Harbin: Intense...In a Good Way Past Review
By Lillian P (Cultural Studies of Medicine, Tufts University) for
CET Harbin
More global perspective
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The residential and academic staff are amazing! They are both knowledgeable, accessible and friendly and helped me solve nearly every problem I encountered. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very safe and convenient location. The study/common room got a little crowded sometimes, and the dorm could use some renovating, but, overall, it was a great set-up. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Great travel opportunities! For example, hiking along the Great Wall between North Korea and China, spending the weekend in the countryside, etc. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
It feels incredibly safe to be a Westerner in China. |
| 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 usually didn't spend more than $30 per week on everything. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | None. |
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? | Chinese 21 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
There was a very strict language pledge and no one spoke English with me. I practiced regularly with my teachers, the other students, my Chinese roommate, Chinese friends I made throughout the semester and local Harbin residents. |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Take it one day at a time. |
