Summer in Beijing with CSA

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.