Great experience! I totally recommend it! Past Review

By (Utah Valley University) - abroad from 05/01/2012 to 06/20/2012 with

Utah Valley University: Traveling - Chinese

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
a lot of language exposure. Totally!

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: Chuxiong Normal University

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Great educational experience! We had tutors available to help us improve our Chinese. It was time intensive, but well worth it.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Don't expect to live under American standards. If you are used to a nice plan, housing in Chuxiong Normal University will not provide you with this, but will provide you with the best available under their means and definitely part of the experience of being abroad.

* Food:

Great culinary experience. Be ready to try new things, things you might never thought about. Don't expect to have American food available, except in the big cities.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Chinese people are extremely nice. They are great hostess and treat you well.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Believe it or not, China was pretty safe. Just don't forget to always be aware no matter what.

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)

China is really inexpensive. Just make sure you bring enough money (cash) or make sure you are able to get money from a bank.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Not all meals were included. I will suggest to have about $1,500 US dollars available for meals, discretionary spending, shopping and emergency.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I will just said to bring cash and to make sure it is separated in different pockets sort of thing. It might be a good idea to bring a card and make sure it works on China.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 1010
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • language exposure and being able to travel around the country
* What could be improved?
  • better communication among group members and leaders of the group
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? being prepared that housing is not like in America