An Amazing First Experience in China Past Review

By (University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh) - abroad from 03/01/2018 to 03/11/2018 with

University of Pittsburgh: China - INNOVATE, Hosted by the Asia Institute

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned so much about how the culture of China is similar to or different from that of America, as well as how business connects the two. The program was absolutely worthwhile, as it was an incredibly eye opening experience!

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.

Over the course of the trip, we visited a number of different companies. These visits were always very educational in nature, but as a chemical engineering student, there was quite a bit that I did not understand. The program is geared towards industrial engineers, but that did not take away too much from my learning experience.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The Asia Institute's Program Coordinators were all amazing! They truly went above and beyond to give us an incredible experience in China!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

The Asia Institute Program Coordinators who were with us throughout the trip did an amazing job! They were so friendly and answered any questions we had about China, definitely one of the best parts of the trip. Also the site visits were very interesting to see how businesses across the world tie in with one another. Having the chance to visit cultural sites like the Great Wall felt like a once in a lifetime experience, so I would definitely recommend this program to others!

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)

Most of the money I spent was on souvenirs and other things for myself, but the Asia Institute provided for us most of the time.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Cultural Sites
  • Program Coordinators
* What could be improved?
  • Company Visits
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how heavily the program would focus on industrial engineering. I would still do it again in a heartbeat, but I expected that I would be able to use more of my chemical engineering knowledge than I did.