A Semester Full of Amazing Cultural Experiences and Wonderful People July 27, 2022

By Kayla L (Neuroscience, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/14/2022 to 06/13/2022 with

National Taiwan University: Taipei - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I really enjoyed my study abroad experience. I think it was one of the best decisions I've made in my life. I have learned so much during my time abroad and gained new perspectives on life. Not only has my Chinese language proficiency greatly improved, but I also learned so much about my own Taiwanese heritage and culture and was also able to compare it to my American background. Additionally, I learned a lot about other cultures and life in other countries from talking with my internationals student friends. Immersing in such a different environment and surrounding myself with all these different people proved to be an amazing life experience that I wouldn't have been able to get at Middlebury. It was very much a worthwhile experience.

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.	Even though NTU was a much bigger university than Middlebury College, and it was fundamentally structured differently, I felt that my academic experience was still almost equally as rigorous. Of course, with a larger staff to student ratio, there were less resources available, but that did not pose a problem for me. The professors were experienced and knowledgeable. Even with much larger class sizes, my educational quality did not decrease.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The process was straightforward and relatively easy. After registration, we were essentially treated as any other student on campus, with all the same privileges. It was easy to integrate into the student body.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I had my own accommodations.
* Food:	Of course, the food in Taiwan was absolutely amazing. It was also very accessible and affordable.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	As someone of Taiwanese descent, I did feel more integrated than some of my peers in the program. My improvement in language proficiency also greatly helped. Of course, there were still some culture differences being from the U.S., but it did not take away from my experience.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I did not have any health issues, but from my peers' experiences, healthcare is very accessible and quite affordable, especially compared to the United States.
* Safety:	Even being in a larger and busier city than I am used to, I still felt very safe in Taipei. I could easily travel on my own without worrying too much about my safety. I would say that one should still be aware of their surroundings, as they would anywhere, but there are not any particular safety measures that need to be taken.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I loved how immersive and independent the program was. We were treated as any other student rather than grouped separately. I enjoyed every aspect of the program and experience.

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)	As it is a more developed urban city, it does not have the cheapest cost of living; however, it is much cheaper compared to living anywhere in the United States.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$90
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Choose cheaper food options like street food and stalls! More expensive food in Taipei does not necessarily mean it tastes better. There is an abundant amount of cheaper options that taste just as good or better.

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	Outside of Chinese class, it was very much up to us to choose to practice our Chinese. However, during class (which took up a significant time in our week), we were strictly restricted to using only Chinese. I had also befriended other Chinese-speaking students, so I was able to practice outside of class.
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	Advanced
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?	Interact with local students/join student organizations. Choose a challenging level of Chinese class to take. Encourage your other international friends to practice with you.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university?	Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment Hotel
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students Other
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students 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?	Language learning Immersion with other students/friends Culture exchange
* What could be improved?	Application process
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	There is not anything in particular that I know now that I wish I kew before going on the program. Everything was a learning experience, and I wouldn't change any of it.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	General Chinese Language Course (II)
Course Department:
Instructor:	Ms. Meiqi Lin
Instruction Language:	Chinese
Comments:	This course was the piece of my abroad experience that improved my language skills the most. It was quite challenging but also still manageable. In this way, I was able to learn the most while still earning a good grade. The professor for this class is the best Chinese teacher I've had in my Chinese-learning journey. She was very organized and felt experienced. The entire class was taught in Chinese, even when there were words we did not understand. The teacher was able to successfully explain everything we didn't know to our understanding even in Chinese. As the class size was smaller, I participated more than I would have at Middlebury. This also improved my language ability as I was able to practice more. I was assessed by quizzes, exams, preview and review homework assignments, oral presentations, and participation. It was a very straightforward and predictable class that was still fun and very useful. I would highly recommend taking a Chinese class here with Ms. Meiqi Lin.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Enhancing Chinese Language Course (II)
Course Department:
Instructor:	Ms. Meng-fang Tsai
Instruction Language:	Chinese
Comments:	This was a supplemental class to the General Chinese Language Course (II). I could not enroll in this class without enrolling in the general class. That being said, since it's not the "main" class, it is also not as rigorous. It was a manageable class that served as an extra source of practice for my Chinese. I still learned new vocabulary and grammar patterns, but less of them and at a slower pace than the general class. The material was equally as challenging. I was assessed through exams and oral presentations and occasional homework assignments.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Daily Chinese
Course Department:
Instructor:	Ms. Hui-min Lü
Instruction Language:	Chinese and English
Comments:	This was an interesting class that was very different from my other Chinese language courses. It was more informal, and less level-based. It was a larger class. I felt that this class was really useful because it focused on Chinese that would be used on a more daily basis, especially in Taiwan, rather than higher-level subjects that are not talked about in everyday conversation. Additionally, because it was more Taiwan-specific, I was also able to learn much about local Taiwanese culture. The only downside to this class in my opinion was that the professor seemed a little less organized and the standards of evaluation and curriculum were not as clear as I would have liked them to be. However, I was still able to learn a lot from this class. We were assessed through oral exams and dialogue recording assignments. In this way, this class was very oral and practical based.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) Lessons For Romance and Love
Course Department:
Instructor:	Mrs. Wen-Hsuan Lai and Mrs. Min-yu Chen
Instruction Language:	Chinese
Comments:	This was one of the most interesting classes I took during my time abroad. Like the course name, this was a Chinese language course that was taught primarily in the context of navigating relationships. This was probably also the most difficult Chinese language course I took this semester because every student was at a different level with their Chinese. There were many students that I felt were more advanced than me, so there were more words used in class that I was unfamiliar with, people talked at a faster pace, etc. However, I was still able to keep up with the new material and participate in class, so it wasn't unmanageable. We were assessed through exams, oral presentations, and written homework assignments.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions
Course Department:
Instructor:	Hikaru Komatsu
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was an interesting class where I learned about climate change and its proposed different solutions through an international lens. This was my most discussion-based class, which I enjoyed a lot. The professor gave many chances during class for each student to participate and facilitate a class discussion, which is very reminiscent of my Middlebury education. We were assessed through presentations and discussion posts/participation.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Exploring Taiwan: Film and Social Culture
Course Department:
Instructor:	Mr. Jen-Feng Kuo
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was the first film class I have ever taken, and it was a very good experience. The professor was very invested and interested in the subjects that he taught, which made for a good class. We watched films produced in Taiwan during class and discussed them after. We also received lectures that gave us contextual information surrounding the films. We were assessed through longer papers.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Neural and Behavioral Research in Marketing
Course Department:
Instructor:	Ms. Yu-Ping Chen
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was a very interesting class in that I was able to combine some of my previously learned neuroscience knowledge with the new material that was more business-focused but rooted in neuroscience. The professor was very knowledgeable and organized and seemed to love what she taught. We were assessed through infographics assignments and presentations based on neuroscience research papers.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Exploring Taiwan: Women and Taiwanese Society
Course Department:
Instructor:	Mr. Jen-Feng Kuo
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was also a very interesting class. I have not taken a gender studies course before, so it was very new material to me, but I very much enjoyed learning about the gender issues of Taiwan through this class. As an international class, it was also super interesting to hear about how these issues present differently in different countries. I was also able to compare and contrast between Taiwan and the USA. The professor was very knowledgable and interested in what he was teaching. He also facilitated discussion and group work, which opened up room for more active participation in the class. We were assessed through longer papers and group discussions.
Credit Transfer Issues: