Kunming, China: Not Bad Past Review
By Rebecca L (Chinese Language and Literature., Wellesley College) for
CET Kunming
I made really good (perhaps even lifetime long) friends. I am now looking into grad school programs for Chinese. I would like to go back to China and further my learning of Chinese.
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
workload: a LOT in the beginning; felt almost unmanageable; studying around 5-6 hours a day but then as the program went on, and I was picking up more of the language I felt things get easier teaching methods: often times the teachers did not really seem interested in discussing things with students, the book was law differences in educational system: program tailored to americans so there was not much; because the program was so small it was easier to have a closer relationship with teachers |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Accessibility/Support services: didn't run into any problems myself; felt like the staff was concerned and interested in my well being; discussed problems with them and they tried to fix them ability to get things done: very good knowledge of host country and american higher education: very good program size: very small, only 11 students but it seems to get more and more popular expectations were met |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
located in a very safe neighborhood; compared to the other university students we had the best housing; sometimes we didn't have hot water which made it very very cold; didn't need to buy any extra bedding; treated by my roommate very well; no heating and airconditioning; washers are located a little bit away; no clothes dryers; hotel had dim lights; these things were little inconveniences though |
* Food: |
easier to be a vegetarian than i thought |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
we got to visit Dali, a tourist town about an 8 hr train ride away. it was pretty fun; we went for the weekend and got to bond with the roommates and students |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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* Safety: |
during the program had a student who was chronically ill and a student who was threatened by a local student. i felt like the program director did her best to confront the issues; we were warned to be on alert of the local student. the city is pretty safe overall, and i experience nothing out of the ordinary. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
* 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? | I spent around 50-250 RMB a week on food and fun a week. Or $8-$40 USD. 50 RMB if I was just spending for food at the cafeteria or cheap restaurants. 250 RMB if I went around town a bit, did an activity, etc. i don't really like spending money though so this might not be an accurate picture of most people's expenses. |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | no unanticipated expenses |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Chin 202 |
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Language acquisition improvement? |
We had a language pledge so we had to use the language everyday, all the time. I think that made my Chinese improve the most. |
Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Top priority should be language acquisition, not to tour/be immersed into the culture. Most time will be spent studying. A student who isn't afraid to work hard would benefit most. Also I think 5 semesters of chinese or 4 really good semesters of chinese would be preferable (just so the first couple weeks aren't as difficult) |
Individual Course Reviews
Course Name/Rating: |
Advanced Chinese |
Course Department: | |
Instructor: | Liu |
Instruction Language: | Chinese |
Comments: | It was challenging but not unmanageable. No field trips. The teacher was very annoying at first. We didn't really see eye to eye personality wise. I felt like the teacher thought only one opinion was correct so expressing myself in class was difficult. She was well prepared though and knew the language aspect (it is a language class after all) of what she was teaching well. Mandatory participation. And the class had one on one sessions so I participated in class A LOT more than I would at my home institution. |
Credit Transfer Issues: |
Course Name/Rating: |
Newspaper Reading |
Course Department: | |
Instructor: | Yang |
Instruction Language: | Chinese |
Comments: | Course material was a little bit boring. Teacher was excellent. Really made the class relaxed and I wasn't afraid of making mistakes. |
Credit Transfer Issues: |
Course Name/Rating: |
Individual Research |
Course Department: | |
Instructor: | Mo |
Instruction Language: | Chinese |
Comments: | Difficult at first but turned out to be one of my most rewarding classes. I got to choose an area of interest and study it. We had to write a research paper at the end in Chinese. |
Credit Transfer Issues: |