Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A difficult but overall very rewarding summer Past Review

By (Teaching English as a Second Language/ Spanish, University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 07/11/2013 to 08/13/2013 with

University of Northern Iowa: Dongguan - UNI Summer Camp in China

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I feel I learned a lot about the Chinese culture through my students. If I had gone abroad just to sight see I definitely would not have learned so much. I feel like I gained a lot of insight to what it is like being a student in China. It gave me many new friends that I plan on staying in touch with.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Dongguan University of Technology tried to make us comfortable in any way.

* Food:

Dongguan University gave us very good food.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt safe but was told to not go to Dongguan alone because it was not safe there.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? During camp, less than $20/week. While not in camp, about $50

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
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?
  • My students
  • Touring Beijing, Guilin, and Hong Kong
  • the food
* What could be improved?
  • The program leader's planning and letting us know what is going on
  • preparing us to teach
  • general organization from the Study Abroad Center and program leaders
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how difficult it would be. The teaching was a lot more than I anticipated and I felt like I was not aware about many of the teaching aspects of the trip beforehand.

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 Blazer
Craving 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.'