Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An Unforgettable Adventure With Amazing people Past Review

By (International Relations, Economics, Wellesley College) - abroad from 02/13/2013 to 06/08/2013 with

IFSA/Alliance: Shanghai - International Business in China

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about Shanghai that I could not have previously read about. Academically, I learned a lot about the economic development and the business environment in China.

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.

The classes were all very interesting, and taught from a Chinese perspective, which is something I could not have gotten from a similar course in America.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Our resident director was amazing! He was very available at all hours of the day, and he really put a lot of effort into making sure that we enjoy our time with the program.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

There is an abundance of food from every cuisine available in Shanghai, and there are plenty of ratings and recommendations available on the internet.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Our resident director gave out very clear instructions on how to obtain healthcare during the program. The healthcare coverage was really good, and making appointments was a piece of cake. Our program covered a western style hospital, and all the staff spoke English.

* 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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Local, smaller Chinese restaurants are very affordable, but often times, I went to Western/Western-inspired places where the prices rivaled that of American restaurants. So if saving money is a main concern, I would eat more with the school dining hall or local, cheaper Chinese restaurants.

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • My fellow students in the program were some of the most phenomenal people I have ever met.
  • Shanghai as a city has a lot to offer, in culture, food, and night life.
* What could be improved?
  • The courses had some overlap in material.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? To pack less things because I ended up buying a lot of things in China, and it was a lot of trouble to pack everything to bring home.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.