A Life Changing Experience Past Review
By Ben (University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh) - abroad from 05/05/2018 to 05/19/2018 with
University of Pittsburgh: China Plus3 Study Abroad Program, Hosted by the Asia Institute
The single most important thing I learned from this program was the importance of appreciating people across the world. It was awesome to be fully immersed into their culture and see the world through their lens.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Between University visits and company visits you really learn a lot. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our teammates at The Asia Institute were phenomenal. Whether going about logistics, activity information outside of the program, or knowledge about any of our site visits they had an answer to every question. Not only that but they were great friends and I enjoyed getting to know them and just talk with them. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our hotels were beautiful. Take away a few small mishaps (bad wifi, et cetera), there was nothing wrong with our hotels. |
| * Food: |
Some of the kids in our group tried more at each meal than others, but regardless there was always plenty of food if you don't like trying new things. Everything I tried however was exceptional and I would recommend you explore all the culinary options you will have access to. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
With how busy we were doing site visits, on University campuses, and everything else we did you really are immersed into the culture. You may not realize it while abroad, but looking back on it, we were fully integrated into the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no issues, but for those in my group that needed it, they said everything was handled extremely well and were under great care the entire time they needed. |
| * Safety: |
Safety was never a concern of mine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
Extremely happy I made it to China but I would want to explore other countries before coming back. |
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) |
If you manage your money well, it was easy to get by on a budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't spend frivolously. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? |
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? | Learning basic level Mandarin would go really far for the students. |
