Gap Year Program in China: intern, study Chinese or volunteer

I enrolled in GAC program - Go Abroad China,

As clearly stated and agreed finalizing the contract,
I would have made an internship to learn new professional skills,
I'd have been followed Tutor on the job place and a career advisor from GAC.
Moreover,
Gac would have me attended professional marketing conferences and networking events.
GAC would have guided me through all the bureaucratic steps necessary to stay in China.
GAC would have arranged some Chinese classes that I paid for.
All the above has been agreed during the contract.

In reality:
1- the company I worked for as an intern didn’t provide me any training at all - (I even had to bring and use my own pc on the job place - they asked me what they had to do and I felt, that they totally took advantage of my academic knowledge but I didn't receive anything in return in terms of new skills and competences).
Therefore, I didn’t learn anything new and I didn’t improve my professional skills, which is what I soundly paid for.
2- Even if, I reminded GAC many times about the marketing conferences that I paid for and agreed during the contract, when I enrolled in the program, I have never been invited to any professional conferences and networking events. At a certain point, after my insistent requests, they informed me that GAC didn’t provide that service anymore. Weird thing is that they sold/ promised me the service and it’s one of the reasons I enrolled with them as conferences and networking events are important elements of professional growth
3- About the "help and guidance" through the bureaucratic processes necessary to stay in China, they forgot to make me register at the municipal police station as it is requested to all temporary residents in Shanghai within a week of their arrival.. To mend, I was told to go to an hotel, stay one night and get the temporary registration form from the hotel. So I had to book an hotel and spend more money. I paid for it not them...
I was confused about this procedure.
Just later, I found out that they asked me to go to an hotel, because if I had registered to the city police, as required, I would have incurred in an expensive fee for registering so late.
I was informed about this fact by the police itself, when, later on, I had to change my apartment and I had to register my new residence once again. The police checked my entries and could see that I had registered through an hotel and not on time, within a week as required, after I had first entered the country. The police was nice and after I started crying for the extremely expensive fee they asked me to pay, they let me go with no charge.

What annoys me is that I paid so much the agency GAC, because I just wanted to focus on myself, my professional growth and development without worrying about complex procedures and bureaucracy.
But instead, I had to worry all the time to solve issues, attend conferences and learn something new ( professionally ) by myself.
-----------------------------------------
I was offered a full time job.
After I invested about 2000 Euros in documents and notarisation services to get a working visa,
The Company I worked for decided to outsource all marketing services and I was suddenly left home with no refund, no explanations and a consistent loss of money.
GAC did nothing!

I did not have a positive experience with GAC. They take your currency in exchange for a bad program. Have you ever stopped and wondered WHY you have to PAY a ton for an internship?! It doesn't make sense right? Because it's not!

-The visa regulations in China are ambiguous so I was uncomfortable coming in on a tourist visa as I was advised to do by GAC.
-The apartments are cheap in China, so most of your money doesn't go there.
-They say they have a large network of companies to choose from but I have seen them posting personal documents, sometimes of student's passports, on WeChat professional sites, which is very dangerous.
-Most of the internships are useless and don't have much work for you. Most of us were literally just sitting around all day. Most of them aren't even paid!

Find a Chinese professionals page online. You're better off getting in touch with actual working professionals in China who are foreigners instead of native born Chinese people who are out to take all of your hard-earned money.

I always knew I wanted to learn Chinese in China but I never knew how easy it could be until I found Go Abroad China. Even though I traveled to China not knowing a single person, I never felt lost or alone because I knew I had people I could rely on and call if I needed. GAC took several steps before I left to make sure I was prepared, such a supplying me with a cell phone, insurance, housing, and my Chinese class schedule. When I got to Beijing, they had a driver waiting for me at the airport to take me to my University, I studied at BLCU by the way. The classes were interesting and engaging and really allowed me to get an amazing glimpse of Chinese culture. They arranged excursions which made me (and my parents, they came to visit me for one week) feel better that I wasn't trying to plan out everything myself in a foreign country. Study abroad in China is something I recommend every student do at some point in their life because I think it's the best way to gain a sense of independence and confidence in yourself. It's also a great excuse to live in another country for 6 months and see the culture more in-depth than a week-long vacation. The friends I made while I was in China are people that I will have forever in my life because we shared such unforgettable memories and experiences. 

The BLCU is the best university to learn Chinese, Chinese classes themselves were great and all of the professors were excellent, the only thing I would have liked more is if I was mixed with Chinese Students. It could have just been the classes I chose though but I really enjoyed all of my classes regardless.

I lived in a Chinese host family, they were so kind, I had my own room and bathroom and shared a kitchen. I couldn't have asked for better people to live with. We were all so excited to be in another country that we exchange some language and culture experience. The living area is in the downtown , and very safe and I really appreciated that GAC organized all the housing as opposed to me having to figure it out myself.

A good chance never come twice means GAC gave me a good chance to explored China in a simple ways. They help me everything i needed when i was in China, They provide me a paid internship in Beijing China. all of their staff are very friendly, they helped me anytime i need and they help me to solve all the problem i had. Every week they held a weekend activity to make us know more about Chinese culture. Join GAC internship program i feel like i catch a bird in one shoot which means i got a lot of experience an knowledge when i was in China. I learn about Chinese business strategies, Chinese culture, Chinese langguage and so many thing. Deep in my heart i don't wanna leave China, i don't wanna leave my colleague, my new friends and also GAC staff who is become my best friend when i was in China.

In my school it is very common to take 'a year in the industry' and most students during this time usually work, travel, or take internships. I did a hospitality internship in China for almost 2 months in Shanghai. I plan to work in hospitality and have interned at a great hotel in Atlanta, and now I have another experience from China. I have to say the major things in the hotel industry are generally similar, and the benefits are great too. I enjoy client service and organizing things and actually really enjoyed my internship. We worked in shifts with my coworkers but it didn't feel like a job because I liked working in a hotel, plus I got to save a lot on accommodation and meals!
Exploring Shanghai with the GAC people was also great, its a city really beautiful by night! We went out for meals, one time we cooked dinner with some other people too all doing summer internships, and man other activities that were happening in Shanghai. Seemed to me foreigners there always had something to do!

During a break in my studies I decided to go to China and study Chinese. I had taken just a few lessons long ago but I had recently started thinking about China again, mainly because at careers office an adviser had mentioned it and I finally decided that I could travel to China. Go Abroad China advised that it would be best if I took the homestay option because it would allow me to keep learning Chinese from Chinese people. I admit that it was a good choice. I studied with a tutor for up to 6 hours everyday, and it was really tough but also helpful. She literally started from the very beginning and almost every week we started a new chapter from the book I was learning from. Homestay was great; I lived with a host family and their daughter. My host 'mom' was really supportive when I was doing my Chinese homework and she would help me a lot with pronouncing the words. That's another thing, I ALWAYS had homework! A couple of weekends the people at Go Abroad China would organize something and I met several other people who were doing internships and made friends. Doing private tutoring can get lonely sometimes as it was just me and my tutor (but she was really nice) so I always looked forward to going out with new friends and hanging out.

I had an incredible time with Go Abroad China. I chose Go Abroad China because their service are affordable but promising than the other 3 third party companies that i sampled on Gooverseas.com
Arriving in China, one thing i noticed was the cultural shock and i immediately knew that China was a different place to be. The people are so good to foreigners and could use their last moments to offer help.
I taught my host family English language so i had my accommodation for free which i never paid.Go Abroad China helped arrange this and it was helpful as my total fee had reduced drastically.
I lived near Go Abroad China's office, so i participated in many of the activities they plan. It was a fun experience to hang out with the other foreigners and talk about our different countries. I met amazing people from
all around the world, people with interesting stories and different experience from mine. It was always a pleasure to go to my Chinese classes and see everyone there.
Content of the program was fine with my expectations. I combined language Immersion with volunteering agenda. I taught English Language and Computer Lessons in a Migrant School in Beijing. It was a very deep and emotional program and i am happy to see my effort impact on these Children.

I think i will never regret coming to China because it was an awesome and an eye opening trip for me getting to experience a culture that is different from the west. Selecting a service provider for such trips was always daunting and painstaking. When i was looking for an Asian Gap Year i saw their advert "Experts for Gap Year Planning" i added them to a basket of similar service providers which i had to observe the correspondences and carefully select i chose them because their staff have been so helpful in the process.
I understand that Homestays accommodations are the best to facilitate language immersion but i opted to share apartment with Chinese students in dormitories in a particular High School Campus. My parents encouraged me because they felt it was safer because there are caretakers. Indeed i feel this is the best decision i have ever made because i mingled with Chinese students who also were interested in learning the English language the result was butter trade.
I am currently still in China and due to depart in the next two weeks but i am already feeling reluctant. Apart from getting to know the language and the lifestyle of China, i have grown as a person and as a traveler. I have learnt to understand and coexist with different cultures and personalities and i will be going back home with many beautiful memories.
Since we have the language barrier sometimes it is difficult to discuss about things or problems but over time, my Chinese improved drastically and we could discuss just anything. We spend evenings describing our various countries and nice places. My Chinese friend told His parents about me and the decided to pick me on a family treat with approval from Go Abroad China. The program content was superb ,it allowed for full immersion and mastery of mandarin, the environment for studying was absolutely warm and welcoming, Coordinators were always available to help every step of the way. The language study is very rigorous and deep. At the end of the day, what matters is that i achieved my ambitions.
If i should rate, i will give Go Abroad China Lower excellent because i know they cannot be perfect.