Living in China: Discovering what's on the other side of the globe. Past Review
By Meredith F (Chinese & Communications, Trinity University) for
Beijing Foreign Studies University: Beijing - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Studying abroad is the best experience I've had in my life so far. I learned so much about Chinese culture and I eventually learned to think like a Chinese person. Going to China also helped me to see that I do want to live and work in China at some point in my future. Going abroad really helped me to act independently and I learned to have full confidence in myself. I recommend this program to anyone considering studying abroad in China.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload is extremely intense- each class covers the material a Trinity class would cover in a week, in a day. This takes some getting used to but you will get the hang of it. I was pretty organized already but this really helped me learn new time management skills. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I think the strength of this program is definitely the language portion. My language skills improved in way I never could have imagined. Because of the intensity of the classes, unfortunately sometimes I had to choose between being dedicated to school and exploring and experiencing the country I was in. In order to travel- you may have to decide between skipping class or not traveling. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My roommate was wonderful and we got along very well. Unfortunately she did not speak Chinese to me and often spoke to me in English. The dorms were very small but it was convenient because the class rooms were on the floor above. The dorm provided clean sheets once a week which was very convenient. There was no dryer so clothes needed to be hand washed and the kitchen was not very good so I rarely cooked. |
| * Food: |
It took a little while to get used to the food but it wasn't bad. If you live in a dorm you can choose where you eat so it is fairly easy to find something you will like. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were 2 trips arranged by IES and they were by far the highlight of my whole abroad experience. A few weeks into the program students choose one of two two week trips. This was an amazing experience for me and a really great time to get to know people in the program. On my trip I was able to see the North Korean border as well as the Russian border and camp in a forest while is was raining! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Beijing is a very safe city and I never had any problems in that area. I also never had to deal with any health issues but I did know students who did. From what they told me it was very easy to have access to local health care and the RA's were always available to help students receive the health care they needed. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you are on a budget it is very easy to live frugally in Beijing. I wish I had of known a little bit more about the IES travel ahead of time because I did have to buy several things before I left. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced language everyday because my program had a mandatory 24 hour language pledge. This was very helpful because it forced me to speak Chinese even with my friends. I could practice Chinese with other students, my Chinese roommate, my tutor, and my teachers. Most people spoke Chinese because there were consequences for breaking the language pledge. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Know that in the beginning you may find the classes to be very difficult, but eventually you will master it. If you are really interested and dedicated to improving your Chinese but you also want to have great experiences exploring new places and push yourself outside of your comfort zone- IES Beijing is the place for you. |
