It was a rollercoaster that challenged me and transformed my life. Past Review
By Blake Kappel (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 02/05/2016 to 08/10/2016 with
Tsinghua University: Beijing - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained an awareness of the perspectives of some of the Chinese people, and learned about myself in relation to the world and my surrounding, as well as changed my direction in life for the better. I appreciate the people and the language so much more now, which is why I will be going back. I gained really incredible life experiences and lasting friendships as well as valuable knowledge in my field of study.
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. |
The classes I took at Tsinghua were all Masters classes but one, which was my Chinese class, because the only international relations classes there are part of the Tsinghua Masters degree program. However, this made for an interesting and rewarding experience. The classes were discussion-based and not too difficult. The final papers I had to write were quite long, the longest being 19 pages. The heightened writing and presentation expectations and lowered homework levels were the only noticeable differences between them and my usual undergraduate-level classes. Throughout the semester, the intensity of the classes was almost always low and very manageable. The professors were quite stimulating, and always showed interest and engagement, though their efforts were not always well-received by the students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
For exchange students, the administration is somewhat lacking in helping ability, and giving information in a comprehensive and timely manner. Registration for classes was quite stressful, as the process was rather disjointed. The class list released online was almost unrecognizable as the final list that we could choose from. That left many students scrambling for classes at the last minute. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing in the international dorms was cheap and very convenient. Housekeeping service tended to every room regularly, change bed sheets, and clean the floor. Comfortable dorms. Extremely friendly and helpful staff, but they only speak Chinese. So if your Chinese isn't proficient enough, you will need someone to translate for you. |
| * Food: |
Always delicious, convenient, and so so cheap on campus. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The healthcare is easily accessible for students, there is a hospital on campus. But you will need a translator if you don't speak Chinese. I did not receive help from the program, but went on my own account with a friend to translate. I went because of a consistent cough and sore throat. In my experience the medicine I received was not really effective, but I just got better over time instead. |
| * Safety: |
Beijing feels like one of the safest major cities in the world. And I believe crime statistics prove this. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program was cheap, but was worth so much more than I paid for it. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $70 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat meals on campus. The food there is heavily subsidized by the government. It's quite cheap. You can do $5/day on food if you go this way. Living on campus is the cheapest option. Take your student ID to events or places you go that charge entrance fees, there are often student discounts. If you travel, go by train and stay in hostels. |
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 |
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| 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? | Second year Chinese,.part 1 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Try to make friends with Chinese people who don't speak English. It gives you better excuse to use the language. It won't just seem like you're practicing and can stop at any time, but you have to keep struggling through it. |
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? | I know now that the time passes quickly, that intense homesickness is a very real thing, and that doing things outside of my comfort zone is necessary to have the experiences I want to have. |
