Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

CET Beijing Experience Past Review

By (Brandeis University) - abroad from 08/31/2016 to 12/18/2016 with

CET Beijing

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Money management was a huge thing.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was very impressed with the internship placement that CET was able to aid us with. The accommodations were great, as were the staff and outings. Classes offered were just okay -there wasn't a wide selection but the Chinese courses were good, rigorous, and individualized.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Zuo Cui, our on-site residential director was fantastic. She was very willing to help us with anything and everything and very caring.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was quite impressed with the living arrangements.

* Food:

Food was fantastic.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I think CET students mainly kept among one another, and not much was encouraged to integrated into the rest of the international culture and even Chinese community. Had I known from the get-go/been encouraged to do so, I think it would have helped.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any major health issues requiring health care.

* Safety:

I felt safe.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I would choose either CET Internship Beijing or Shanghai. I loved the internship component of it and the language program was great as well. It was the equivalent of two Brandeis Chinese courses in one semester.

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)

China is a very easy country to live on a low budget.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $50.00

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

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? Chinese 20b
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? For Chinese, it's very important to practice your writing skills and learn how to write as many characters on your own, because this is a component that the Brandeis Chinese department does not prepare students for. Practice other skills like speaking and reading daily.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* 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?
  • Internship
  • Housing
  • Trips
* What could be improved?
  • Courses offered
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Living situation and how to better integrate into the community.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.