A Great Experience in a Very Different Place! Past Review
By Ryan Dondalski (University of Tulsa) - abroad from 01/20/2018 to 05/05/2018 with
IES Abroad: Shanghai - Shanghai Engineering
I significantly increased my language abilities, and I gained a much more clear understanding of Chinese culture and history. In addition, I had once-in-a-lifetime experiences travelling and exploring.
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. |
Language courses were superb, but the engineering courses were extremely challenging. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff at the IES Abroad Shanghai Center were very helpful whenever I encountered any challenges or had any questions. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in both a downtown apartment and a suburban homestay: both were great! |
| * Food: |
Chinese food is amazing and very affordable. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I thought I did a good job of integrating, but it is something that you have control over. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
We were in touch with an up-to-international-standard hospital in the city if we ever had issues. I did prepare for the trip with a few vaccines, but not many. |
| * Safety: |
China is extremely safe in terms of crime, but be very mindful when crossing the street and being in traffic. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
Although I had a wonderful experience, I faced very significant challenges in my engineering courses. However, my schedule did have room for me to not take those courses, which I think would have been a better route. Regardless, I am still very glad I did do the program I did because of the people I met and the timing of my stay there. |
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) |
Living expenses in China are low, but I would try to budget for travel, which can add up. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~$75/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to get a debit/credit card with no ATM or international fees. China is a cash country unless you find a way to use apps that are typically only for Chinese citizens, so you'll withdraw money rather often. |
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 |
My program requires taking a language course, and encouraged me to speak when we went on excursions into the city. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Third Semester Chinese Language Course |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Try to speak at every opportunity, even if it's uncomfortable or difficult. Struggling through those barriers is how you'll improve. |
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? | 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 would have liked to have better understood how large China actually is, and that it's not like Europe where you can hop around from place to place. I think I would have then been able to do some more pre-departure travel research so I could come in with a better idea of what places I wanted to visit. |
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.' |
