Chengdu... Oh, Chengdu. Past Review
By Gabrielle J (Anthropology., Towson University) for
Sichuan University: Chengdu - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I've made lifelong friends and regained my zeal and hope for new life experiences. I'm embracing mobility as best I can.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Having no homework and a rare few exams to base overall grades on is a drastically different way of learning. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There is a significant lack of update and communication between Sichuan U and Towson U, but that is probably due in great part to the use of PLU as an in-between. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Not a beautiful place to live, but more spacious than local student dormitories. Close to class and several night clubs (and a bar street). Sheets and cookware are best to buy. A great number of maintenance employees (fuwuyuan) also live in the building, something I'm not accustomed to. |
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Leshan Buddha. Hot springs. Yesss. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Watch out when dealing with cars and traffic. Global Doctor isn't really good for much; grab a friend and go to a normal hospital. Also, I was experiencing stomach issues the whole first month - don't skip on antacids and pepto bismol. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I'm not sure of weekly expenses, but I spent about $1500 in 3 months. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't set a stipend like you would at home; let yourself live according to local standards and you'll be surprised how much money you save. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
No one - learning Mandarin in Sichuan province is virtually useless. What's best to know is numbers - and most people will try to speak English when they can. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | For the first two weeks, it's good to take advantage of the wealth of information that's been accumulated by student veterans. But make extra effort to make local friends - don't get caught in the bubble, or at least try not to. Either way you'll find yourself there. |
