Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Amazingly spectacular life changing fun!!! Past Review

By (Colorado State University) - abroad from 07/06/2012 to 08/04/2012 with

INTO China - Tianjin: Nankai University

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a little Chinese, I got to experience the magnificent city of Beijing and most of all I got to make friends from three different continents!!!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I would say that there is definitely academic rigor that is included with the INTO China program. However as my group was the first Beijing Foreign Studies University with INTO China, we didn't get pushed as much as the next group that we connected (also with INTO China BFSU) with about two weeks into our program. We had small quizzes during the weeks, however the only test we had was our final.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The INTO China team is amazing!!! There were kinks in the way things were done throughout my stay however my group was the first group and everything was feet in the water for everyone. As the weeks went along things got much better and by the time the second group came in things began to come together smoothly. Also the INTO Staff was very kind with celebrating my birthday; throwing a surprise Skype call with my family and everyone singing happy birthday in what was supposed to be a group "paperwork meeting". Thank you Rob Munro, Scarlett, Summer, Yuan, Han, and everyone else that was involved with my INTO surprise birthday celebration.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I will say this it was a really fun experience trying to get new sheets every week. The accommodation took some getting used to but eventually I got used to it and by the time I left it felt like a home. And I was able to tell the accommodation staff that I needed new sheets in Chinese. That was one of my biggest success stories for learning and communicating in Chinese when I needed it.

* Food:

Food does get a little boring after a while however at Beijing Foreign Studies University there is more than one place to use the card that INTO China gives you. You can use it at any campus store, canteen or even at the few restaurants on campus. This was a plus because you didn't have to eat at the same place every single day.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I cannot speak highly enough about how the INTO China team integrated me and my fellow piers. From sight seeing to interacting with locals on a daily basis. I have been to China twice now and I must say my second visit was much more of an experience for cultural and language learning.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I got sick a couple of times during the program. The first time was two weeks in and then the last week; which I think was just an accelerant of what I had caught previously. I did get medicine right away however nothing seemed to work. So my suggestion to future students would be to bring cough, cold, ear ache and head ache medicine with you from your home country, for just in case.

* Safety:

I felt really safe on campus, and I can't reiterate that enough. Between the main entrance (on the side I was living) and my dorm there were four security check points. This made me and my family back home feel very good about the security of myself and everyone I was staying with on campus.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

I am very gracious when I say how thankful I am that INTO gave me a full ride scholarship to go with the INTO China program at Beijing Foreign Studies University. However over the four weeks I spent only an additional $50 to what INTO already gave me for meals on campus. Which in the United States would be a bargain, as most meals on campus would be around 8 Yuan and off-campus anywhere from 30-50 Yuan.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $40 (including doing stuff on the weekends and eating out once or twice a week)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Instead of buying the small water bottles buy big 1.5 liter bottles as they are a bargain when you look at how much you pay for a small bottle. Also you can refill you bottles at the accommodation for free with hot tap water; which will eventually become lukewarm like the water you would buy anyway. Avoid the Silk Market (best shopping place in Beijing for foreigners) as much as possible you will spend all of you money there. If you do want to shop go to the Silk Market a couple of times before actually buying anything. This will save you energy, time and money, especially when you know what you are looking for and you know how much it should cost versus what the sellers are starting at in price.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Level 2 Spanish
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? Use what you learn in class when you go out and order drinks, food, buy something, etc.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Learning the language intensively
  • Being able to use Chinese every single day with local Chinese
  • Being able to talk and re-assert what we learned with our mentors every single day
* What could be improved?
  • Management between students and staff
  • Excursions were booked with to little time on some occasions
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That it can get quite cold when it rains. To bring all kinds of medicine from my home country, because when I got sick the Chinese medicine seemed to work but in the end it really didn't which left me miserable.