Don't be intimidated by the academics! Past Review
By Keith (George Washington University) - abroad from 09/07/2016 to 12/09/2016 with
Hamilton College: Beijing - ACC Intensive Language Program at Minzu University
I made some really good Chinese friends that I'm keeping in touch with. I tried some really interesting foods, saw some weird sites, but overall I enjoyed almost all of it. It was all worthwhile, and it was difficult to come home.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Overall an amazing program. I was nervous reading other negative reviews about this program beforehand, but I had an amazing time despite the intensity of the program. Most students in my program adapted fairly quickly to the academics and while the workload is heavy, the teachers are generous when grading. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Never had any problems |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms were nice enough. Everyone lives in doubles and the rooms are spacious enough. My shower often had problems where it would stop draining water but staff were usually quick to repair it. Other students and myself also had problems where the locks to our doors broke, but as with my other problem, they were quickly taken care of. While the dorms are aging, they're still pretty great and also offer some great views. Rooftop access is available 24/7 |
| * Food: |
I loved the cafeteria food. For lunch everyday I ate at a Sichuan place available at the underground cafeteria. There are 5 cafeterias, all of them are worth checking out. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program has a number of trips and cultural outings, but since your workload is heavy, and you're living with other students in the program you need to go out of your way to experience the local culture fully. If you don't bother to spend time with your host family or make Chinese friends it can be easy to become stuck within an ACC bubble. I really learned the most from making friends in the cafeteria and then developing those friendships. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No issues |
| * Safety: |
I always felt extremely safe on campus and in the surrounding Haidian area. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
There were many aspects of the program that did at times leave my frustrated, especially having to give a presentation every week on top of the massive amount of homework we have. All of these aspects in the end really did noticeably improve my Chinese. If you manage your time right you can enjoy your evenings, and the weekends are always a great time to go out. I never had a problem doing all of my homework on Sunday evening, so once your weekly exam is over on Friday you have most of the weekend to enjoy. |
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) |
The student cafeterias aren't free, but they are extremely cheap. Most food in China is extremely cheap, and so money isn't really an issue for most students. If you get tired of the cafeteria there are plenty of restaurants right outside the west gate that are also very cheap. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Train tickets depending on the type of train you take can be a little pricy, but there are plenty of cheap hostels wherever you ago, so I highly recommending taking a weekend or two to travel. |
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 |
ACC constantly boasts about the strictness of its language pledge, but there is only so much they can do to enforce it once you're out of sight. Many students didn't care about the pledge, but others stuck to it. Its your decision really, but I highly recommend you do your best to stick to it. It helped improve my Chinese greatly. The first month is really difficult, but after that I really started to notice progress and I eventually became very comfortable only speaking Chinese with many of my Chinese friends. |
| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Speaking with other students in the program only in Chinese can at times be awkward, so I really recommend spending more time with Chinese students who can help you out more. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? |
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? | As long as the professors know you're working hard, they'll be easy on you. They're mostly understanding of how rigorous the academics are . |
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.' |
