Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The best memories made are not planned Past Review

By (Mount Saint Mary College) - abroad from 12/28/2016 to 01/17/2017 with

MSMC: When East Meets West, Exploring the Health Benefits of Integrated Medicine

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I felt i gained more independence and responsibility because that was the farthest I ever have been from my parents and it is not like a five minute drive to where I was, so I learned to not rely on my parents as much and make responsible decisions. It was worthwhile and my experience has inspired me to travel to others places around the world.

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.

Overall, I did enjoy my educational experience abroad, but connecting to the Wi-Fi was hard depending where you are and it made it difficult and took longer to research information for our class projects. Other than that I would say the educational aspect of the trip was fair as long as you have good time management.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I would say the administration was decent. It was simple and quick which made the process go a lot faster.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was satisfied with my living arrangements at East China Normal University. I think it was a great way to meet other students from all around the world who are also studying abroad.

* Food:

The food was amazing and studying abroad gave me this once in a life time chance to try out new and interesting types of food. For anyone who is planning to go to China I highly recommend trying lychees and taking a trip to a little cafe called Coco Party, which is located in Shanghai, close to East China Normal University.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Overall, the integration wasn't so bad, Shanghai was like walking around the streets of New York City with the crowded streets, city lights and the diversity of fashion. The only difference is that in China the people don't really care about personal space too much, so when riding the metro, you may feel a little claustrophobic.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

They were no health issues during the trip, but I would suggest bringing a mask with you or buying one.

* Safety:

Overall, I felt very safe in all of the cities I went to in China, but i would suggest not walking around in a foreign city by yourself.

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

I would do it again in a heart beat and there is so much to do and since China is huge I would like to get another chance at seeing different sites and I wouldn't mind climbing the Great Wall again.

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 would say it was pretty easy for me I mean mostly everything was cheap beside the food, but as long as you can manage money, you should be fine.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? It varied each week depending on where we went, but I would say about $75 between food and transportation for my main expenses, but I would say $90 when including souvenirs.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I would set an overall budget for the whole trip and try to go by that budget.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The dorming
  • having a guide and translator
  • all the places we visited
* What could be improved?
  • more time for sight seeing
  • different method of transportaion
  • eating at more traditional Chinese resturaunts
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that i would have to bring toilet paper with me all the time and I wish I knew about bring a converter with me.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.