Taiwan Will Touch Your Heart Past Review
By Kristen G (Anthropology/Sociology, Illinois State University) for
National Chengchi University (NCCU): New Taipei City - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
This experience was extremely worthwhile. Throughout the year I continued to find new things that made me fall in love with Taiwan over and over again. I would recommend this program to anyone interested in exploring Asia.
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 |
Our program coordinator, Melody Chang, was excellent and always helpful. However, dealing with the university's administration was always difficult and time-consuming. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms on campus were not very clean. However, the new dorm available for international students just outside of campus was excellent. |
| * Food: |
There are a lot of vegetarian options. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Chinese New Year, Moon Festival |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Taiwan is an incredibly safe country. |
| 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? | Average meal: 2-3 dollars. Non-food products are generally similarly priced to those in the U.S., or cheaper. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Transportation within the city was slightly more expensive than expected, especially because our university was located in the South-East side of Taipei, rather far from the rest of the city. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Friends, classmates, local people. Used the language everyday, although many people are able to speak English if you don't wish to learn Chinese. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | This program is excellent for students of all types. Some students came to immerse themselves in the culture, some to enjoy the night life, some to enjoy the food, many to study the language, and some a little of everything. This program will allow you to find your own balance. |
