Taipei, Taiwan: A small country with lots to offer Past Review

By (business administration/chinese, Trinity University) for

National Taiwan University: Taipei - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It made me recognize that I had more Chinese values than I initially realized.

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

Ms. Lee in the Study Abroad department was particularly helpful. I had trouble with getting Visa on time and extending my stay and she made sure everything moved along smoothly.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

new building/high-rise. very safe. security downstairs. clean. furnished. suites provided. I share a suite with 4 other girls. we each had our own rooms and bathrooms; we shared a living room and kitchen that overlooked Taipei 101.

* Food:

so much delicious food. Taiwan is known for its availability of food (all kinds). restuarants are cheap and never seem to 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:

Taipei is an extremely safe place because everyone is always walking around and stores are open late. Taxis are available at every corner.

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? It's easy to overspend because Taipei is very commercialized and has lots of things to buy. Unless you shop at designer stores or malls, you can get by with about 15 USD a day (food, necesities and an occassional trinket here or there). It's easy to buy too much and not be able to bring it back...I'm currently still waiting for the rest of my stuff from Taipei

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?

A lot of language partners provided. A lot of opportunities to practice Chinese with locals, but its also easy to just get by with English if you choose to spend time with exchange students exclusively.

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

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

Select all that apply

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? students who are proactive about learning