Program Reviews

I decided to spend the first semester of my gap year in between high school and college studying at BLCU. While I had previously been to Beijing with family for some sightseeing, I knew that living there, on my own, would be completely different. Therefore, I am very glad that I found CSA to help guide me through this challenging, yet exciting opportunity.

CSA was there to help from the moment CSA Chris picked me up from the airport. Questions regarding visa/local registration, weekend activities, my homestay, and even those regarding Chinese vocab/grammar were always answered promptly, often with follow up a few days later to make sure everything was handled accordingly. Believe me, life in Beijing is challenging and annoying situations arise quickly (especially if you ride the subway and spend time around locals), so it is very important to have a responsible party nearby that is willing to assist you.

Regarding the staff, everybody was friendly and made me feel as comfortable as possible. Jessica even helped my family arrange an excursion to Harbin just to be helpful! No matter when or where, the CSA staff was always a pleasure to chat with and did their very best to make sure my stay was going smoothly. I also credit them for bringing us students closer together by arranging enjoyable weekend activities and occasional trips! They truly did their best to help us out.

Prior to arriving in Beijing, I studied Mandarin for four years in school and arrived with a solid grasp of the language. Regardless, BLCU placed me in relatively low level classes because I was unable to write characters at the caliber which I spoke/read. This was disappointing, but there was always a bit of new material to learn and was kept busy. Perhaps the best outcome of this situation was the fact that I encouraged myself to spend more time with my homestay family and my CSA-assigned tutor. There is nothing better for studying than hearing authentic Chinese being yelled in a household, or playing around/watching Chinese cartoons with a little kid who speaks no English! In addition, my family treated me as true family member- they helped me with homework, were always willing to converse, cooked dinner for me nightly, etc. Again, credit to CSA for arranging the homestay, and I strongly recommend that you choose this method of accommodation if you decide to study in Beijing.

Overall, I can't thank CSA enough for their guidance through the traffic (literally) of Beijing. Studying there was a culture shock from the get-go, and I would not have succeeded without the help of the staff. What I took away from my program were much improved Mandarin skills, the ability to adjust to daily life in a chaotic foreign city, a host of new friends, a strong bond with a kind Chinese family, among others. I strongly recommend contacting CSA to help you organize your adventure in China.

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

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

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.

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 饺子) 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.

Being part of CSA at BLCU was definitely one of the best decisions I've made ever! Staff was really great to get me settled all way from the start at applying for a visa to a taxi to the airport home. Through CSA I had the chance to meet amazing people and lifelong friends from all over the world. An experience that you will never forget, CSA helps make it a reality with its skilled and caring staff, programs that ensure that you are never bored, and friends that make a difference in your life.

The team is great and the level of support given is amazing! My stay in Beijing could not have been any better. The teaching facility is great and I would recommend signing up for a tutoring session, it definitely speeds up learning the language. I would definitely return anytime!

Not gonna lie, I was kind of nervous about going to a whole new continent where I wasn't even fluent with the language. I didn't know what people were going to be like and had expected that the program would walk me through in the first days then leave me on my own but it was nothing like that.

You become good friends with the CSA staff and even party with them on occasion. Everyone knows that experiencing a new culture is even better when you have a good group around you. Whenever you need anything, the CSA staff are just a phone call or a text away. (you get a free cellphone on your first day by the way)

The activities they set up for you to do are amazing. You get to go bungee jumping, zip lining, sleep on the Great wall, try out so much new food and so much more. They are young so they definitely know the type of things that students would be interested in. This summer was exciting and full of new experiences for me.

I am thinking about coming back to China next summer for an internship program and if I did, I would definitely do it with China Study Abroad.

I had an amazing time in Beijing, and CSA was a huge part of that. I went to China with no Mandarin experience at all, and CSA made the experience much easier (pricier, too, but it was worth it). They set up my BLCU enrollment, my taxi from the airport, and most of the sight-seeing trips I went on.

CSA also set up my housing. I chose to stay with a family in Beijing. I think that living with a family helped me learn Chinese faster and forced me to practice it more. The family CSA put me with was really supportive of my studies and lenient about when I got back at night.

That's another thing I'm grateful to CSA for--they set me up with a great group of friends from all around the world. I had people to hang out with from day one, and the social scene in Beijing is totally awesome. The staff members themselves are young, and they are extremely approachable and helpful.

I was in the beginner class at BLCU, and there were about 25 people. As others have said, all of the grammar and vocabulary we learned was useful in everyday life in Beijing. Based on my experience and the experience of some of my friends at BMA, I think that BLCU is more intense. I strongly recommend the CSA tutoring program.

The only major downside of staying with a family was that I lived farther from the university. I had to leave about 40 minutes for commute to class because I took the subway; however, it would have been only 10 minutes by bike. You should get a bike, and you should get it quickly.

Don't freak out too much about getting sick because you'll be fine. Convince yourself to be adventurous about the food!

I would strongly recommend this program to anybody who wants to learn Chinese. I think that immersion is the way to go, and I think that CSA is the group to go with for a fun, convenient, and interesting experience. I had a great summer. But ultimately, like anything, it's what you make of it.

My summer in China was a very enjoyable experience, and was made better through the help given by the CSA staff, and my own teachers at BLCU. I have made many lasting friendships here, and we have visited the spectacular sights of Beijing together, and have always felt very safe here. BLCU itself is a great place to learn the Chinese language and the best part was that we were taught Chinese language that could be applied in our daily lives here, and were not taught irrelevant things. It was extremely beneficial living in Beijing while learning Chinese because that way, our learning of the Chinese language did not end at 'xiake' (when class ended) ! Overall, it was a very enjoyable and wothwhile experience here with CSA and BLCU, and i would definitely recommend it to my friends back in Pakistan.