Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The experience made me want to get a job in China to live permanently. Past Review

By (Utah Valley University) - abroad from 05/01/2012 to 06/20/2012 with

Utah Valley University: Traveling - Chinese

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I not only gained friends, a better understanding of the Chinese culture, and a better grasp of the Chinese language. It also gave me a greater appreciation for America, and where I was raised. Yes! it was VERY worthwhile!

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.

We had 7 hours of instruction per day.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The faculty at the Chuxiong University were FANTASTIC! They really went above and beyond to help us learn Chinese.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Fantastic pads, we had a sleight problem with internet, but nothing that could not be overcome. We had clean water, and a western style toilet, what more could you ask for?

* Food:

The university food was tasty but had a bit of a vindictive side. Every time I ate there I was sick later. However, around the university were other places to eat that were in many cases less expensive then the cafeteria, and were more tasty!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt that we were given many experiences to interact, and these were invaluable.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Anytime there was an issue that needed to be addressed, it was dealt with promptly and effectively.

* Safety:

I always felt safe and secure. The school we went to was very safe, and we were in very capable hands with the school's faculty.

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)

To live within the means was EASY. You could get most meals at less then $1 USD and an expensive meal (while living within means was $1.50 USD. So overall it was VERY easy to live within your means.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I chose to try a plethora of foods, ranging from cheap to expensive. I chose to spend about 100 RMB (or about $15 USD) a week on food.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy as a group, this includes everything from TP to any goods that can be haggled over. Be kind to the shop keepers, if they know you and you are kind they will extend discounts to you.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

You are in the country and they throw you at natives like it is going out of style. It was great.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
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? 202G (equivalent to 2020 at our university)
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? If you learn words about a particular situation, place yourself into that situation a lot. If you learn about a place.. go there and just talk. The Chinese natives are very kind to foreigners, ask questions because they don't get offended.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Other
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?
  • The host faculty
  • That we were lead by Dr. Yuan
  • the people that we were able to meet and learn from.
* What could be improved?
  • More clarity in how classes will be done.
  • It would have been great to be given a list of words and then sent into the wild with our tutors to use what we then learned.
  • Restricting certain people (from America) from going.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How I best learn. I figured it out in the last part of the experience.