were in their exam times and they left their exams and just came back to their home,” shared one student from University of Maysan’s College of Medicine.

One student from the American University of Iraq told USA Today, "We have Yazidi students in the university. Their families are in the mountains or their families are now refugees. So it’s very difficult for them. And this will affect them in terms of their future in the university and their studies."

To read the full story, visit USA Today.