CIEE Beijing- Rewarding On-Campus, Epic Off-Campus Past Review
By Kelly W (International Affairs And Commerce, University of the Pacific) for
CIEE: Beijing - Intensive Chinese Language
This study abroad program was great. I saw some other programs while I was in China that I think may have been a better fit, but CIEE - Beijing was still great.
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. |
The educational experience was terrific, but it was very challenging. There are enough levels of Chinese offered in the program that everyone is challenged who wants to be. Every student takes a minimum of 2 classes, but 4 is preferred, and all electives relate to the level of a students written Chinese level. Like any university, some teachers are better than others, but I was very surprised at how caring most of the Chinese teachers were for their students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The CIEE support on-site was tremendous, but my experiences with the administrators in Maine were all headaches. I am told that the woman covering Chinese-bound students has since stepped down, so I don't know if improvements have been made. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Tasty, filling, and inexpensive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Beijing is a super safe city. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 USD/week. Food and drink are very inexpensive in China. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | All expenses were pretty straight-forward. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| 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?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you have found that balance between work and play, choose this program. If you haven't, the program will be challenging and force you to work hard, or your grades will suffer. |
