Good program in a terrific city Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses were rigorous, and they were taught by well qualified, professional instructors. I was very impressed by all of the teachers. At the same time, administrative issues and pedagogical styles supported by the administration negatively affected the academic experience of the program.

On-site administration of your program

The administration and other faculty were not in agreement about the way courses should be taught and how the program should be run, which had a huge impact on the program and its effectiveness. The program director and students were also usually not on the same page. Even still, the program director is very hard working and did take time to meet with students when they had issues. Conversely, the assistant director Alex Nickley was professional and performed all of his duties very well.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The rooms at Yunda Hotel exceeded my expectations, and the roommates in the program were amazing. Roommates went out of their way to make students feel at home, share Chinese culture, and help students improve their Chinese. By the end of the program, almost all students were close friends with their roommates.

The food surrounding the campus was delicious, convenient, and cheap. If students chose to eat in the cafeteria, they could get a good meal for around USD one dollar. The food in Yunnan was a giant plus for MIC Kunming.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The roommates in the program helped integrate us into local culture, and MIC Kunming did host some cultural activities on the weekends. However, integrating students with local culture was not a priority for the administration. Academics focused almost solely on dense course texts, essays, presentations and exams gave students little time and opportunity to engage with Kunming and the culture around them.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The assistant program director did a great job at helping students deal with any health issues. Kunming does not necessarily have world class healthcare available, but the program staff did all they could to help students access medical resources and to help students in case of medical emergencies. I felt that I was taken care of well. I deducted one star because I felt that teachers and the program director sometimes frowned upon students missing class, even when it was medically necessary.

Safety regulations in China are quite obviously not as stringent as they are in the United States. Additionally, Kunming is less developed than some other major Chinese cities. However, if students use common sense to avoid dangerous situations, Kunming is perfectly safe. The city has very low crime levels, and I felt very safe the entire time I was there.

This is a difficult question for me. I loved Kunming, and the language pledge was very important to me. I also made some great friends in Kunming. However, I believe this program had some major problems that inhibited the best academic experience.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I don't completely understand how to respond to this question with the bubbles above, but living in Kunming was very affordable.

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

The program expected me to use the language all the time.

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• Hotel

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• Local Students
• International Students

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• International Students

• Language Pledge
• Roommates
• Classmates

• Administration
• Social engagement
• Program oversight by Middlebury

The Academic or Linguist