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China: Student Comments
“As the 21st century approaches and memories of a socialist society under Mao begin to fade, China clearly embodies all the signs of a rapidly modernizing capitalist country. Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Buddhist temples form an oddly set backdrop for a new generation fascinated by rock music, fashion, and money. In every corner, the contrasts of old and new are blatantly apparent: ox-carts transporting computers, children riding amusement park rides at century-old parks while the elderly still practice Tai Qi daily, and train rides to the oldest stretch of an unrenovated, 2,000-year-old Great Wall. As a resident of Beijing, China's bustling political and cultural capital, I have been witness to the rapid changes taking place daily. More importantly, I have experienced the extreme hospitality of Chinese people, made friends with the nation's stellar students of Peking University, and eaten some of the world's best dumplings! My Chinese fluency improves each time I engage in chatter with taxi drivers or bargain with the street vendors. Despite the unpleasant weather and often smoggy air, Beijing is an enthralling center of activity. On weekends I enjoy roaming the back lanes of the old city or taking a stroll in the parks, attending a Peking Opera performance or visiting one of the many museums. Each excursion and every day is a new adventure. As I journey through Beijing and various other Chinese cities, I learn more about the ancient culture and modern advancements of this tremendous country. ” —Sara Cherlin, UC Berkeley “My year in Beijing, China, with the Education Abroad Program helped me to develop a greater understanding not only of Chinese culture, but American culture as well. My experience there also convinced me that whatever profession I pursue in the future, I want it to have an international focus.” —Timothy Chou, UC San Diego “Studying abroad in China is an experience I would never trade for anything. I learned to speak the language more fluently, understand the views of the Chinese people in depth, enjoy the Chinese warmth and hospitality, and cope with their criticisms. All those things made it a positive and rewarding experience. My experience also taught me independence, fostered emotional growth, and exposed many revelations about our society in this globalized world. Although it seemed as if every trip I took was a particular highlight and learning experience, my experiences after September 11 shed the most light on how we all make decisions in life. The incident was horrific, but it made my EAP experience more meaningful.” —Anna Huynh, UCSD “I studied for a year at Peking University in China, and one of the more unique opportunities I had in the international students' dorm was a chance to participate in a clothes drive for the needy. After visiting a hospice and listening to an appeal for clothing donations, I realized that students in our dorm, Shaoyuan, leave heaps of clothes behind each semester as they return to their respective countries. How could we transfer this to people that could use them? I mentioned this to a fellow student and she was quick to jump on the idea. She organized a clothing drive in conjunction with the HOPE Project on campus. Basically, she found students to volunteer their rooms as drop-off sites; we posted flyers around the dorm a few weeks prior to the end of the term; and the bags of old clothing began appearing at our doors. It was dusty work cataloging hundreds of articles of clothing before the pick-up, but in the end I realized that Americans could take their 'student activist' mentality to another country and make it work in a productive way. The idea of nonprofits or volunteer work is not a common concept among the Chinese I met, so organizing a clothing drive is one way of showing that there's more to cultural exchange than language-sharing. ” —Charlotte Lee, UC Berkeley “I had never been overseas before I went to China. Who would have thought that I would love my semester-long experience enough to return after graduation and start a professional career here? My acceptance into EAP China required me to study Chinese, and allowed me to spend six of the most interesting months of my life in the EAP program at Beijing Normal University in 2004. I liked the experience so much that when I returned to UC Santa Cruz, I finished a quarter early and moved to China only two weeks after graduating. I am now living in the heart of Beijing, studying Chinese and working as a news copy editor at China Central Television. I love it! EAP opened so many doors for me, and I'm convinced that EAP is the reason I am now happily employed in a job that will hopefully be the beginning of a rewarding career both in and out of China. Living in China has been the greatest, most interesting, most intense experience of my life! It has required me to become self-sufficient, resourceful, and conscientious. I started off tackling the challenge of Mandarin, and progressed to braving the traffic-clogged streets on a bike of my own. Living in Beijing has forced me to adapt to the customs of a totally different culture. I have had the rewarding experience of befriending people who cannot speak my native language, learning to see the world through their eyes. I have also found a possible long-term career path here in China, and plan to stay for many years. But most of all, China has taught me flexibility, adaptability, and what it means to survive on my own-10,000 miles away from my family and friends. Every day in China is a new experience! ” —Lindsey Newhall, UC Santa Cruz “EAP has been an integral part of my college education. It has complemented my studies in a way that no course at my home university ever could. The field knowledge gained when learning and living in the country you study is invaluable. As far as my emphasis in the politics and economics of China is concerned, any attempted study of this subject without the firsthand experiences offered by EAP would have been pure folly.” —Adam Noily, UC Berkeley “One cannot fully appreciate a culture or a language without spending time in the native surroundings, communicating in that tongue. Spending time living and studying abroad helps to broaden the myopic focus we all tend to have in college. There is no better way to prepare for the rest of your life, regardless of the profession you choose.” —Susan Tillou “It is so hard to write a paper on a year's worth of emotions, experiences, and memories, but I have to say is that studying abroad in another country is without a doubt an experience every single college student should partake in. I left the United States as an average college student hoping to see another country and culture, and I came back as a more mature, opened-minded, and enriched individual. China is a country that is constantly changing, both economically and politically. Speaking with the locals and learning how they see our country and their own country gave me a completely different perspective than what the U.S. media presents. China is a different world than what is portrayed in textbooks and movies. Being in Beijing for a year gave me the opportunity to meet local students as well as other foreign students, and I found myself learning not only about the Chinese culture, but other cultures as well. There will be obstacles such as feeling homesick, culture shock, and just being in a place that is completely different from what you are used to, but these obstacles will work to your advantage because they will only make you a stronger individual. Studying abroad has changed my life, and the experiences and friendships I have gained will forever be engrained in me. ” —Candice Yip, UC Davis
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