Extremely helpful Chinese immersion program Past Review
By Emily U (Psychology & Chinese, Grinnell College) for
Hamilton College: Beijing - ACC Intensive Language Program at Minzu University
I want to go back! I love the language and the culture. I couldn't have gained as much with any other program.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The teaching was somewhat monotonous, but really effective. The workload seemed like a lot at first, but slowly became manageable as my proficiency increased. Teachers were fair and very very helpful. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The housing conditions were not excellent, but were good enough. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Lots of food nearby. If you have dietary restrictions, you should learn to express them in the host language! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program arranged a lot of outings. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Healthcare was different than in the states, and my program did not help much with this. However, I thankfully didn't run into any serious health issues while abroad. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Because we had a language pledge, I only spoke Chinese while I was on this program, but some of my classmates spoke English with each other. |
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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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? | Requires dedicated students who can deal well with culture shock. |
