Phenomenal overall experience in Dalian Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

A few of us in the program had previously studied Chinese, so we needed to be placed in a more advanced language class. INTO was great at accommodating our needs and ensuring we were placed in a class that was suitable for our level of study. The instructor and coursework were fantastic, I could not have imagined a better international learning experience.

On-site administration of your program

Overall, my experience in China was phenomenal and far exceeded my expectations. I learned so much about Chinese language and culture, and I met an incredible group of friends from around the world that I will remain connected with and cherish for the rest of my life. There were lots of planned group activities but also plenty of free time to explore on our own. The mentors were incredibly caring and helpful, and after a short while it was clear that they weren't just staff, but peers we could hang out with and talk to as close friends. There were some minor organizational issues that I might have changed (this was the first year of the INTO China program so this will likely improve quickly). I also think that in the future, it would be great to have INTO work with their universities to grant institutional credit for students to put toward language and/or culture requirements at their home institutions. While I believe this program has value outside of providing institutional credits, it would make the INTO China program much more feasible (financially and time-wise) for a greater number of students if they could better integrate it with their academic programs. Finally, a lot of the presentations are aimed toward business-focused students; China is certainly important in the business world, but demonstrating China's relevance to a more diverse academic audience would greatly enhance an already fantastic program. This is a new program and has already provided incredible experiences to those who have participated, and I anticipate that this program will only continue to become better and better.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The dorm food was a bit difficult to eat (even for native students!), but the INTO staff was great at showing us good places to eat and at accommodating dietary needs for those who needed them.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The social aspect was beyond incredible, both because of the places we went and the close relationships of the students and staff in our group. There were planned group events (both as a large group or in smaller groups) to places of cultural, historical, and local significance. There was also lots of free time to explore Beijing and Dalian on our own. We were even lucky enough to have the International Beer Festival in Dalian while we were there!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The staff did a great job at attending to our health and safety needs.

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

There is no better way to learn a language than immersion. Not only was the instructor native Chinese, she did not even speak English! This really enhanced the language learning experience, because it was consistent with the experience outside the classroom--you must find a way to communicate in a way that the locals understand, which means abandoning your native tongue and using the local language or more universal ways of communicating (gestures, drawing, etc.).

Select all that apply

• Hotel
• Dorm

Select all that apply

• Local Students
• International Students
• Americans

• Staff and students
• Language and culture experience

• Credit at home institutions
• More diverse presentations (not just business-focused)