Experiences, life lessons, and friends all "Made in China" Past Review
By Huy Tran (University of Colorado - Boulder) - abroad from 05/12/2016 to 05/26/2016 with
University of Colorado Boulder: China - Doing Business in China, Hosted by the Asia Institute
This trip broke down many of my expectations about the world outside of the US. It showed that the US does many things really well but the US doesn't always do everything in the best way. Many other countries do things differently but different isn't necessarily worse.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
This course was great. Most of the learning occurred outside of the classroom. Although it wasn't the most academically challenging course I've taken in the traditional sense, I definitely learned about a significant amount about the Chinese culture and a ton of life lessons. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site administration for this trip was the Asia Institute and they were amazing! Logistically, they were both punctual and well organized. They planned many of the business meetings, dinners, and cultural visits of the trip. All of these events were great and I have no complaints. Staff-wise, the Asia institute was friendly and professional! |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The hotel we stayed in Beijing had a location close to several of the cultural sites like the Temple of Heaven. This hotel also had many delicious restaurants just right around the corner. The hotel itself was nice as well. The only small complaint that several of my other classmates had to say about the hotel was the firmness of the beds. I personally liked the firm beds but many of the others did not. In Shanghai, the hotel was amazing! Everyone in the group was placed on the 17th floor of the hotel which provided an amazing view of the city around us. The hotel rooms were definitely much nicer then the rooms we stayed in Beijing. These rooms were pretty big and offered the comfort I needed after the long event-filled days of the trip. |
| * Food: |
Many of the provided dinners were planned by the Asia Institute staff. The staff made it a point to provide us with a wide range of dishes from different areas in China. The only issue many of us had with the food was overeating. The food was delicious and it's one of the things I miss the most about China. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Going abroad, it seems like no you always have the sense of being a tourist. For me, this was no different. However, growing up with parents who emigrated from Vietnam, I saw and felt many of the cultural similarities that my Vietnamese culture and the Chinese culture had in common. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no issues with health on the trip. A few of my other classmates did have issues and none of us ever heard them complain about their experiences. In both Shanghai and Beijing, there was a lot of smog comparatively to the states. This trip didn't call for any special vaccines. |
| * Safety: |
Don't go places by yourself and be careful with the taxi drivers in the high-traffic tourist areas. Always make sure the taxi drivers are using the meter and don't let them convince you to do a verbal agreement instead. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This was my first international experience with a study abroad program and I have no major complains or reservations about going. |
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) |
Most of the money you use is on food, events, and souvenirs. On the two week program I exchanged around $300 and I had almost no money issues on the trip. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 - $60 but this is a really rough estimate. I didn't really keep track to closely. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Barter, barter, barter. Taking taxi's at night is much more expensive. Lastly, if you think that the salesperson is giving you a great deal, they probably aren't. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That many of the things we learned at orientation about China are true but that truth is only the first page of a novel i.e. No pre-departure orientation can ever be long enough to adequately describe a country, it's people, or it's culture |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
