Parisa Shah on her two-weeks at XJTLU's Summer Language School
In the summer of 2018 I participated in a Summer Language School over at XJTLU in Suzhou, China for 2 weeks. During this period I completed a 30 hour beginner Mandarin course, as well as taking part in cultural activities and exploring the town and nearby cities.
Some examples include visiting Disneyland in Shanghai, as well as going to the top of Shanghai tower (the 2nd tallest in the world!) and visiting The Bund. Despite only being there for a short period of time, I was able to explore and learn more about the culture and gain memories I will never forget. This was a once in a life time experience in which I gained independence as well as made many friends, and I am grateful I got the chance to be a part of it.
Additionally, even though it is very limited I can actually speak and understand a small amount of Mandarin, which is something I hope to continue to improve. If you are unsure what to do over summer, or maybe are undecided on whether to do the year, or simply don’t want to do a full year abroad, I would definitely recommend doing a summer school in China.
Parisa Shah - 3rd Year Philosophy student