Acquiring a Taste for China Past Review
By Kai P (Chinese Studies., Trinity University) for
CET Beijing
I made great strides in my language study and learned a lot about myself. I plan on returning to China in the future as a result of this trip.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was substantial; tests were every Friday and several lessons were addressed each week. Grading was fair if at times |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Despite the small size of the program, they have excellent relations with the host nationals and met all of my expectations. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms are conveniently located (albeit the campus is small so everything is conveniently located). All of the necessities were provided and the maids at the dorm washed our sheets every week. Clothes washers and dryers (less effective) were provided. |
| * Food: |
There was little variety in the food provided by the program and I quickly got sick of it. The restaurants in the neighborhood have good food and are a great way to experience local culture. Feel free to explore options further away from school when it comes to meals, great food is waiting around many a corner in Beijing. (My personal favorite was the xinjiang restaurant about 10 mins walk from campus) |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Best trip possible is the wild wall visit organized by CET. It is a great opportunity. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
The smog is terrible but apart from that I didn't come across and health or safety issues. Of course, safety is always an issue in a communist country but as long as you keep your head on straight you'll be fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Very little. The exchange rate was 1 US dollar to about 6.5 yuan. Under 6 yuan can buy breakfast, 10-20 is the most you'll be spending on casual meals but if you go somewhere nice, especially western, be prepared to pay up to 150 yuan. If you make an effort, you can spend a laughably small amount of money on food, and good food at that. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't underestimate how many knock-offs you will buy. |
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? |
We had a 24-hour language pledge in effect for the duration of the semester. We spoke Chinese daily with classmates, teachers, our Chinese roommates, and locals that we met in everyday interactions. Of course, many of the people that we met outside of the program wanted to practice their English with Americans, so it takes some self-discipline to always speak Chinese with the locals. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Open-minded students will benefit most. |
