My study abroad in Shanghai was one of the best semesters of my life Past Review
By An-chi T (Economics., Wellesley College) for
IFSA/Alliance: Shanghai - 21st Century City
What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes, I was able to improve my understanding of simplified Chinese and made friends that will last a life time.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It was a wonderful program but the administration seemed to be a bit unexperienced. Many textbooks were handed out late, the shorter trip was planned last minute. However, the longer trip to Yunan was a success and we had many wonderful weekend where they planned small excursions to explore the city. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
|
| * 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: |
|
| 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? | I spent about $7.5 per meal on the weekdays, so that would average about $75. On the weekends, about $15 per meal plus other expenses including about $8 per cab ride from school to the city. About $100 per weekend. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Since campus is a bit of distance from the center of Shanghai, the taxi bills can really add up. At the same time although food is much cheaper overall, nice restaurants in the city can be just as expensive as the fancy restaurants in the U.S. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Chinese 306 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
|
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Anyone can have fun any where, you just need to learn to embrace the new place, new people, and new experiences. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Advanced Readings in Chinese |
| Course Department: | Chinese Language 401/600 |
| Instructor: | Li Laoshi |
| Instruction Language: | Mandarin |
| Comments: | My language skills are more advanced than my fellow classmate but we couldn't have the class curriculum go at a faster pace. Instead the instructors decided to let me have a one-on-one class instead replacing every other class meeting time, so I can also study traditional ancient Chinese poetry and scripts. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
China's Economic Development: 1978 to the Present and Beyond |
| Course Department: | Economics 370 |
| Instructor: | Zhan Yubo |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The course could have been greatly improved. The instructor wasn't fluent in English and often had miscommunication with the students. At the same time all of the lectures were based on long power point presentations where he would just read from each slide. Lastly the readings he assigned were all for graduate level students which was very frustrating since many of us couldn't understand. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Issues in Contemporary Chinese Culture and Society |
| Course Department: | Sociology 260 |
| Instructor: | Zhu Jianfeng |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The class covered very interesting material; however, the professor didn't present it in a very appealing way. She always had a very strong view of her own and wasn't very open to other peoples views. The reading she assigned was also very interesting |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
Featured Program Providers
