Shanghai: an Exciting Adventuresome Home Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

On-site administration of your program

If I ever had a problem, I was always able to ask a number of professors and administrators. They were always helpful and worked hard to help us adjust to the culture and language. Many of the professors who were Chinese had also taught in American schools or at least had knowledge of American students. However, the Chinese language professors were a little more inexperienced and did not know much about America besides general stereotypes. It was kind of nice to have that experience with professors who expected us to act Chinese, though.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

A very safe neighborhood, one of the nicer ones in the Putuo district. I lived on the 29th floor of an apartment building, and that wasn't even the top floor! It was a half hour walk to some classes, and about a 40 minute walk to Chinese class. It was very close to a subway station, which could take me anywhere. It was about 30 minutes to the student dorms to see my friends, and from there we were able to take cabs to various bars, dance clubs, and karaoke places in Shanghai, which has a very thriving nightlife. I didn't have to buy sheets or cookware, all of that was taken care of by my host family. I was treated as a member of the family by my host family, although my host father treated me more like a guest because he was often gone for business and therefore didn't get to know me very well. However, my host mom became a very good friend of mine and I was very attached to her five-year-old daughter.

A lot of the food in China is very different from what we eat in America. At first, some of the things were shocking, but eventually you get used to it. I would encourage students to try many different foods and to never go to Western-food restaurants because you can always get that when you go home. Food is a huge part of the culture in China, and some of my fellow students missed out on that experience because they were too afraid to try new things.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Trip to Guanxi

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There is not a lot of crime, but crossing the road is pretty dangerous. Also, you will probably get sick because you are not used to the germs. You must get vaccinated. I think you need Typhoid and maybe Tuberculosis.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I could practice the language with nearly everyone around me. I spoke Chinese to my host sister, host father, and other relatives, as well as to students, both Chinese and other. I most certainly needed to use the host country language in everyday interactions. Many of the American students spoke English to one another, and my core classes were in English, but we were required to speak to our professors in Chinese outside of the classroom.

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• Dorm
• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans