Past Review
By aws1 (BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES., Rice University) for
CIEE: Shanghai - Accelerated Chinese Language
My study abroad experience was very different than I had expected, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Not only did I meet amazing people and get the chance to live in a country where my family is from, I gained confidence, communication and language skills, and a better understanding of my culture and a better appreciation of my background.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | East China Normal University |
| The term and year this program took place: | Summer 2008 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I absolutely loved the intensive language courses, but the accompanying business course was unorganized, uninformative, and seemed like a joke in comparison to the language courses. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Overseas Program Administration was very helpful and willing to help whenever needed. The only shortcoming was that some of the orientation sessions were unnecessary and that the business course, as a whole, was a waste of time and did not meet my expectations. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The international dorm at East China Normal University was brand-new and well-maintained. I thoroughly enjoyed living there, and it certainly exceeded my expectations. <br /><br /> Overall, i was really pleased with the housing provided. However, the location of the international dorm at ECNU could have been placed closer to the international offices and international classes (or the classes placed closer to the dorms), especially since it was unbearably hot during every commute across campus. I was pleased, though, that the dorm was literally steps away from restaurants and stores. |
| * Food: |
I would have rated this a 5 (because the food in China is amazing and cheap), but the food offered in the university cafeterias was subpar at best. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I really enjoyed the program-planned trip to Nanjing (a nearby city) and the trips to museums and monuments that the program administrators arranged. In addition, I really enjoyed the special dinners at local restaurants and the acrobat show that the program also arranged for us. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
It might have been because I am Chinese-American and that I have grown up around Chinese people all my life, but I was very comfortable roaming around Shanghai on my own and I hardly felt unsafe, even at night. |
| 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? | I don't remember specific information, but food, clothing, transportation, and entertainment is very inexpensive compared to the U.S. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | My advice is to plan your week off as soon as possible and to look for travel packages to save money. My friends and I planned a 4-day tour of Beijing, which included a 4-star hotel, all meals planned at nice restaurants, and cultural excursions for a fraction of what it would have cost to plan on our own. Also, save money by taking trains to get around China! I took a night train from Shanghai to Beijing, and for a very good price, slept through the night in a comfortable, clean, and very cool cabin shared with my friends. We were in Beijing in no time and thoroughly enjoyed our journey there. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Immediately after the completion of my program, I felt that my Chinese language skills had improved drastically (in large part due to speaking the language with locals in the city). However, as it is with any language, I slowly began losing some of my progress after returning to the U.S. and hardly speaking Chinese at all. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes 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? | Although I was satisfied with the program as a whole, if you are a business student choosing this program primarily because of the business course offered alongside the intensive language courses, you will be disappointed. The strength of the program is in the language courses and the cultural experience, not in the business education. |
