What will remain my favorite trip of this China study abroad experience

Hanging out on the Great Wall - just another day in my study abroad life

While last week was pretty ordinary, the first ordinary week I’ve had, the previous two weekends were exactly the opposite. If China was an adjective, I think this is the most China I’ve been since landing in Beijing. All the English majors out there just take a second and breathe, I know the adjective is “Chinese”, but I wasn’t being Chinese (e.g. I have a feeling most Chinese people don’t get as excited as I was about spending the weekend climbing THE GREAT WALL). No, these past two weekends, I was being China, and it was awesome.

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10 Tips For Improving Your Language Proficiency While Studying Abroad

It reads "Please Speak Chinese, Thank You" - I'm telling you CET is serious about our language pledge

Having already been in Beijing for over a month, I can confidently say I’ve experienced almost every up and down that’s associated with studying a new language. That being said, the personal victories I’ve achieved (e.g. having a full conversation with a native Beijinger) far outweigh any of the difficulties I’ve encountered. While difficulties will always arise when you’re learning a foreign language in a new country, I’ve come up with a list of 10 reasons why your progress is slower than you had assumed it would be, but also how you can improve upon it.

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My first hike, purchase of fake goods, head cold, and Chinese conversation

Tongs and trash bags in hand

Actually, every week is still a week of firsts in Beijing, but I had no other good title to use, so I’ll go with it this time. Most of the firsts actually centered on a hike we did last Saturday, including buying my first pair of knock off shoes, but I also had a first experience that was an indication of how far I’ve come in just one month in Beijing. So here it is, my week of firsts.

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The Study Abroad Blog’s List of The Ten Best Study Abroad Blogs

Just like it says!

Let’s be real – I’m not the first or only person to blog about studying abroad. The popularity of studying abroad is growing exponentially, and growing along with it is the amount of information available as well as the people who want to share it.  While I hope you can find answers to just about every question you have on The Study Abroad Blog, I know people will still have questions on topics that I have yet to cover, so I’ve put together this list of The Top 10 Study Abroad Blogs You Should Read to compliment what you find on The Study Abroad Blog. The qualifications to get on this list are overall pretty simple, but at the same time extremely important. In order to get on this list, each blog must: Read the rest of this entry

The Sites, Sounds, And Smells Of Daily Life In Beijing

I did eventually make it to the other side of the lake

Beijing is a great city. Every time I’m with a group of friends, especially American friends, we all always seem to come to that conclusion. Of course, I’m not really sure why, seeing as Beijing is one of the most out there places I have ever been in my life. It’s a combination of the American wild west circa 1875, modern technology, long-standing (and outdated by U.S. standards) traditions, and just general ridiculousness. And I mean that all in a good way. I actually feel less out of place here than I did in Scotland. Anyway, here’s how life in Beijing has gone over the past week or so.

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