Studying in Taiwan Past Review
By Levi E (PSYCHOLOGY., Illinois State University) for
National Chengchi University (NCCU): New Taipei City - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I loved being abroad, it was something I'd wanted to do since I was in elementary school but never had the money to do before. Studying in Taiwan left me re-energized and gave me a love for learning again. It was the best decision of my academic career.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Going to class at NCCU was great and invigorating. While there was a heavy reading load, it did not bother me or hinder me. The professors taught well and with a passion. Testing and grading was fair and expected you to know the information. Learning Chinese was difficult and fun, but was much to short of a time in when you took part time classes. It only lasted two months. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very helpful, I'm not sure what to say here. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I stayed at the brand new International House 5 minutes off campus. It was an odd mix between a hotel and a dorm. Facilities were very nice but it felt like you were secluded from the rest of the University. |
| * Food: |
Most of the food was fairly good and it will definitely help you lose wait if you American. Not easy to stay fat on a Taiwanese diet. Most menus are in Chinese, but around campus the Student Ambassador program made translations available. No matter where you were though, getting food wasn't hard. It is everywhere in Taipei. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Taiwan is a very cool place, and Chinese holidays are fun. Spring Semester has Chinese New Year around when you arrive so that is really cool. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I was only hassled once by some younger Taiwanese people when I was at a clothing market, but the situation was easy to handle. No bad experiences otherwise. Healthcare is cheap and great in Taiwan; I had 4 wisdom teeth removed for less than 400 dollars. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Maybe around 50-70 dollars. Plan on at least a 100-150 though, especially if you like to go out. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Everything is fairly cheap in Taiwan, but I still brought an extra thousand dollars just in case of emergency. In my case it was my wisdom teeth being removed. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None, I had no prior Chinese experiance. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Most younger people spoke some English, but I was forced to use my admittedly horrendous Chinese in most day to day instances. But the challenge helped the learning process. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If your looking for somewhere new AND cheap, this is the place. You get a lot of bang for your buck. |
