FUN culture, not so fun administration organization Past Review
By Jory H (Counseling, University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 07/11/2013 to 08/13/2013 with
University of Northern Iowa: Dongguan - UNI Summer Camp in China
Yes worthwhile, the cutlure was amazing and the sites were great. THe students were loving and appreciative.d
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. |
It was good but alot of things were not figured out beforehand. Some of the administrators involved did not seem to be prepared enough for managing this many camps/individuals at the camps. A few times we were blatantly lied to. The camp itself was fun but we were not told we would be working 12 plus hours or that some of our TA's would not know english. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Some people were nice others were not. Alot of negotiating on simple things that should have been provided and figured out beforehand. A lot of sitting and not knowing what was going on. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing was great. Very clean and nice. |
| * Food: |
Overall, i thought the food was very good. They attempted to accomidate us with american style food. We got to see some of their food. We always had enough to eat. Only downfall was that we had to provide out own drink. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Only slightly integrated with the local culture. I mean we were with a part of the culture, but many of the people we enteracted with were westernized and extremely rich. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy bulk at walmart. Use water at the hotels. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| 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? | That we would have very few moments to ourselves to enjoy our surroundings and just be in the cutlure. We did not have many opportunities to engage with the public or reflect on what was going on. Also, wish we had known that many of the power points videos would not be included on our flashdrives. Also wish we would have known that we should not bring pants or dress shoes or dress shirts. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
