New life, new culture, and new language Past Review
By Takako E (Economics., Wellesley College) for
IFSA/Alliance: Shanghai - 21st Century City
definitely! i learned a new language, and learned hidden life facts that i would need after college graduation
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
i loved the language course there, but the professors for other classes were not as great. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
the program director and assistants were great! improvement in classes is necessary. group size is perfect. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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* Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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* Safety: |
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If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | depends on where you eat, but i spent about 15 USD per week on food on average. or a bit more depending on if i ate out a lot or not. |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | bank information should have been given out before departure. things like contacting your bank to let them know that you will be abroad using its card. |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none. |
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Language acquisition improvement? |
teachers, students, friends, everyone in that country. Everyone in program spoke english, although not perfect. |
Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | those who have interest in studying in a foreign country and want to explore. |