Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Best life experience I may ever have. Go!!!! Past Review

By (International Relations and Affairs., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 06/11/2014 to 08/11/2014 with

CET Beijing

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I improved my language skills tremendously, I was immersed in a rich culture, I went places people only dream of going, made connections, memories and friends I'll know for the rest of my life. You really can't lose.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

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?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I can't really testify here because fortunately I didn't experience or need any health related assistance.

* Safety:

I honestly felt very safe pretty much everywhere I went which was really surprising. The only reason for giving four stars is the risk of pic pockets and other sources of scamming.

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)

As with any amount of money it's always good to spend wisely but having greater buying power in Beijing made affording basic living pretty stress free.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 200-400 yuan, so 30 to about 75 USD
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Instead of using your debit card a bunch I only used it about three times and each time just withdrew a lot of cash. Of course having that much cash on you is never advised so I kept it all in a dorm provided lockable drawer. Each day if I needed some cash I just took out a hundred or two hundred yuan and I was good to go for a couple of days.

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

We were on a language pledge, so we were not allowed to speak English unless it was an emergency situation.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? third semester, 412k
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Just force yourself to talk. It's really hard at first because you don't know how to say what you want to say but coming up with simple and creative ways to convey your points using your limited experience and vocabulary will make you better. So courage is important and doesn't come as easily to everyone right away.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • friends
  • local food
  • teachers
* What could be improved?
  • cafeteria food
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wished I'd known how much the friends I was about to make were going to influence my experience. You can't prepare for that beforehand, but I cannot imagine how different literally every aspect of my experience would have been had I not met my new friends.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!