Great Semester in Shanghai Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 02/17/2019 to 08/16/2019 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Shanghai - Fudan University
I loved being in Shanghai and experiencing the every day life there. Improved my Chinese a lot, made many friends, and learned so much more by being there than I would have in a classroom.
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. |
Semester classes were pretty doable; only met once a week except for the Chinese classes. Not a lot of readings. |
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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 apartment was really nice and in a great location. Only complaints are that it needed significant renovations (leaking roof, poor drainage system) by the end. Also, the owner frequently hosted open houses for prospective buyers without warning us. |
| * Food: |
Cheap, delicious authentic Chinese food, need I say more? The school canteen alone was amazing and dirt cheap. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Shanghai is super safe; no worries about walking around late at night as a woman. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I had a wonderful experience but my particular program was a bit too disorganized for my taste. |
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's China; everything is cheap. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Take the metro, not taxis. Cook or eat street food; split bills with friends. Learn how to bargain. |
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 |
We took classes, but otherwise, there was no immersion requirement |
| 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? | Chinese 301 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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 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? | The study abroad provider mislead me as to which visa I should apply for and because of that I had six months of visa headaches. I really wish TEAN had been honest with me about which visa I would be likely to receive and given me the paperwork they promised they would receive. But instead, they changed on me last minute, barely a month before my semester, hence the ensuing six months of headaches. |
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. |
