A great cross-cultural experience. Past Review
By A student (Lawrence University) - abroad from 06/14/2014 to 08/20/2014 with
Guizhou Forerunner College: Guizhou - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
The experience of spending a summer in Guizhou was extremely valuable. It gave me a change to experience local culture, food, and language. The students at GFC are extremely grateful and kind, and they made my experience really great! I feel like my Chinese listening skills greatly improved, and I learned a lot about Chinese history through the summer courses. It was certainly a worthwhile experience, and I would recommend it for anyone who wants to experience rural China.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The option to take the summer course were great. They were relaxed, informative, and fun. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The GFC staff was a great resource for any questions I had, and they made the experience very fluid and stress-free. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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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: |
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| 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? | About 50 USD per week. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
You could go the entire program with just using English, but there are plenty of opportunities to practice your Chinese if you go out and take them. Also, if you take the summer language course, you can improve your Chinese |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had know more about Guiyang so that I could make the most out of the weekend trips. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
