As good as you want it to be. Past Review
By Saul T (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 02/16/2012 to 06/28/2012 with
Tsinghua University: Beijing - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned to be more understanding of others, open minded, and just continued to expand my borders. It was definitely worthwhile. I know this exchange and internship experience will help my network, language skills, and future job prospects. Pieces of my reviews may have been a bit harsh, but that is just due to my high level of honesty. I have no regrets about the program and am glad I came.
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. |
A lot of "busy" work and quality of instruction was less than what I am used to. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Staff is not very helpful. They do not have the same consumer/student oriented mentality like US programs. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Limited hot water, A/C not allowed to be turned on in May when people are sweating at night, very limited western toilets, showers are bad, smoking allowed everywhere in the dorms, and overly strict guest policies among other things. Basically, not very good at all. |
| * Food: |
Variety of food is good, but if you like to eat meat with your meals you will have a harder time getting by. Same goes if you do not like Chinese food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Most of the exchange students hang out with each other. Language is the first barrier, but the fact that the university does not allow Chinese people to live with foreign students does not help. I was able to meet many Chinese people, but that is because I lead the English corner and am a more extroverted individual. Local students are not as friendly as students from America and tend to be quieter which makes it harder to assimilate. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Did not really have any health issues so I cannot say. It would be seemingly necessary for you have at least an intermediate/advanced level of Chinese to visit a place like a hospital though. |
| * Safety: |
On campus is pretty safe. They do allow some questionable individuals on campus though and I was almost involved in a physical altercation when a man riding his bike kicked mine and spit on me. He was upset because he believed I almost ran into him at an intersection although I was bearing right and there was literally no contact. Security were nearby and did nothing. The guy looked homeless and I knew he did not belong on campus so I did not hold it against them entirely. I did, however, see the same guy a couple weeks later at a cafe on campus. He still looked homeless, smelled, and gave me a bad look. Not sure why these types are even allowed entry on Tsinghua's campus. As far as off campus, you are on your own. Don't expect much help. Recently there have actually been a number of transgressions aimed at foreigners and my American roommate was actually arrested against his will one night. He was at a bar where a fight broke out and did nothing wrong, but since he could not speak Chinese fluently and the cops did not know English, they arrested him and his foreign friends and took them to jail for the night. I would not trust cops here. My advice is to stay on campus if your really worried about safety or make sure to go out with a group, preferably at least one who knows Chinese, fluently. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
Price is definitely one of the biggest pros. Unlike Europe, a dollar really goes much further here. A meager budget back home could be enough to eat out often, go clubbing, traveling, and even do some thrifty shopping. Definitely one of my favorite aspects of China. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 USD per month is fine. 150USD or more and you are probably living very comfortably. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save eating out for the weekends or social events, watch were you go clubbing (Sanlitun is as expensive as any other big city nightlife venue), and travel sensibly. |
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 |
Beijing is great for learning Chinese, no doubt. |
| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Introductory Chinese class |
| 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 reach a conversational level before you arrive. |
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
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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? | Cultural adjustment, it's big. |
