Guangzhou - Definitely worth it! Past Review
By Elizabeth J (Elementary Education, Brigham Young University) - abroad from 04/27/2012 to 08/04/2012 with
China Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
It was definitely worth it. I loved visiting China and learning about Chinese culture. I also loved learning about education through a whole new perspective. It was amazing. It was also a great insight into teaching internationally.
Review Photos
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Still working out a lot of kinks. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Amazing housing! |
| * Food: |
Although food at restaurants was a 5, the food at the school was not very appetizing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Many people spoke English so it was hard to learn Chinese. Although we saw many culturally different things on the street, it would have been better to have someone that knew Chinese in our group or about the culture to explain cultural differences and help us interact more with the Chinese culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Although I did not get sick on the trip, when one person did get sick the program was very supportive of letting her go to the doctor and making sure she received the help that she needed. |
| * Safety: |
Private neighborhood. Very Safe. |
| 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) |
China is very cheap and we were able to eat at the school. Traveling was extra cost but not required. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * 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? | $20 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Sometimes we would eat in a group and then split the cost. That helped a lot. It also is cheaper to buy food outside of of Clifford Estates and to buy all fruits and vegetables at the wet market. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | More Chinese. More about Chinese culture. More about how to teach ELLs. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
