China: An Experience Past Review
By Breanna L (International Relations and Affairs., Clark University) for
CET Beijing
I can now speak Mandarin as well as being able to understand much of the cultural nuances.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Workload was intense but not unbearable, teaching methods were tailored to each class of students, the educational system was very Americanized however extremely efffective |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The head of our program was new, thus the excursions set up for us were not as interesting as those I had read about online, however they were still good. My only real qualm with him was the fact that he left a student behind on an excursion and then proceeded to blame her for being left. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Neighborhood is extremely safe, it may have been a little sketchier than the rest of Beijing however there were never any instances of odd behavior on the street. The neighboring shop owners grew to take care of us and make sure we didn't get cheated when we bought things on the street. Settling in items; shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, basic everyday goods. |
| * Food: |
The food in the cafeteria is average, and the food in the surrounding area is CHEAP compared to the rest of Beijing, though it is all wonderful and the shop-owners are accustomed to broken Chinese speaking foreigners. They speak no English. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved the Great Wall |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The only health option is to go to one of the most expensive hospitals in Beijing, which is not helpful since the pollution in Beijing causes close to 80% of the students to become ill during their stay. |
| 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 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The language pledge caused my knowledge of Chinese to skyrocket, I would say this program is absolutely the BEST way of learning Chinese |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | You have to want to learn the language, otherwise do the Shanghai program. |
