A Summer in the Middle Kingdom Past Review

By Michael R (HISTORY., Brandeis University) - abroad from 06/12/2012 to 08/13/2012 with

CET Beijing

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I gained a completely different perspective on the Chinese and American political systems and I found myself much more able to think critically about Chinese and American culture.

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.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	While the facilities were overall wonderful. The washing machines were not particularly effective and drying clothing was virtually impossible.
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	While the hospital that I went to on a few occasions for certain medical concerns offered top service and wonderful doctors, the insurance my program provided was incredibly inconvenient and difficult to rely on.
* Safety:	Not once did I fear for my life. However, pickpocketing is a legitimate concern and the police are uninterested in such petty crimes.
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)	The first few weeks of the program were much easier since the school cafeteria was completely open. Not long afterwards, most of the facilities closed and I had to go to restaurants to get quality meals.
* Was housing included in your program cost?	No
* Was food included in your program cost?	Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Roughly $50

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	Beijing is not like many European cities where finding an English speaker is easy. The majority of Beijing's denizens spoke only Mandarin, leading to a great opportunity to practice the language.
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	CHIN 30b
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Do not rely too much on the classes to practice the language. You should make Chinese friends and interact with locals and communicate with them in Mandarin to improve your language abilities.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm Hotel
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
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?	Improving my Language Skills Experiencing Chinese culture and politics up close
* What could be improved?	Too few opportunities to make Chinese friends Greater opportunities to see various sites.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I knew that it can be much harder to find English speakers than in many other countries.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Intermediate Chinese
Course Department:	Chinese
Instructor:	Yang Na
Instruction Language:	Mandarin
Comments:	The class's fast pace often made it hard to follow. This was further complicated by the professor's lack of clarity.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	21st Century Beijing
Course Department:	N/A
Instructor:	David Moser
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Professor Moser was incredibly knowledgeable and demonstrated an interest in the course material. He was also very approachable. I found that the class helped me learn a lot more about Chinese politics, society, and culture than I would have learned otherwise.
Credit Transfer Issues: