From Normal, Illinois to Beijing Normal University (But Nothing Normal About It) Past Review
By Mikael C (Politics and Government, Illinois State University) for
Beijing Normal University: Beijing - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained maturity, experience, knowledge, and a new family of friends I can keep in contact for the rest of my life.
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 workload was tough, but manageable. The grading system was essentially the same as ours. Our grades reflected the percentage we recieved in the class. In class, we could only speak Chinese, English was not allowed. This is frustrating at first, but great for learning the language. The main difference I perceived was the way teachers and students interacted with one another. Teachers, while friendly in class, do not have office hours available in which you can seek them after class for help. The school has tutoring available, but not with your teacher. I'm not sure if this is just for the International students though. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The language barrier is especially frustrating when you need to do something important like register for classes. This is when getting an English translator comes in handy. In order to get through a lot of the registration process, I had to seek out Westerners to help me. But this was fairly easy to do at Beijing Normal University, since it is a pretty international school. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very safe area, China overall seems very safe. There are hundred of restaurants in walking distance. Short cab ride to club/bar areas. |
| * Food: |
Food is very cheap and delicious. By far the best feature of living in Beijing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
a |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
a |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50-70. Food is very cheap in Beijing. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | There is not much to worry about when it comes to money. I fyou want to replicate your American life in Beijing, than yes, it will be expensive. If you instead eat Chinese food and take in the local culture, than affording to live here is not an issue |
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? | CHI 201 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
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Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be prepared to learn through experience more than from a book. Living in Beijing can be difficult, but is extrememly rewarding. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Ting Li |
| Course Department: | CHI101 |
| Instructor: | Lu Laoshi |
| Instruction Language: | Chinese |
| Comments: | This course is focused on listening and speaking the Chinese spoken language. This was my favorite teacher. He was also my strictest teacher, but when you are learning Chinese this is important. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
DuXie |
| Course Department: | CHI101 |
| Instructor: | Li Laoshi |
| Instruction Language: | Chinese |
| Comments: | Good overall, nice teacher, she was a bit inexperienced and at times difficult to understand though. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
