Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A Man Dismay'd Past Review

By (The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 01/25/2012 to 05/13/2012 with

China Studies Institute: Beijing - Peking University

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot of Chinese. It was worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* 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)

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No

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

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Upper Intermediate
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Hotel
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Language immersion, being forced to ONLY use Chinese 5 days a week, and on weekends still being with a host family and basically being forced to use it then, too.
* What could be improved?
  • General level of organization of the program in China.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that it was such a significant step up in difficulty compared to other programs offered by William and Mary. I would have done this program earlier.