INTO China opened a new doorway! Life in China was exceptional! Past Review
By Beatrice F (Journalism, Oregon State University) for
INTO China - Tianjin: Nankai University
I liked the inclusiveness of the program. Everything was set up to succeed in a foreign country. Class materials were given out, the accommodation was very suitable, and the teachers and admins of the program was exceptional! In addition, every week was full of excursions and surprises. The only thing I would have changed was the length of time I spent in China. Had I known it was going to be such a great program I would have stayed an additional 4 weeks, which I believe is possible with the program.
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Dalian was an exceptional place to study Mandarin and Chinese culture as well. Living on campus and learning Mandarin 5 days a week was amazing. The small class sizes were perfect for beginning Mandarin students and it forced you to really speak up in class. Much of DUFE life was very similar to my university back home i.e. dorm life. However the two biggest changes I had to cope were the class schedules and eating routine. Normally at home we don’t we have class in 3 hour chunks. However, having a single class for such a long period of time really immerses oneself in a subject. Having Mandarin for three hours a day five days a week was very beneficial. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The overall administration of the program was excellent. They bought all of us phones for 24 hour emergency contact, and were always around to make sure we felt comfortable in every situation. In a 4 week time span everything moves quickly and INTO China really showed they had things organized. The learning curve in the classroom was exceptional as well. I came into the program knowing almost no Mandarin and progressed very quickly, as did the other students. No one was left behind and the size of the groups was perfect. 15 students max is an ideal class size and made everything seem very intimate. I made lifelong friends and the program really exceeded my expectations! Thanks INTO! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing was included with the program fee. To be honest I was very nervous about this. However, upon arriving at the dorms everything was fine. All students were housed in the same dormitory in standard 2 bed rooms. The room was pretty clean and had a bathroom inside. The only thing I would recommend coming with is something extra for the mattress. Chinese beds are much firmer than Western styled. A walmart was directly across the road from campus where we bought anything additional we needed. However, everything was basically provided when we got there. |
| * Food: |
The food was the biggest part to get used to. Obviously this is traditional Chinese food so I hope you like it before departing for China. We ate in the cafeteria everyday for lunch and breakfast and the meals were acceptable. The food does grow on you and if you ever need a BIG Mac from mcDonalds you are only a couple minutes walking distance away. The street food was by far the best food out there. It was incredibly cheap and delicious! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This whole 4 week program has about as much culture as one can handle. We saw everything…from the Great Wall to the Summer Palace. We toured museums and swam off the coast of Liaoning Province. We went to an IT park where all the big companies (HP, INTEL, Sony, Microsoft) conduct business. In addition INTO China organized special dinners and field trips to take in what life like in China is really like. So much culture, so little time! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
There were really no health issues, besides getting used to the food. The student mentors that are part of the program take every action to make sure you feel safe. When I was under the weather one night they went to the pharmacy for me and got medicine that cured me right away! No vaccines were need to adventure in China. And if anything was to arise, INTO China made sure we knew where the hospital was, which was very clean and had English speaking Drs. |
| 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? |
Our teacher used a variety of techniques. We practiced orally and had short writing assignments as well i.e. give directions in Mandarin to the grocery store. In addition to class time, every week we had the chance to practice one on one with a Chinese student on campus. This was a great way to learn as well because it was much less formal. Conversations ranged from speaking about sports to fun things going on in the city center. In Dalian not many people spoke English, as it is the top domestic tourist spot in China with over 6 million people! We were really forced to use the language skills we had learned in class, making it a true immersion program. You really learn quickly to keep up with living in Dalian! |
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? | Be ready for a fast paced program with a ton to do and see. Living in the largest Domestic tourist city was amazing. The classes were very hands on and catered to individual student needs. The small class sizes were ideal for learning Mandarin and you truly see so many things in China. However in just 4 weeks you only scratch the surface. I highly recommend studying with INTO China for at least 8 weeks. The programs as exquisite the cities of Beijing and Dalian have so much to do and see! Studying abroad has completely changed my view with the world. I can easily see why China is pulling ahead of the U.S. It was fascinating studying in a place where peoples views are completely different than your own. Truly eye opening and really makes you think about how you can make a difference in a global world. |
