Study Study Study Past Review
By Annie B (english, east asian studies, Trinity University) - abroad from 06/16/2016 to 08/12/2016 with
CET Harbin
I really just studied--the downside of this program is that I really didn't have much free time.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
This program was incredibly intense, and my Chinese improved to reflect this. The teachers were outstanding and the program really worked to meet my individual needs. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They really worked hard to not only tailor the experience to the student, but also to keep in touch and remain available. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms were close to classes, but definitely old. Not the nicest room, but adequate. |
| * Food: |
There's a ton of places to eat, ranging from super cheap to expensive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My Chinese going in wasn't too great; I couldn't really converse and it showed. This made mingling with the locals a lot harder than it was for most of my peers. There are a lot of opportunities to get involved, you just have to be able to take them. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Not really relevant; I did get sick once but it was just a 24 hour bug and my teachers were pretty understanding. |
| * Safety: |
I never once felt that my safety was threatened (despite walking home alone at like 11pm)--that's more than I can say for the states. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
My Chinese improved dramatically and I think the teachers and program administration had a large part in that. |
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) |
Getting there's pricey (because plane tickets), but once you're there everything (especially food) is really cheap. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
There was a really strict language pledge. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I had taken four semesters of college level Chinese |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
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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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I just wish I had realized exactly where my Chinese level was before I arrived. When I went in, I didn't realize quite how bad my Chinese was so arriving was a bit of a shock. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
