Hi there! My name is Taylor Smith and I’m a senior majoring in International Business with a concentration in Management and minoring in Chinese. This summer I studied abroad in Hangzhou, China. This was my first time traveling to Asia, so I was very excited. Upon arrival I discovered that China wasn’t much different than any other country, besides seeing characters instead of letters.
We stayed on campus in the dorms. The living space was manageable, and linens were provided. The only thing I wish I brought was a full-size body towel. We had class Monday through Friday from 9 am to 11:30 am and 1:30 pm to 3:10 pm. We had language classes in the morning and culture classes in the afternoon. The courses were fun and knowledgeable.
Overall, I had a great experience in China. It was great to be immersed in the culture. I think immersion really helped me improve my language skills outside of the classroom. The only thing I wish I had was the Alipay app. Everyone in China uses this app to pay for things ranging from taxi fare to utility bills. No one carried cash. Everyone used their phones to pay. As a foreigner, you can’t use the app unless you have a Chinese bank account. I was still able to purchase things without it, but it would’ve been much more convenient if I had the app. Getting a taxi is also difficult without a Chinese phone number because most people call them.
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Taylor spent the Summer 2018 term with our faculty-led program, Intensive Mandarin in China with the help of our our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
Taylor spent the Summer 2018 term with our faculty-led program, Intensive Mandarin in China with the help of our our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
