The Perfect Semester Past Review
By Nick H (International Business, University of San Francisco) - abroad from 08/10/2014 to 12/15/2014 with
The Beijing Center: Semester and Full Year Abroad
I really learned the politics, spirituality, culture, and architecture of china even if you are not in a classroom. Also my chinese got significantly better, and this gave an appreciation for foreign people living in the US.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were all really interesting and engaging. There was a decent amount of work, but it was totally worth what we were learning. Some of the best classes I've taken in college. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was amazing. The people there were very welcoming, knowledgable, and just great people. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms were okay for American standards, but for chinese standards they were very nice. |
| * Food: |
Near TBC there are so many different kinds of restaurants with very different kinds of food for very cheap. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I feel like i integrated within the culture very well, at the end of my trip I felt like a local. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
Money was not that big of an issue, everything over there is very cheap. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 60 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | try not to buy too many expensive gifts, because you can probably find them cheaper. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
They encouraged to use Chinese very often, and it helped me really get immersed into the culture. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Third semester chinese |
| 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? | Try to talk to as many Chinese people as possible |
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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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How to better plan trips in China |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
