An Incredibly Fascinating and Delicious Internal and External Learning Journey Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

This is an incredible program! I am very thankful to have been able to experience it!

On-site administration of your program

Everyone is incredibly helpful, kind, nurturing, and fun! I am very thankful for the wonderful administrators of this program.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartments are fantastic! Most apartments are 3 bedrooms with 2 bathrooms and include other living spaces like a kitchen, a dining area, a living room, a laundry area with a washing machine, and a sunroom to dry your clothes. The apartments are clean and furnished! I would recommend either bringing a few pictures from home if you ever get homesick and buying things like dishes, cooking utensils, and more basic decorations in Shanghai. There is so much incredible shopping near the student apartments, like WuJiaoChang, and throughout Shanghai's other districts. The apartments offer wifi, a microwave, a filtered water tank dispenser, and other services for a small fee. There are buses and cab stops that stop right in front of the apartments.

There is no meal plan in this program, which I really enjoyed! There are many incredibly affordable and cheap restaurants near campus and the student apartments and a few nicer restaurants a close walk or bike ride from campus! Many people cooked at their apartments, too, since their are grocery stores, a Walmart, and a Chinese vegetable market nearby that offer groceries. You are also able to buy food from the college cafeteria if you need a quick and cheap meal. It is worth mentioning that the apartments do not offer ovens since they are not popular in China. If you plan to cook, you will need to buy your own cooking utensils. I recommend trying Yang's Dumplings, YiDianDian's milk tea, hot pot at HaiDiLao in WuJiaoChang, salads and sandwiches at Wagas on DaXueLu and around the city, eating brunch on the Bund, getting drinks at Lost Paradise, and looking at the CityWeekend Shanghai and TimeOut Shanghai websites for other recommendations for things to eat and stuff to do.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I have always been fascinated by Chinese culture! I learned a tremendous amount about Chinese culture through program opportunities and activities and on my own with friends! As an African American woman, I experienced a bit of cultural curiosity about my background, but people were typically very kind. You may get asked to take pictures with some of the local people, but it is always up to you to decide if you feel comfortable in doing so or not. I met many wonderful local Chinese people and was really excited to share more about my culture while learning about theirs, also. I am incredibly happy to have participated in the cultural exchange and cannot wait to go back to China to learn and experience more!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any health related concerns while abroad, but if you do, the program administrators will ensure that you are treated at a top Western hospital by an English speaking doctor.

I always felt incredibly safe in Shanghai! However, always try to travel with a friend, especially at night.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I lived very comfortably - including travel, shopping, dining, fun cultural experiences, transportation, and buying needed materials for my apartment - on about $2,600 all semester. You can eat for about $10 USD a day if you eat out at restaurants for all of your meals, but some days less and more depending on the places you choose to eat at and whether or not you grocery shop. There are some costs you may share with friends, like meals eaten family style, taxi rides, hostels and AirBnBs for travel, groceries, wifi, cleaning service, etc.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

The language teachers are INCREDIBLE!

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• Apartment

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Americans

• The people involved in my program
• The opportunities
• The experiences

• It would be helpful to allow program participants to contact a willing program alum about their experiences in China as a racial/ethnic minority from America.

The Outright Urbanite