Daily Life in China is far different from Traveling in China Past Review

By Larmon L (Government, Harvard University) for

Tsinghua University: Beijing - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

It was worthwhile. Living in China is a completely different experience from traveling in China. Experiencing the flow of daily life over the course of a summer was an experience in living abroad that I found very useful and enlightening.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here:	Minzu University
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	There is a language pledge, but it is not enforced strictly.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	I did not go to many of the trips led in Beijing, because I had already been to those sites before, and thus I cannot really comment on the logistics of the program. However, I do wish that instructions were more clear on where pick up was at the airport, for Beijing Airport is a very large airport, and I ended up having to take a taxi there.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	The dorms were a 5 minute walk away from the classrooms, and were on the edge of campus. The facilities were very nice, and our bed sheets were changed every two weeks. There was a laundry machine in the room. The only complaint I have is that the bathroom had no shower divider, and so water often seeped into the main room.
* Food:	The neighboring restaurants were very diverse in their selection of food. If one wasn't satisfied with the food, it may have been because he/she didn't explore the surrounding area very well.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I loved the trip to watch Beijing Opera. The talent show, which invited students from the local conservatories in Beijing to perform for the program students, was breathtaking.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	I never felt like my safety was threatened in any way during the trip, even though I walked the streets late at night from the subway station quite a few times.
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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?
Language acquisition improvement?	I could practice language with anyone I met on the street, including interactions in restaurants and in other every day settings. Most students spoke English outside of class, as the language pledge is not seriously enforced. It was mostly up to individual initiative to create a Chinese environment for him or herself.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Do learn how to bargain, as it is a very enjoyable past time. And get some dress shirts and suits tailored at the Silk Street Market. Also, generally pay no more than 1/3 of the starting offer any merchant gives you. No, that doesn't include restaurants.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Reading in modern Chinese (fourth-year level).
Course Department:	Chinese S4015x-S4016y.
Instructor:	Ling Yan
Instruction Language:	Chinese
Comments:	The grading system is very relaxed, as tests are very similar to the homework given out. I feel like more emphasis should have been given on sentence construction and the writing of essays without help of a dictionary. The oral presentations were useful, but they would have been better off not as recitations of previously written work, but as debates. The teachers were all very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, so it was up to the student to get the most out of the program. I never felt stressed, but I challenged myself often with supplementary readings.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I'm currently going through the credit transfer process as I write this.