Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Semester in Shanghai Past Review

By (Trinity University) - abroad from 02/13/2014 to 06/05/2014 with

IFSA/Alliance: Shanghai - Intensive Chinese Language

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot of Chinese, but I wish that students would have cared more about the language pledge than they did.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were relatively good. I felt a little stuffy after awhile though because we had all of our classes with the same group of people. I would have liked to interact with other students.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I did not find Felix very helpful.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartments were very nice. Fully furnished. However, one of the students had mold growing in his apartment.

* Food:

Cheap! Delicious!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Not very. We lived in international student apartments so did not have a lot of interaction with locals. We also did not take classes on the actual campus

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt much safer in Shanghai than I ever did in Europe.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

China is a very cheap place to live, however Shanghai can become expensive very quickly if you aren't careful. You can eat dinner for $3USD, but you can also very easily spend $20USD.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 50-100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't go out drinking alot, and don't take too many cabs

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

We only used Chinese in class, and there was a language pledge we were supposed to follow at all times.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Year 3 Chinese
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Talk with everybody! Your roommates are great for helping you with learning the language. It can be easy to just speak English with them since they all have pretty good English, but try to use Chinese with them as much as possible!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Group Travel Week
  • "Chinese Table"
  • Culture Excursions Activities
* What could be improved?
  • Language Pledge
  • Integration with Local Students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? It's up to you to really take the initiative to learn Chinese. Just because you sit in class 5 hours a day does not mean that you will be motivated to learn or use the language.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.