38 reviews
4.00 / 5 based on 38 reviews
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meimei1
Overall
I wish I had known...
I wish I knew to take more photographs / postcards from home to give to people I met during my travels!
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In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
Tsinghua University is one of the best educational institutions in China. It is more engineer-focused (constantly being called the "MIT" of China). The students are extremely studious, but will come out to party if asked!!
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
- Bring photos of your family
- Invest in a phonecard before you leave (AT&T has an international prepaid phonecard which proved to be my lifeline at times)
- Travellers cheques are key (though I'm sure by now there are ATMs everywhere in Beijing)
- Bring casual, comfortable clothes
- If you are staying for over a month, invest in a bicycle (around $40-50 US)
- Possibly bring a face mask for bike riding purposes (this is a polluted city)
- Be safe and have fun!
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meimei1
Languages
Language of instruction: Chinese
Was learning Chinese a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my Chinese
How much did you improve your Chinese?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
My level after: At ease in most situations
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
Although I spoke Mandarin Chinese at home, my knowledge of the language did not extend past conversational use. In addition, as my mother has a distinctly Taiwanese accent, I found it difficult to understand Mandarin spoken by those from Mainland China. My experience helped to alleviate this issue, and I also learned some valuable Beijing-slang phrases which I still carry with me today!
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Daria K
Housing
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: On campus
Why?
Close to all other exchange students
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Personal comments
For China it was a great dormitory. But comparing with Europe it could be better. There were problems with facilities, for example, fixed hours of hot water.
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stefan r
Overall
I wish I had known...
I scoped pretty well even thpough I didnt speak Chinese.
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In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
Be open for a new experince even though it will be a culutural shock in some situations.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
I had a great time in China and experienced a lot.
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1
meimei1
Housing
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
Our housing consisted of a double room within the campus "International Hotel". While this afforded us with privileges that were not given to other students (i.e. air conditioning, personal telephone line), there was no kitchenette area or laundry facilities. Therefore, we were at the mercy of the hotel canteen (which served the same pork and rice dish day after day...though we managed to get some fresh watermelon added to our meal deal). A shared apartment or house with other program members would have enabled us to have more freedom in our menu choices and also encouraged more socializing, as we were spread in different floors in the hotel.
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Personal comments
Please see above
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1
Anja B
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
If you find good roommates it's the best. Furthermore, you have a kitchen, people can visit you and 24h hot water.
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Personal comments
The dorms are cheap and ok. The rooms are cleaned every day and you have either your own bathroom or you share it with one other person. But there are no overnight visitors allowed. The dorms are at the other end of the campus. There is no kitchen or fridge. And there is no common are where students can get together.
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