Fantastic Program for Those Dedicated to Learning Chinese Past Review
By James W (International Relations, The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 01/12/2015 to 05/15/2015 with
Beijing Foreign Studies University: Beijing - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Language skills, competency abroad, and a wealth of unique experiences
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. |
The academics is probably the strongest component of this program and the reason that it is a popular option for those looking to study in Beijing. I would consider the staff of the core language classes as well as the resources available to IES students at BFSU as first-rate. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Sometimes things would change last-minute, but overall the program staff were very competent. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The resident halls are pretty nice, but this semester was awkward because a portion of my residence hall was non-IES, and we were supposed to be doing a language pledge on the entire floor. There was some conflict with IES and non-IES resources, and many of the people in the hall would stay up very late on weeknights making noises. |
| * Food: |
The food is fantastic, but watch out for food poisoning! If it seems sketchy, don't eat it. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
IES needs to do more to integrate students with the student life on campus. We really get a feel for China culture while we're there but not a feel for what college life is like for a typical Chinese student. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no health care issues while there. |
| * Safety: |
I feel safer in Beijing than I do in DC. That being said, be cautious of your personal belongings at all times. |
| 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) |
Beijing can be expensive, and inflation is insane in the city. (Basically five years ago it was significantly cheaper to live there.) Still, China is a very affordable country in which to study abroad. If you go out on the weekends and eat at nice restaurants, you can blow through $150/week, but I you can keep a budget under $400 a month by watching your spending. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | 201 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Talk to people. In the beginning, I was far too afraid to speak Chinese, and this hindered my ability to some extent. |
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? | It's not necessary to get so anxious before the start of the program! |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
