Program Reviews

Overall I enjoyed my experience with GAC. I was pleased with the amount of knowledge I learned and the new experiences I went through during my internship as a financial analyst at a finance company which GAC found on my behalf. The internship made me realize how fast things move in the finance industry and I feel it has prepared me well for the transition from university to the work force. The diversity of the work I completed made me realize my capabilities and had me further develop my skillet, and consolidated my interest in the industry. The networking opportunities to work alongside partners and analysts from different backgrounds will no doubt accelerate my career. In the future I would like to undertake another internship before I officially commence my professional career.
GAC also organised activities throughout my time in China, and provided valuable assistance when required.

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 joined Go Abroad China Internship program for one semester in college, from February 2016 until May 2016. My last semester of college was greatly enhanced through my internship as an international administrative coordinator. The work that I did improved my business and technical skills, taught me about a field that is closely related to my major and is a line of work I may want to pursue in the future. The hands-on, practical aspect of the internship gave me the opportunity to explore my major in a way that a regular class cannot. This was, without doubt, one of the most educational experiences of my college career, and I am glad I was able to do it before I graduated. This internship has prepared and polished me for the work world, and as a result, I am more confident in my future job prospects.
I worked on spread sheets, wrote reports, and got to use all my english skills in business setting for the first time. I feel more comfortable using english for professional purposes now then I ever have, and I am probably most proud of that mental accomplishment because of its usefulness in the future. In fact, since graduating I have accepted a job one of the GAC partner companies where my english fluency will play a paramount role in my success.

The experience with Go Abroad China Internship program start at summer 2016 for 6 months was very valuable to me. I was immersed in the great Chinese host family and the other students from GAC Internship programs who were just as ambitious, curious and open-minded as me. Besides having great peer students to communicate and go out with at home, the program provided me a fantastic professional internship in the financial services industry. The work environment was very tough in the beginning, having to do much grunt work like drafting business plans; but over time, I was given more and more responsibility and even handled my own few clients after 4 months. It was a hard piece of work, but all the more rewarding in the end. 

The experience with Go Abroad China Internship program start at summer 2016 for 6 months was very valuable to me. I was immersed in the great Chinese host family and the other students from GAC Internship programs who were just as ambitious, curious and open-minded as me. Besides having great peer students to communicate and go out with at home, the program provided me a fantastic professional internship in the financial services industry. The work environment was very tough in the beginning, having to do much grunt work like drafting business plans; but over time, I was given more and more responsibility and even handled my own few clients after 4 months. It was a hard piece of work, but all the more rewarding in the end. 

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.

Eight weeks in Shanghai sounded kind of long in the beginning but I soon got busy with the internship work and enjoying the city. I am a Mandarin speaker and so I thought it was a good idea to sort of return to China for a work placement there. Thank you to GAC they helped with placements, visa and accommodation. Of course planning this is a long process but worth it in the end. My internship was in the business development industry and its was really great working with my coworkers as I didn't really have any language barrier problems so I got better responsibilities.
Shanghai is not different from large economic cities outside of China - well at least the ones I've seen anyway. If there was more room for improvement it would be the networking opportunities since the social ones I thoroughly enjoyed.

It was a while back when I was in Shanghai studying Chinese at Jiaotong University for the summer. My program provider was Go Abroad China who were quite accommodating because I would only be in Shanghai for two months and they literally handled everything for me: the most important which was organising my study visa, my flat in Shanghai, which I shared with 2 other flatmates and showing me which bus to take to school. Thankfully I didn't live too far away from campus and didn't even need to change bus lines or any of that. Otherwise it would have been quite a hassle to learn the different buses.

Now about my Chinese classes: I barely spoke Chinese when I first arrived in Shanghai, and my class, imagine 20 young people coming from different countries learning Mandarin from Monday to Friday - for me it was full time school in the summer! Life in Shanghai was amazing and crazy! I had so much fun living there, getting close to my flatmates and other classmates. A couple of times I also hit it up with the rest of the people in the Go Abroad China group.

I came to China as a total beginner in Chinese language, by the time I left after 2 months I could manage approximately 200 characters!

I did my internship in the business sector with the help of Go Abroad China of course; at the internship company my day to day work was arranged by my boss, then on the weekends, the activities were organised by GAC. I enjoyed the dinners organised, and the staff were always friendly. I started communicating with Go Abroad China pretty early on actually because I wanted to know how much I needed to save up for example. It was my first time in Beijing and I had a great time! I was picked up from the airport, my apartment was not that far from the subway stop because the internship place was right in the middle of the city, but unfortunately it would get very crowded on public transport. I miss China already...

I got a really great internship with one of the Marriott chain hotels in Beijing, which I was really longing for for many years. My name is Ayida, I am in my final year of university which is why I had to do a placement abroad.
Living in Beijing was chaotic at first, but its a city which eventually you get used to. Interning at such a big hotel left me with an experience I still don't know how to describe fully; it's was always busy, getting to know the work in the first couple of weeks was also worth it when customers leave great comments about your work. Of course in the beginning I had a guide at all times to teach me the work, organisational skills and keeping the time of doing everything. Then later on I got to work with a team and we worked in shifts especially with the front entrance, doing double checks on rooms and other bookings etc. I loved working with people, I guess working in a hotel, my view of Beijing was changed completely with regards to the dozens of international people booking and being part of the organising team for events held at the hotel.

I am grateful that Go Abroad China managed to get me such an internship, my requirements have always been high. Plus the accommodation was on site, which really helped me save a lot!