My Chinese improved beyond recognition and I gained best friends. Past Review
By Kayla Seeger (Oberlin College) - abroad from 08/28/2018 to 12/17/2018 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Hangzhou
Absolutely! Besides the obvious, calculable improvement in my Chinese level, I have become more confidant in myself through this transformative experience. I have also gained friends and connections for life and experiences I will never forget.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The academics were hard, but satisfying. In my opinion, the full language pledge was the best part of the program. My Chinese improved drastically during my time abroad and because of this, I am much more able to understand the world from a Chinese-centric perspective. The courses were also fun, but rigorous - making me work hard, but also not so intense that I was unable to explore Hangzhou, exercise (and play Ultimate Frisbee), and travel. The program allowed me to lead a balanced lifestyle, while also greatly improving my Chinese skills, public speaking skills, and knowledge of Chinese culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration were very accessible (their office was literally next door to my room) and very competent and caring. Though it was the first year of our student-life co-ordinator, Drew was very good at meeting the needs of the students. Tao Laoshi the academic advisor was also warm and communicative (though she was a bit of a traditionalist), while also enforcing a rigorous academic atmosphere. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The roommate situation was one of the best additions to this program. Great care was taken in finding the perfect Chinese roommate to match with our living style and personality. I gained a huge amount of insight into Chinese culture through my roommate, and gained a good friend. The dorms themselves were clean and ideal for cultivating a close knit support group between peers abroad and their roommates. |
| * Food: |
There were multiple dining halls with various qualities of food very near to our doors, and a few affordable, tasty restaurants in the surrounding area. Take out was also an accessible, cheap option for those students with Alipay and Chinese credit cards. Though Hangzhou cuisine is not my favorite style of Chinese food, there were none the less many options right around the corner at all times. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
As a lot of time was spent in class, I sometimes felt as though I was in an academic bubble. However, this is not unique in any way to this program. I have felt this way about every institution I have attended. Furthermore, the program went out of its way to connect us with Chinese students our age through the roommate program, and by taking us on weekly trips to local business. I also was able to integrate into the Hangzhou community by connecting with the Ultimate Frisbee community in China. I made many friends by tapping into this group that shared a common interest, and attending practices or tournaments every weekend. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got a concussion during finals week, and my needs were met to the best of the programs ability. However, it was a bit stressful navigating how to complete my course work and receive credit. If I had not experienced concussion symptoms before and had not known how best to take care of myself, I am not sure that the institution would have known about the proper procedure for treating concussions. The hospital was also rather far away and the care was not top-notch. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe throughout this program. Though traffic might be intimidatingly busy to those not from the city, I was able to adjust to the ordered chaos. The program was also very thorough about warning incoming students about the potential dangers they may face. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This program was all I wished for and more. I gained friends for life, improved my Chinese drastically, had the chance experience another culture, and was able to travel very often - all for a low cost. |
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) |
The cost of living in China is extremely low compared to life in the US. If I hadn't chosen to travel quite frequently, I could would have been spending only about $30 a week on food. Compared to spending $14 per day at college, spending in China was the best. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30 per week excluding optional travel costs (which were also comparatively cheap and fast!) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | It's really easy to stay under budget in China, but definitely take bullet trains instead of planes if possible. They're cheap and nearly as fast. |
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 |
After orientation, we were required to only speak Mandarin. As stated before, this was the best part of the program in my opinion. |
| 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? | 200 (but I took 300 over the summer at a similar program) |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Stick to the pledge, even while traveling! Once the language pledge is broken, it is really hard to commit to it again. I broke the pledge while traveling in my summer program, and it was so hard to transition back into only speaking Mandarin because it became evident that I could form much deeper connections with students in English. However, in my fall program, I stuck to the pledge full-time, and to my surprise, my Chinese improved drastically over fall-break because I was able to attempt to talk about deeper emotional topics with my peers in Chinese. |
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? | I was very prepared going into this program because I had just graduated from a similar, but more rigorous program in the summer. I do wish that I had taken more advantage of the Friday excursions provided by 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! |
