I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to study abroad in China on the Discovering Urban China Global Seminar. This experience helped me to gain a tremendous understanding of Chinese culture, history, and modernity of China. Not only did this course provide in depth discussions about various components of China, it was enriched by experiential learning and site visits. Some of my favorite site visits included the Old Summer Palace, The Forbidden City, the Xi’an City Wall, and the Bund in Shanghai. More importantly, my class developed a tight knit cohort which made all of these experiences even better. We tried new foods together, explored together, and learned together to better understand China and the Chinese people. My interactions with locals were incredibly valuable and helped me to further learn some mandarin Chinese. This course was the perfect balance of in class learning, site visits, and free time. I especially enjoyed being able to explore on my own or in small groups to have more authentic or personal experiences.
Aside from the magnificent site visits and classroom experiences, I continued to develop my own personal global intuition an ability to travel internationally. The class was a precursor to my own travels in China and introduced me to train travel in China, navigation of the Chinese metro and public transportation, and a general sense of Chinese culture and everyday life. All of my experiences on this global seminar culminated into the best travel I have ever done, by reflecting on experience, learning and exploring with friends, and overall exposing myself to a wonderful new culture. This global seminar to China has inspired me to study in China in the future as well as explore future career opportunities in China or integrated with China. Additionally, this seminar has fueled my passion and drive for travel while incorporating new ways to have more valuable travel.