Charlotte Williams ‘21 is a psychology major and CISLA scholar. She is also a member of Conn’s sailing team. This semester, she is studying abroad in Beijing under a language-intensive program.
What’s been the best part about studying abroad?
I see the experience in two domains: personal growth and academic/learning growth. The best part of studying abroad in relation to my own life has been stepping out of my comfort zone. I’ve been trying not to say no to new experiences and as a result, have created lots of memories such as eating an animal stomach and dancing in a park in public. It’s definitely given me confidence. In the realm of academics, it’s been extremely rewarding to be improving my Chinese. I feel better about conversing with strangers, and my vocabulary is much more sophisticated!
How have your classes been?
I am studying at Associated Colleges in China, which is a language intensive program run by Hamilton College. The main component is a language pledge that requires us to only use Chinese at all times. Therefore, classes are taught in Chinese and the only subject is Chinese language. Class is 4 hours a day, each day equaling about a week of typical college language content. It was a huge shock at first. But our teachers are incredibly supportive and help us by understanding our strengths and weaknesses. So it’s really the ideal environment for intensive language study.
What’s one thing that’s surprised or shocked you about your experience?
One of the biggest shocks has been the weather. I was under the impression that Beijing’s smog problem was grave and I would be spending a semester with grey skies, but it turns out that Beijing has lots of blue sky days. These days are numbered now due to people beginning to use their heating systems that are coal-powered, but in general, apparently fall has the most clean air and comfortable temperatures! Another thing that shocked me is how college students live on my campus! Because the school has about 16,000 people, people live in dorms with up to 8 people in bunk beds. Showers are communal and they have to travel outside and down the street to the showers. So a lot of students can be seen carrying their caddies and wearing pajamas. It’s just a different lifestyle.
How is your abroad experience different from and/or similar to your time at Conn?
I’d describe my experience as very different from my life at Conn. At Conn, I have taken for granted the opportunity to easily participate in extracurriculars and lead a balanced life of studying and doing extracurriculars. Here, I’ve had a hard time striking a balance simply due to the workload. It’s extremely tiring but looking back and seeing how I’ve improved is rewarding.
What’s one thing you wish you had known before going abroad? What advice do you have for students wanting to study abroad?
Going abroad is undoubtedly an opportunity that if given the chance, I’d say you should jump on it. That being said, it’s important to remember [that] it’s an experience that is going to be uniquely yours. It might not always be fantastic and picture-perfect, but it’s all in the package of going abroad. I have found myself trying to constantly remind myself that comparing my own experience to someone else’s is not a good way to evaluate my experience. That’s important to know and practice when going abroad in my opinion. •
