Language fluency, cultural awakening, personal development, long-term friends Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I took 3 semesters of Chinese at my university, took a whole semester off, and then got placed in 5th semester Chinese in the program. Yes, it was hard for me to not only keep up, but to also catch up, but they know what they are doing. You will progress so much farther and become far more conversational than you ever will from taking 4 years in college. The language pledge is necessary and is incredibly beneficial to your fluency. There is hw and studying every night, but if you have good time management, it's not too hard. I had 1-2 all-nighters every week, but that was because I slacked off during the day. It's all worth it though, and this is coming from someone who never does his hw at home.

On-site administration of your program

From the moment I arrived to the moment I left, everything was well organized and properly managed. The administrators and even the teachers are very willing to help you with everything. They will help you with things you can't handle, and will support you through the things you need to do yourself.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I give this a relative 4.5/5 stars because this is in no way a "nice" place based on your American standards, but you are lucky to be living in one of the nicest dorms on that side of Beijing. At the end of the program when my roommate had to move to the dorms on the other side of campus, he informed me that he would no longer get to live with air conditioning. We had AC units in all the bedrooms, study lounges, library, and classrooms. This is an incredible luxury in Beijing. Our dorm was also the only one on campus to have running hot water 24/7 and daily bathroom cleaning. Nothing was really broken and if it happened, it would be fixed promptly.

The food... yes. Nice restaurants with fancy dishes, small places with dumplings and noodles for 60 cents, street vendor foods for fractions of a dollar, boba drinks for $1.40 and mojitos for $2.35! I could've eaten as a different place for every meal on every day and still wouldn't have repeated places within walking distance. Yes, diarrhea is part of the experience, but it's actually not that bad. Bring a bottle of medicine if you don't want to experience this part of the culture.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The culture is what made me want to stay in China, even though my ignorance of it was what almost made me stay in America. Why go abroad just to feel like you're on a really long vacation? The cultural awakening that comes out of this is a priceless experience that everyone should go through. I greatly recommend Beijing over all of the more "modern" or western cities. It is beautiful in a completely different and unique way, and living there, interacting with the locals, is something you will always remember.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any issues but the people who did were easily taken care of. One guy technically got surgery (had some stuff removed from his ear canal), and it was all taken care of with the insurance. A friend was hit by a moped and she was taken care of after our RA rushed over with her passport and insurance information.

You are warned of any and all dangers you may experience during your time here. They will go over all of this at your school's predeparture orientation as well as the program's orientation. As long as you're smart about what you do, you'll be safe. We never experienced anything going wrong. This one girl enjoys going off on her own with random people but she knows what she's doing and always returns back safely with new experiences and new friends. You will encounter risks in any city you will ever go to, but you'll be safer if you are cautious.

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

Just like most places, you can get by on necessities, but experiences and souvenirs cost money. I took 2k and spent probably 2.5k, but I know someone else who got by on under 1k. Granted, he did not fill up a suitcase with souvenirs, didn't go out to eat with us every night, didn't go to bars and clubs with us every weekend, and stayed back on the long weekend while everyone else traveled China (ranging from Tsing Dao to Chengdu to Shanghai). You can actually eat and shop for an incredibly small amount, but it's very easy to overspend if you don't pay attention. Many students also got jobs tutoring local kids. The less asian or male you are, the easier it is to get these jobs. They pay over $20 an hour, depending on how well you negotiate.

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

The language pledge does amazing things to your fluency. Everyone hates it at first, but you get used to it, which is a great sign. Don't get caught not speaking it though, because there are penalties.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students

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• Americans

• The culture
• The independence
• Making new and interesting friends from all around America

• Can't think of anything