Great, but challenging. Past Review
By A student (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 09/14/2015 to 07/15/2016 with
Tsinghua University: Beijing - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Every day is a little struggle, the pollution, the cultural differences, anything and everything working just a little differently that you are used to. You learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and out of your comfort zone, this is a lifelong skill.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Can be helpful if you speak chinese, if you do not then they will be mostly useless. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I chose to live off campus in an apartment, best decision I ever made. The dorms are very basic and do not give you an authentic experience. |
| * Food: |
Cannot comment on dorm food, never ate it. Otherwise Beijing has a lot for options for food, though the majority will be Chinese food. Do not come here if you do not like Chinese food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Chinese culture is tough, do not come here if you cannot stand some cultural discomfort. China is very different from the West and can be very ostracizing if you are not prepared for it. Speaking Chinese really helps. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had private insurance so my experience is likely very different from most. |
| * Safety: |
For girls China is crazy safe, much safer than the West. Violent crimes, especially against foreigners if extraordinarily low. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Tsinghua is the best of the best in China, the students here are literally China's future leaders. If you want to meet the most hardworking and dedicated peers you could ever have then this is a great challenge. |
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) |
China is still very affordable, cheaper than the USA and far, far cheaper than the UK or Europe. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About 500RMB, or $80. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Arrange finances ahead of time and look for a bank that charges low intl. fees for withdrawal. |
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 |
You need to have some Chinese proficiency to get by in Beijing. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 4th Year 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? | Speak as much as possible with any native speakers to learn how to talk like a real person, not a textbok. Most regions have strong accents and dialects, get to know your region's vernacular. |
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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| 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 much I would need to rely on myself. |
