TiC is what you make of it - and you can have an AWESOME time! Past Review
By hellolalala (Child Development., Tufts University) - abroad from 08/09/2012 to 12/15/2012 with
Tufts Programs Abroad: Tufts in China
I now feel comfortable traveling in China by myself. I have much more fluency in Chinese than before.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
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 |
Had visa/passport issues. Stuff on the Tufts side was kind of annoying in general. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
You'll live in an international dorm, probably with Tufts kids on your floor, plus various international students. You can hang out in the 2nd floor lobby with other foreign students and it's really great. |
| * Food: |
Food is so cheap in general so you can either go out to "nice" restaurants every meal and spend like $5 USD or get by on cheap Chinese fast food/dining hall food (also very good) for like 10 kuai. Either way, make eating a social experience! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
You can choose to integrate with your Tufts classmates, with the other international students from around the world, or with local Chinese students. They're all there, it's just a matter of going out of your way to make it happen. I absolutely loved my cultural experience and had a wonderful mix of foreign and Chinese friends. Hangzhou, of course, has tons of places to sightsee too! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any health issues |
| * Safety: |
I never really felt unsafe. I used the bus system and taxis really frequently and was often alone in the city (as a female). Chinese people would come up and talk to me but nobody ever posed a safety threat... If I didn't know where I was going people were willing to help me out. |
| 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) |
They give you AMPLE money. I used up a lot of my stipend on personal travel and barely ran out at the end of the semester. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ? |
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 |
It's what you make of it. You can get by without speaking Chinese outside of class if that's what you want to do - but if you go out of your way to make non-American friends, your Chinese will improve a ton! |
| 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? | CHNS 22 |
| 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? | Make foreign friends!! Whether they're upper-level international students or Chinese students. I practiced Chinese the most with my good friends who were Chinese shopkeepers and spoke no English, and learned the most from the instruction of an incredibly fluent Australian friend who'd explain things to me when I was lost. |
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? | 10+ |
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? | Don't lose your passport... |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Chinese |
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| Comments: | I took the Chinese class for students who have completed CHNS 22 and received credit for CHNS 121, 122, 123, and another half-credit Chinese course. Chinese class is 3 hrs each day and conducted entirely in Chinese, with other foreign (often non-English speaking) students. The instructors are really great, and you can get a lot out of the class if you study. I used the vocab we learned frequently in my daily life once I actually made myself study it. :) |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | None |
