CIEE High School Study Abroad in China

For those of you considering a high school study abroad program with CIEE, I definitely reccomend you to go for it and just do it. I was hesistant at first, but ended up having the best time of my life during my month in Shanghai, and I grew to love the city more and more each day. Living in another country really opens up your perspective on the world and other people, and I would not trade my experience for any other. I loved meeting other participants who were just as curious and eager to learn as I was, trying out delicious Chinese food (I miss getting cheap bubble tea everyday), traveling using Shanghai's developed subway system, going to touristy spots with beautiful scenery, and pretty much everything else about the program! After going back to America, truth be told, everything seemed like a downgrade compared to Shanghai - the food, the transportation system, etc. I still keep in touch with some of the participants, and we talk a lot about our memories together in Shanghai and how much we miss it. Do not be scared to get out of your comfort zone and try something new, because it will all be worth it in the end.

I’d never been outside of North America, therefore entering China was a 7,144 mile step out of my comfort zone. Through the organisation CIEE, I was able to embark on this eye opening journey across the globe. It had been a feature of my bucket list to volunteer abroad, but it seemed like a goal I’d fulfill when I was past thirty! Fortunately, a poster in front of my classroom convinced me that perhaps it wasn’t that far off. As soon as I noticed the Global Navigators Scholarship, I realized it was possible; it elicited the turmoil of dread and excitement I have experienced far too little in my lifetime. The trip itself was incredible and seemingly impossible to describe, as is with most life changing events. Overall, China is incredible, but it became more so with the support of CIEE staff and my wonderful peers; there’s nothing like traveling with purpose, especially to a country as enriching as China! During this trip, I experienced an epiphany that I still remember to this day: countries that have ancient roots are very similar to each other, no matter their location. As someone who visits family in Mexico City often, my visit to Beijing produced a peculiar sense of familiarity I’d believed to be impossible due to the massive cultural differences. The structure of cities, some customs, the ratio of rural to urban areas, etc. were all reminiscent of a shared past. It was a life changing revelation for me to realize that humans are not as different as one might think. Not to mention the food is great in both places; If you’re attending this trip, please try some tofu! I’m a vegetarian, and the tofu in China is a blessing from the Veggie Gods— you can’t get anything like it in the United States. Food recommendations aside, enjoy your time there, for not many get the opportunity to immerse themselves in a beautiful culture such as China.

I don’t even know where to begin. The trip was out of the ordinary for me. I mean I’m from Massachusetts and have never been out of the country before and then one day I’m on a 12 hour flight to China. I was nervous but excited. CIEE made it all so easy. They had staff meet us at the airport and bring us to the hotel we’d be staying at. The first night we ate dinner at a restaurant close by and just got to know each other. The next couple of days we started off by going to a local university to learn about the language and culture. After our lessons we’d go and explore the city together. We went to museums, temples, the forbidden city, etc. The second week we went a Friends of Nature farm and volunteer there. My favorite memory of that place was feeding the sheep and taking naps under plum trees after pulling weeds that morning. On our third and final week we went back into the city and was given the freedom to explore the city on our own. Overall it was a once in a lifetime experience that I’ll cherish forever.

I would’ve never thought I would get such an amazing opportunity like traveling to China and live there for 2 months during my high school years! Attending this program was something that I’ beyond grateful for, it gave me the global awareness that I was lacking as a sophomore in high school. I have made lasting relationships and meaningful one throughout my stay. Studying abroad to Nanjing, China was honestly the best thing that has ever happened to me.

This summer was one of the best summers I’ve had in a while. China, of course, was fun but what made the program was the staff and their organization of the program. We were guided around Beijing and we were given the opportunity to explore the city on our own allowing us to truly immerse ourselves in the culture. All the experiences were gratifying: climbing the Great Wall of China, taking an overnight train and high speed train, and visiting the 2008 Olympic site. Even more gratifying, I made friends from the program that I continue to talk to this day, and that friendship applies to the staff as well. I highly recommend this program as I was able to grow as an individual through the stuff I learned and the experiences I gained!!

I got to meet different high school students from all around the US. From strangers to friends to best friends! I also learned how important is to protect our environment. The program leaders are nice and the food we have was delicious too. That’s was the best summer experience I ever had, I gained independence, leadership and resourcefulness. I definitely would recommend this program to my friends.

This program was such an amazing experience! We learned the importance of environmental protection in China, since most of the world only looks at the air pollution in major cities there and not what is being done to help. This included lectures by the CIEE staff and guest speakers who came to speak about China's expansive biodiversity and the problems faced by different geographical regions in the country. We spent a week working on a farm in the suburbs/countryside of Beijing, which was rustic but taught us about rural conservation methods and how people live in non-urban settings. We also spent some time with the ethnic minority communities indigenous to the western region of China, which is largely forgotten by the outside world. This included visiting Muslim mosques, eating cuisine inspired by those minority groups, and taking Chinese classes at Minzu University, China's largest university catering primarily to ethnic minorities. We took an overnight train to the city of Xi'an, where the terra cotta warriors are, and a high-speed train back, which was an interesting way to explore modes of transportation not common in the United States. Because we traveled around quite a bit and were not always in luxurious living situations, students learned how to be adaptable and that things will not always go their way. Nevertheless, this was a great way to learn how to be thankful and not high-maintenance. I would definitely recommend this program to someone who wants a look at a different way of living they are not commonly exposed to, be it urban or rural or even taking an overnight train! An additional note, the program staff was extremely respectful of the students and assisted those of us who had medical issues or were simply having an adjustment issue (air pollution allergies, food, etc.). This made the entire trip twice as enjoyable knowing that we had people to turn to in case something was not going well.