Shanghai: Where the Fun Begins Past Review
By Hoan N (Pre-pharmacy, University of the Pacific) for
IES Abroad: Shanghai - Economy, Business & Society
I learned not only academic, language, cultural lessons, but I also learned life lessons from this experience. I could say that this experience opened up my eyes. It taught me how to look at things and people differently. During this semester in Shanghai, I have met and dealt with certain types of people whom I have never met before in my life.
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was manageable, but the teaching methods and grading methods were very different from the American system. Grading was unclear and subjective. Classroom instructions were unclear. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
On-site staff were very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. The program size was suitable. Overall, my expectations were met. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The living condition was very satisfactory. The apartment was close to class and there were many restaurants in the area. I would use the word "convenience" to describe the living condition. |
| * Food: |
All types of food were available and restaurants were all over the place. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The trip to Tongli that the program arranged was a great way for the IES group to get to know each other better. However, I think that the program should organize more field trips. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Shanghai is a very safe place. The program provided good support regarding illnesses and/or health issues. |
| 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? | Around $55/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Shanghai is known as the place to shop, so be careful and not to overspend in those high class and/or underground shopping centers. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate level |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I could practice language with the program staff, the professors, local students/classmates, local people. The host country language was moderately necessary in everyday interactions. |
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? | I would definitely recommend this program to those who wish to learn more about China (Shanghai in particular). My semester with IES Shanghai was lots of fun. |
