Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Stress not worth the "Middlebury Language' Hype Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/15/2017 to 06/02/2017 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Kunming

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Improved academic Chinese skills

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Very intense. Should only choose this program if you are interested in improving your academic Chinese skills (formal paper writing and reading etc.), as you will have very little time outside of class and homework to make local friends/engage with the community.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Having a local student as a roommate was a wonderful aspect of the program.

* Food:

Extremely cheap cafeteria nearby, but food pretty oily. Also delicious and cheap restaurants very close.

* 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? No

I love China and have had a wonderful time traveling and working in CHIna since the conclusion of this program. My language skills certainly did improve as a result of my participation in Middlebury's program, but most of those gains were in academic Chinese and I'm really more interested in using Chinese in interview/business/social settings, so this exclusive focus was frustrating. In retrospect, I wish I had selected a program that gave me time to make friends, to explore my surroundings and to focus on furthering my own goals.

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)

Harder than I had thought it would be because it's easy to eat out more than intended, but everything's so cheap that it's still very reasonable.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $95

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? 200
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Kunming is an awesome city
  • Roommate program is great
* What could be improved?
  • Less homework/fewer tests
  • More opportunities to meet local students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That it may have been financially feasible to participate in a non-Middlebury program in China

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Classical Chinese 1
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Course Name/Rating:

One on One

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Instruction Language:
Comments: Interesting material, but most students' language level was not at a place where we should have been writing a 10 page thesis in Chinese. The exercise was both stressful and ultimately not incredibly helpful.
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Course Name/Rating:

Yunana Daily
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Instruction Language:
Comments: Good replacement for a drill class if you feel like your language mechanics need extra work. Also the easiest class you can take because it uses the sam vocabulary as Kunming impressions.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Kunming Impressions
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Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Lots of rote memorization, little content.
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