I lived Taipei Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Most general university classes here are worth 3 units, and unlike in my home university where our 4 unit class meets for about an hour and a half 2 or 3 times a week. Here you class meets once a week for a full 3 hours. At first sitting for 3 hours is hard to get used to, but now I really like this system. I feel I have less access to my professors here unlike back home where I can casually approach my professors who are readily available. Much less coursework is demanded than the typical university in the U.S.

On-site administration of your program

The staff is very helpful and efficient. they will quickly answer any and all questions and assist you in all issues. Additionally they are friendly and easy to approach.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I really would love to have my own apartment, you can find a nice place with really cheap rent in Taiwan. Unfortunately, it is not an approved living arrangement from my program. However, they set us up in the nicest newest dorms on the NCCU campus this semester, which are very clean modern and spacious, but they have more restrictions than most dorm situations on U.S. campuses. However, regular dorms here do not come equipped with a nice plushy mattress like back home, you have to purchase your own. The typical Taiwanese type is a really thin mat which is bamboo on one side to keep you cool in summer months and cloth on the other, but you can also buy a thicker more comfy type of mattress for around NT$2000 I believe, or $90 US.

There is certainly a lot of good food in Taiwan, and restaurants are really cheap, but it is inevitable that you will begin to miss the flavors of home. About two months in it really hit me hard how much I missed all the options available in California, especially real Mexican food! Taiwan has various restaurants of international food, but it is going to be adjusted to the Taiwanese palate; even at places like Pizza hut, you will notice a "Taiwanese taste." Additionally, restaurants with western food will be more expensive, than the Taiwanese restaurants, and cooking for yourself is also a bit more expensive. Also, be prepared that fruit, vegetables, and ice cream are also not as cheap as in the U.S. or Europe.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I have easily made Taiwanese friends here, they are friendly and eager to show you around, share with you different foods and inform you about their culture. However, I'll admit that I haven't made any 'best friends' who are Taiwanese, we schedule to meet up and go on outings together or have lunch every once and really enjoy each others company when together, yet there are none with whom I casually meet up with any given day of the week. So I have found that the people I've gotten closest to, and spend considerable amounts of time with are either exchange students or international students.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

If you stay for the academic year you are automatically enrolled in National Health Insurance program, I have not required any medical attention, but I know that co-pays are extremely cheap and the quality of healthcare is quite modern, and you can easily find access to a doctor or dentist who speaks English well by asking friends or looking at online forums.

I've never felt more safe than in Taipei.

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

My monthly expenses here are about $10,000NT a month, roughly $330 USD. This includes food and little local adventures, and going out at night about once a week. But if you want to do a lot of shopping and traveling you need to be prepared to dish out more.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

My program was 6 hours of Chinese class per week. They provide you with a language buddy, and they do their best to keep you practicing. But I would say real improvement comes from doing intensive language study, 15 class hrs per week. The students In CIEE intensive language program improved a lot.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students

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• Local Students
• International Students

• People I met.

• Freedom to organize your own housing arrangements, at least in the seciond semester.