CET Beijing: Sprinting Towards Proficiency in Chinese Past Review
By Lila B (Chinese, Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin) for
CET Beijing
Definitely. This experience confirmed my interest in China and made me more aware of the challenges that lay ahead in seeking a career there. Every time I visit China, I grow up a little. This trip taught me how to handle a massive workload and still enjoy myself.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload over the summer was beyond heavy. There were essays due every week, we had a chapter of words and grammar to learn every day, and weekly tests. The teachers were quite enthusiastic and positive, and classes lasted for 4 hours each day plus some one-on-ones about 3 times per week. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The residential coordinators were extremely easy to talk to, got things done quickly, and had a plan for every situation. They were especially helpful if we got lost in the city or had an administrative issue. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My only gripes about the dorms were that we had a curfew (when everyone there is adults) and that the location was unknown to all taxi drivers. |
| * Food: |
The food in the cafeteria was pretty boring but it was free and available every day. There were some students with severe food allergies, and they never had any problems. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program was really good about taking us on organized trips. We went to the Great Wall, to an acrobatics show, and we had reimbursement systems set up if we wanted to make our own forays into Beijing culture, like going to concerts, etc. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The city isn't a crime bed unless you're looking for bosses and drugs and money laundering. Pick-pocketing and kidnapping and other violent problems don't happen here because everyone is rightly afraid of the consequences. Drugs are around, but they're not a danger and they're not near campus. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced language with everyone, including my teachers, classmates, administrators, and roommate. With a language pledge on the program, you practice Chinese everywhere you go. I felt like my fluency improved and my ability to understand others greatly improved through this program. Most people still spoke English on the program, even during the pledge. But it was easy to avoid them or speak to them in Chinese while they spoke to me in English. |
Other Program Information
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* 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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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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