China Study Abroad
Programs and Reviews
Sign up today with China Study Abroad (CSA) to have an amazing study, teach, or intern abroad experience in China! CSA offers options in locations all around the country, including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Kunming, Qingdao, Xi'an, and more. CSA was founded on the concepts that Chinese is best learned through immersion in the Chinese culture and environment, and teaching, studying, or interning in China should be fun, exciting and simple. Signing up with CSA means that four essential services will be taken care of during your trip: accommodation, schooling, excursions & activities, and 24/7 student support. Check out some great program options below!
Programs Abroad
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Reviews
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i really enjoyed my time here in beijing and the staff was more than helpful. i would recommend this program to anyone. you will not regret it and my chinese has improved noticably
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For me going to China to learn Chinese has been a dream for many years, and even before I started High School I had decided that I was going to go to university in China. Two and a half years later, it was time to start doing research on universities and start with the application process. While my classmates were filling out web applications for schools in Norway and Europe, it soon hit me that applying to universities in china was a bigger challenge than I first thought. On top of applying to the university I also had in mind that I had to find a place to live, buy the right insurance and get the right type of visa.
With all this in mind I knew that I wanted to find an agency that could help me with the various processes, and after a quick google search I found China Study Abroad's website. It was a clean and "easy to understand" page with good information about Chinas best schools and what life as a student in China is like. I also went to the program planning page where I could put together my own program, choose the school and what kind of housting that was best for me, and the price immediately came up. After talking to my high school career adviser, and other people that had been studying in china before, I decided to let an organization like China Study Abroad organize my year abroad in China.
I mailed China Study Abroad to tell them what kind of program I was looking for and after a few hours I got an email back with information and advice on the next steps to take to go to China as a student. At this point I was running out of time to send in the application to Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) so I sent my application information to China Study Abroad's office in Beijing and they forwarded it to the University. I soon got an email back that the application was received at the University and I could start to look for flights to china.
Before I went to Beijing, China Study Abroad continuously updated me on my application and guided me through the entire visa application process. When I first arrived to Beijing I was met by a China Study Abroad staff member at the airport who took me to the apartment I was going to live in during the school year, where I also met my house mate, who now is a friend for life. The same day they also took me on a tour around the university and the area around it. In China Study Abroad's office I also got to meet many other students that where studying in Beijing with China Study Abroad. I felt it was a huge advantage to make so many friends through China Study Abroad and that they showed me around and introduced me to life in China.
China Study Abroad has been present as an adviser, supporter and safety keeper during my entire stay in China. They have been helping me with small and bigger issues I have encountered, as well as organizing social events and trips to Chinas finest locations. All of their apartments are clean and modern and are located close to the universities in Beijing's most international area. Something I have been appreciating a lot about China Study Abroad is the strong social environment of students from all over the world that you immediately become a part of. After discussing with other students at my university that have been coming to china without help from an organization, I would without a doubt choose the same way of going to china as I have had the opportunity to do through China Study Abroad.
Christoffer Wiik, Norway
100%Overall
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Having never studied in China before, I was incredibly anxious about going to a new place for such a long time.
CSA put me at ease right away with someone picking me up from the airport and taking me to my new home for the next year! The staff are incredibly friendly and the support network is great since you get to meet all the other CSA-ers (some may be studying at different universities in Beijing) during the weekend trips.
Tsinghua Life
The first week normally consists of registration and doing placement tests so you can be placed into the relevant language class in accordance with your level of Chinese (naturally if you are a beginner this wouldn't apply!). The classes range from elementary- advanced. Tsinghua have their own building for Chinese language students and all your classes will take place in the same room so you don't have to worry about rushing around! The campus is also HUGE so I would advise getting a bike.
You'll have an option to pick morning classes from 8.00-1.00pm or afternoon (off the top of my head, I think they start at 2.00pm...). CSA also provide the option to have a personal tutor on top of that should you feel the need to recap everything you learnt that day. Most of these lessons can either take place in your flat, or in the CSA Beijing office...or even in a nearby coffee shop!
Tsinghua also have their own canteen which is where I went with my classmates to eat after class- I highly recommend their version of the bi bim bap!
The teachers at Tsinghua are also very good and the structure of the classes are well planned out. All the course materials are provided to you and you'll get homework most days (be prepare for dictation tests when it comes to character learning!). There are exams after each semester (they are quite long semesters- think 20 weeks).
Everyone is so friendly and you'll have the opportunity to bond with your classmates as well as the other CSA-ers who may be studying at Peking Uni, or BLCU etc.
Housing
I stayed in a one person flat in Wudaokou which was very close to the subway- so very convenient. Most other CSA-ers and your classmates are likely to be around the same area which makes meeting up at local bars/coffee shops/restaurants etc incredibly easy. I personally liked being in the middle of everything, having said that, it can get quite noisy, so I would suggest maybe living slightly further away if you like some peace and quiet!
Social
The CSA weekend trips are fantastic, and they'll give you a chance to see all the beautiful historic sites. I would definitely recommend the Great Wall camping/hiking trip since the views are spectacular.
The staff are also brilliant with suggestions for interesting things to do in the city...alternatively you can always ask them for advice on travelling to other places outside of Beijing since there are trains which go pretty much anywhere.
There's always somewhere to go to in terms of nightlife whether it be trendy bars in Sanlitun, local hangouts or KTV places.
Conclusion
I would definitely recommend this program to anyone wishing to study Chinese. Beijing is a brilliant place and I thought the Tsinghua program was very well taught. Most importantly, the CSA support network was something which I really valued since I had the security of knowing that there was always someone who I could contact should I need to.
100%Overall
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Choosing to go with CSA for my trip to Beijing led to an amazing experience. There to support me from the moment I got off the plane, I couldn't have made a better decision.
They showed me the local area, were always on hand to help me find the nicest restaurant, tastiest street food, best supermarket or most interesting cultural sight. 24 hour support meant just more than an emergency contact- it meant someone to call when you wanted the best dumplings (or rather Jiao Zi ) in town.
Being part of CSA meant I was immediately part of a close knit community of staff and students, and I made some amazing life-long friends.
Being provided with a mobile phone, dictionary, local maps, a great group of friends (yes they really do supply you with an international group of friends) and Chinese & English speaking support meant I could get straight into experiencing China straight away. I saw so much of the city and felt like I had a genuine look into local life.
BLCU was great, although I wouldn't have survived there without the support of the CSA staff who could appear to help deal with any queries or logistical problems with the mainly only Chinese-speaking administration.
I had an amazing trip to Beijing and would most definitely choose CSA again.
Critical Feedback:
Probably slightly more warning about HOW incredibly difficult it is to transfer money from Australia to a Chinese bank. Time consuming. Although they did save me and help with the Western Union transfers and rescue me in many a difficult situation brought about by my own bad planning.
Alumni Interviews
Staff Interview
Go Overseas: What position do you hold at CSA? What has been your career path so far?
Chris: I currently serve as the Student Liaison, which basically means I'm the first point of contact for students once they've arrived in China. After earning an Economics degree in England, I decided to go for something completely different, take a leap of faith and learn some Chinese. I originally came to China to study through CSA, and had such a great time, I wanted to get involved with the company more formally. I applied for the job of the student liaison (afterall, who knows what the students have to go through better than someone who was recently been in exactly the same position!) Now I'm climbing up the CSA ladder and will soon become the National Operations Manager (watch out, David!).
Go Overseas: Did YOU study abroad?
Chris: I studied Chinese in Beijing for one year at BLCU. I had always wanted to learn a new language, and due to China's recent rise as an economic power and the diverse culture, I knew it would be an interesting, challenging, and overall very useful language to learn!
Go Overseas: What does the future hold for CSA - any exciting new programs to share?
Chris: CSA continues to offer a huge variety of courses. From 2 weeks at a private school to one year intensive courses at top universities - we're there to help every step of the way. We now offer specialized optional courses for students aimed at learning new skills, such as cooking and other cultural classes. We're even designing our programs to make teaching opportunities more accessible. And if that's not enough, we're happy to tailor one of our courses to suit the individual needs of the student - all they have to do is get in contact with one of our super friendly program advisors.
Go Overseas: What about the future of the industry? How do you think study abroad and international education will change over the next 10 years?
Chris: China's powerful emergence on the global stage and fascinating culture can only mean more people will realize the value of learning Chinese. I have no doubt that within the next ten years, even more students will take a leap of faith and head abroad. Students know that study abroad is a great tool for finding a fresh challenge and gaining insight into a different culture from their own and will start to take advantage, especially as companies (such as CSA!) offer such a broad range of awesome courses!!
Go Overseas: Describe what "study abroad" means to you in 3 words or less.
Chris: New. Exciting. Opportunity.
I went to Beijing with CSA in summer 2011 and loved every minute. Going with CSA meant that every practical detail was taken care of and I could concentrate on my studies at BLCU and on enjoying all the great entertainment CSA arranged with a fantastic group of people.
CSA allowed me to hit the ground running and be immediately immersed into my six-hour a day study program and life with my Chinese homestay family and I knew that someone was on hand in case of any emergencies, from illness to finding a friendly face to share a beer with.
I couldn't recommend them enough.
Critical Feedback:
Not one thing, I honestly feel that my experience could not have been bettered in any way.