The West Meets China Past Review
By Leana R (Asian Culture and Literature, University of California - Riverside) for
Xing Wei College: Shanghai - Semester or Summer in China
I plan to go back to China, and live there for a few years. I absolutely adored being in China.
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. |
I had a one on one Chinese tutor. This was most beneficial because the teacher concentrated entirely on my needs as a student. It was a relaxed environment, but it felt like I learned more in two months then I did in 3 classes at UCR. It was an amazing experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
IEM was supposed to provide one week of orientation. This did not occur for most of the students that were there in China. Also, sometimes it was hard to get help from the people that were supposed to help students while they were in China. Being a foreign student, it is necessary to understand how to use the transportation system and how to get to a bank. Often times I had to figure out what to do in those situations. It was a great learning experience, but it would have been easier to have help. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I enjoyed living in the dorms. It was close enough to the subway station, which is very important. I had my own room. They provided a rec room with a t.v. and couch. Kitchen cookware was provided, microwave, fridge, and utensils. There are two things I did not like. The bathrooms were very dirty. It did not seem they were cleaned very often. Also, they locked the doors at 11pm. As a college student, I think this is absolutely ridiculous. |
| * Food: |
If you are a vegetarian or vegan it is hard to find food! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I did not have any field trips taken with the program, but I had a wonderful time exploring on my own! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
A girl got bitten by a spider so she had to go to the hospital to receive medicine. The program provided health insurance, so she only had to pay for the medicine. |
| 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 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I used Chinese everyday. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Find out the weather conditions before you go to another country!!! Do not over pack when going to China. You can just buy from China...it is cheap! Bring medicine. It is easier to bring it, then to buy it there. |
