Study Abroad to Study Yourself

I study abroad in Shanghai for 6 weeks with CEA Study Abroad and I can honestly say it was the highlight and turning point of my undergraduate career. I had never been out of the U.S before and was nervous about what to expect traveling thousands of miles to a place I had only heard stories about from people who lived there or on the news. However, what you hear is not exactly the way things are, Shanghai was like a dream I never wanted to wake up from. CEA staff were very helpful in making the departure process as smooth as possible and the onsite staff were very patient and very understanding as I was not as fluent in Chinese as other students. One thing I learned is that its not easy learning Chinese and you wont get it the first few times but its all about dedication and how much you practice so you never forget what you learned. My on-site director was very nice and helpful in getting me extra tutoring sessions that made all the difference in the world to me.

Also during this time my parents were going through a divorce but I was not affected in the slightest by it because Shanghai kept me steadily enticed by its lights, people, food, and unique culture. I can honestly say it felt as though nothing else in the world mattered but where I was at that moment. The excitement I felt talking to locals, chasing trains and hanging out with friends around The Bund near the famous Shanghai Skyline. I found myself starring at that skyline every night during the ending days of my program knowing that I would never see it again. I wanted it to be embedded in my memory forever so I stayed for hours looking at it, trying to remember every detail about it. CEA has been the best program especially for someone who has never traveled outside of the states before. I would highly recommended any student who is interested in China to go to Shanghai with CEA and get in-tuned with yourself and make memories you will be talking about for years to come. Im still trying to find my way back to China, as a graduate student. The sad part about CEA is that they do not offer graduate level courses but its still an awesome program that changed my life and career. Thanks CEA!!!