China: An Invaluable Experience Past Review
By Daniel G (International Business., Valparaiso University) for
Valparaiso University: Fall Hangzhou Study Program
Not only has my Chinese improved, but I am a more mature individual. I feel more independent, I mean I survived a whole semester in China! I had to deal with all of my day to day issues, there was not anyone to hold my hand and guide me through it. Also, most of the other international students were older Europeans. So, naturally being younger, I felt more mature since I was doing the same thing at 20 that others were doing at the age of 25. My time in China has made me want to increase my language skills more and more.
Review Photos
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. |
Each student's work load varied based on their teacher. Some teachers gave a lot of work whereas others did not give so much. Also, depending on what level of language classes you are in will greatly influence the amount of work you have. As long as you do your work and go to class the language classes were pretty simple. Prof. Meng prepares students well for this experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Prof. Ostoyich was incredible. He did everything in his power to make our study abroad experience as good as it could be. He even went out of his way to get us to Nanjing which had never been done before. Even though Prof. Ostoyich had no prior language experience (except a bit of tutoring) he worked incredibly hard to get us everything we needed. He also had to deal with 8 students which is more than the program had ever had before. Prof. Ostoyich went above and beyond the call for the students in the program. He was amazing! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
It is extremely hard for someone to be a vegetarian in China. They cook almost everything in pork. Just be aware of that. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There are lots of things to do in Hangzhou and are easily accessible by taxi (which is nice and cheap). Also, Prof. Ostoyich organized lots of field trips to cultural hotspots. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
As a larger male I feel safe just about anywhere and that did not change at all in China. One thing to be aware of when you are out and about is what you have on you. Be aware of your belongings because you can get pick-pocketed. It is not as prevalent as in Europe, but it does happen. I did not get sick the whole time I was in China, so I did not have to worry about any health issues. I believe others in the group had an easy enough time when they did have problems. I had one vaccination before I left for China and it was done by a week long series of pills, very simple and painless. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | I averaged about 100 RMB a week which is around 15 US dollars. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be prepared to go over your budget. This is a unique experience that many people will never get to have and you will want to have items to commemorate the experience. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Level 2 Chinese Language Class |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Students had to use Chinese every day. Hangzhou is Westernized, but not so Westernized that everyone speaks English. It was good that the locals did not speak so much English because being on an International Student campus, English is the most common language. Eventually my classmates and I would use Chinese to communicate, but in the beginning everyone uses English. You could basically practice your Chinese with whomever you pleased: students from the University, teachers, locals, etc. |
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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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 open to new things, but do not compromise who you are. |
