Be Smart Having Stupid Amounts of Fun Past Review

By (Political Science, Hamline University) for

United International College( UIC): Zhuhai - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Do it. It will change you in ways you won't expect.

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.

In general I did not feel I was under too much pressure with regards to work load, pressure or grading system. As an exchange student I was at an advantage due to large linguistic gaps that were still being remedied within the university. Apart from that the classes were taught in a manner similar to Hamline, with certain Chinese characteristics

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The international office at UIC is great, that being said there were several hoops to jump through for any given small change in schedule. The university is still young and developing its systems

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

No complaints whatsoever

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Spending the national day in Shanghai was a blast

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Safest country for tourists in the world. never got sick

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? Buying a mattress. never heard about that one.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Intermediate Chinese
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

I could practice with just about anyone anytime, though many of my classmates preferred to speak English. I had ample opportunity while traveling and off campus to practice

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students