China: Incredible Experience for Anyone Interested in East Asia Past Review
By Meilakh B (Computer Science, Harvard University) for
Tsinghua University: Beijing - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Absolutely - it was an amazing opportunity to see what China is like for myself beyond the western stereotypes and the mystique.
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 workload was very manageable. Although I'm sure it could have been a more difficult program, I think that the amount of knowledge that I could have retained in the long run was not very much more. The grading system was very fair and very clear from the very beginning. The main difference was related to the caliber of students - Harvard students are generally better prepared and at a higher level than the students from other institutions were. It's also important to note that the teachers were all fantastic. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The actual administration was not too fantastic. Arrival to and from the airport was not well coordinated for those who didn't arrive the day they suggested. For field-trips, the student count was never really watched and poorly organized. In general, I did not get the feeling that the administration had a visible presence nor did I feel that they were particularly supportive. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The program's accommodations were excellent - close to campus, plenty of space, all of the necessities. |
| * Food: |
Chinese food is fantastic but requires some getting used to as well as some bravery and flexibility. With the right attitude, the food is incredible but with the wrong one, it'd be awful. Special caution is needed for those who have an aversion toward meat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My most memorable events took place when I went out with my teachers to authentic restaurants and had an opportunity to interact with them in a much more informal setting. It's also obviously of note to remember our trip to the Great Wall that was organized by the program staff. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Beijing is an incredibly safe city. The only remote concern for travelers should be petty theft so make sure to watch your belongings, particularly your wallet. |
| 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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | You can easily live off of 100$ a week on food and personal expenses if you'd like to. Making that cost go any lower is possible but requires sacrifices either in terms of having fun or how often you go to the more expensive restaurants. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | With this particular program, be sure to budget in the cost for the week long break that takes place in the middle of the program. Although you can certainly stay in Beijing, the vast majority of students left, either to Shanghai or the western areas of the country. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | End of first year Chinese |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
The program was entirely about language immersion so I greatly improve my ability to speak and understand the language - beyond the students and the teachers, obviously no one spoke English and so I was able to practice my Chinese constantly. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | A self motivated student will definitely enjoy this the most. Since the baseline of work is relatively low compared to Harvard, students can choose to take on more work or can choose to enjoy China by going on the streets. |
