A Summer of Adventure in Beijing Past Review
By Matthew G (Government, The University of Texas at Austin) for
Beijing Foreign Studies University: Beijing - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was great. My Chinese greatly improved, I made friends, and I got to explore a very different country. I only wish I had been there longer.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The teachers were all local Chinese teachers who worked together to provide a very comprehensive lesson plan. Every day was the same schedule, so it was good to know what we could expect at what time. I learned more in those 2 months than any other 2 months in my life. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
If you ever needed to get somewhere but didn't know how, there were always staff members willing to explain. All of the RAs were very friendly and supportive. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We lived in the same building our classes were in, which was really nice. We lived about a 15-minute taxi ride away from the closest bar area. We had a roommate who attended the University we were at, and while some students did not get along with their roommates, I really enjoyed mine because I could practice speaking with him and he would take me to different restaurants around campus that I might have not found/been able to order at otherwise. |
| * Food: |
The food was delicious, but the quality of the meat wasn't very good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We took a long 3-day weekend trip that was guided by faculty, and that was a lot of fun. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never had to deal with local healthcare, and I didn't need any vaccines to go there. The only health problem I encountered (as well as almost every other students) was that the food would often upset our stomachs. |
| 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? | n/a |
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? | I had taken 4 semesters of Chinese at my home University. |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I could practice the language with everyone. Since we were in China, I was able to use my Chinese to talk to anyone, and all of the locals were very willing to speak with us and patient when doing so. We had a language pledge in the program, and most people stuck to it, but there were some who just spoke English all the time. |
| 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?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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