CET Hangzhou Summer Immersion - Bootcamp, plus Baijiu! Past Review
By Emily B (Government/Asian Studies, The University of Texas at Austin) for
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Hangzhou
Impossible to list them all, so I won't try. Suffice to say that I am saving every penny to return to China ASAP, so I can continue my language learning and find a job. CET helped me see that China is a big part of my future.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was tough, but I learned SO MUCH. The experience was truly invaluable, and my language skills benefitted immensely. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CET staff were always helpful and available to students. Zhejiang University of Technology facilities were well cared for. My expectations were exceeded. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My Chinese roommate and I got along very well. ZUT is in a safe area with plenty of street food within walking distance. With the exception of 4pm (when all the taxi drivers in the city switch shifts), it was easy to catch a cab or bus from the back gate to get elsewhere in the city. |
| * Food: |
Street food: amazing (watch out for sewer oil at the cheap places, though!). Pork baozi from the cafeteria in the morning: my lifeblood. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
CET events were often a little lame, though we always had tons of fun with all the classmates together. Individually-planned outings tended to be a little more rewarding. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I encountered no serious problems, and those who did seemed to be very well taken care of. |
| 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? |
We had a Chinese-language only pledge for the duration of the program, which we adhered to fairly rigourously (though with a few weekend exceptions). This pledge was one of the most useful elements of the program. |
| 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? | If you want to seriously improve your Chinese in a short period of time, this is an excellent program choice. |
