Transformational Experience Past Review
By Frankie Fattori (University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh) - abroad from 05/04/2019 to 05/18/2019 with
University of Pittsburgh: China Plus3 Study Abroad Program, Hosted by the Asia Institute
I learned many things throughout the trip, including the political and economic systems present in China, the social paradigms in China's corporate environment, the ease/difficulty of establishing a business in China, and how U.S. trade with China affects our everyday lives as Americans. This visit was extremely worthwhile.
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. |
Perfect amount of work to complement the activities of the trip. The expectations of the assignments were very appropriate given the duration of our trip, the nature of our visits, and the time provided for completion. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our program managers and coordinators were very organized, knowledgeable, and personable. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
All hotels were incredibly nice with many accommodations. |
| * Food: |
I never had a bad meal during the trip. Not only was the food of great quality but it exposed students to traditional Chinese cuisine and allowed students to explore more exotic dishes. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Very immersive cultural experience. We were given many opportunities to interact with native Chinese and were offered unstructured free-time to explore the local area. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Even in the most congested areas of city centers I felt very safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This trip was very well-planned and enlightening. Excellent balance between educational lectures and culturally oriented activities. Just the right amount of work to keep students engaged without feeling overwhelmed. |
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? | 200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be conscientious when considering where to buy souvenirs and even food. Some areas are considerably more expensive than others. |
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? | Be proactive in making the most out of unstructured free-time no matter how tired you may feel. |
