Amazing experience, academically mediocre Past Review
By miriam n (Environmental Studies with a Focus in Creative Arts, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/19/2012 to 12/15/2012 with
New York University: Shanghai - NYU in Shanghai
I gain a deep love for China, as well as knowledge in chinese food, culture, geography. Super worthwhile, all I want to do is go back.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Don't go on this program for the academics, go for the ability to learn in the country, not from your teachers, but from the locals and the place |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing was amazing, at least living off campus, the rooms were large, centrally located with a full kitchen. |
| * Food: |
The program didn't offer any food, and when it did supply a dinner, it sucked. Thankfully Shanghai has plenty of other options. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program didn't do a lot to integrate me with the local culture. Fortunately I had a lot of time to explore on my own. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Great health insurance. I never used it but several of my friends were able to get quick, and good treatment. |
| * Safety: |
I felt perfectly safe the entire time in Shanghai. While a few of my friends were pick-pocketed, I never once felt my life was endanger. |
| 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) |
It is super easy to live cheaply in Shanghai, just don't get swept away by the international side of Shanghai. If you aren't careful, you could spend almost as much as you would living in a western city on fancy restaurants and western food. If you stick to what is native to China, everything is fantastically cheap. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~$25 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | eat Chinese food. It is better, cheaper, and in every other way superior to the food served at all the western restaurants. |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | a third year course |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | just keep using it, every day as much as possible. |
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? | When abroad, spend as little time with Americans as possible, make new friends and do new things. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Environmental Governance |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Professor Guttman |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Challenging, no. Informative, totally. Professor Guttman doesn't expect a lot, but he definitely is an amazing wealth of knowledge. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
