Pitzer Programs

Applying to College
1

<p>Has anyone done a Pitzer abroad program?
If so, what was your experience? It seems like they plan to throw you into the deep end of the culture and force you to deal with it. Is that really what happens, or do you still mostly hang out with abroad students?</p>

<p>I'm applying to the China program for Spring 09. I've been to China twice now, once half study half independent travel, once for a 6 week study trip.
Will the extra "China experience" help me? I at least know what to expect from the culture shock, and I know that China is where I really, really want to go.
Or will they just think, "eh she's been twice already, let's pick someone who's never gone before"?</p>

<p>The program is just 14 people, so I'm a bit anxious.</p>

<p>Also, if by some chance you've done the Pitzer China program, how did you feel about the Beida area? I visited it this summer and it seemed kind of dull and devoid of life, and school was in session, too.</p>

2

<p>anyone know about this program? I am looking into it. I've never been to China and don't speak any Chinese. I'm interested in peoples thoughts on it, though.</p>

3

<p>Andrassy:</p>

<p>Several of the Pitzer programs are on Swarthmore's approved programs list. They must be good programs.</p>

<p>I don't know how the Pitzer program would work if you have never studied or spoken Chinese. They appear to require a Chinese language pledge, usually meaning that you are expected to speak only Chinese. Pitzer doesn't list the requirements, but this would be virtually impossible to do if you hadn't studied Chinese already. It's not a language where you can start from scratch and be fluent in a month!</p>

<p>Check with Prof. Piker or (better yet) Rosa in the Swarthmore foreign study office. They can probably set you up to talk with a Swattie who has done the program and/or other China programs. Also, study abroad website says to talk to Profs Berkowitz or Wong in the Modern Languages department.</p>

<hr>

<p>Two progams you might have overlooked that you should consider at the IHP Health and Community *and *Cities of 21st Century programs. These both can give a non-Chinese speaker a fairly intensive immersion into Chinese cities, with a support group that makes it manageable (most of the time).</p>

<p>These are theme-based programs, one on issues surrounding health care, the other on the economics, politics, sociology, and environment challenges of 21st century mega cites. The programs take a group of 25 students and travel to four continents. My Swattie daughter did the *Cities *program and visited New York, Buenos Aires, Beijing/Shanghai, and Bangalore (India). She spent five weeks in each country, living with a homestay family and commuting to "school" and/or to fieldwork assignments. Four professors travel with the group, but the four courses largely consist of seminars and site visits with local government, business, and NGO leaders.</p>

<p>The downside to the program is that it is very demanding. The academics are tougher than the average study abroad, but it's mostly the very full schedule of field trips, the repeated culture shock, and the effort required for successful homestays. My daughter was happy to go back to Swarthmore and take it easy for a little while afterwards! The program is also hideously expensive. It costs more than a semester at Swarthmore. However, that works to your advantage since you just keep paying your same deal to Swarthmore. Swarthmore pays for the program and sends you a check for several hundred dollars in "walking around" money.</p>

<p>The experience basically blew my daughter's mind. She loved it. To have the experience of five weeks of immersion each in mega-cites in S. America, China, and India back to back to back was a totally unique learning experience. This program does not require language proficiency, although my daughter's homestay (2 IHP students per family) in Beijing where her mom and dad spoke no English and she spoke no Chinese was a fun challenge. They worked it out.</p>

<p>The itineraries vary from semester to semester.</p>

<p>International</a> Honors Program
IHP</a> Cities in the 21st Century
IHP</a> Health and Community</p>

<p><a href="http://www.ihp.edu/programs/hc/IHP%202009-10%20Catalog.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ihp.edu/programs/hc/IHP%202009-10%20Catalog.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

4

<p>Hey Andrassy,
I’m on the Pitzer program right now actually! It’s definitely different from the IES and American University programs - they’re both very geared towards politics. The AU folks we’ve met so far mostly get drunk and take classes and intern… </p>

<p>My program keeps me pretty busy but there’s time to explore Beijing on weekends. We have Chinese language every day, and there are 4 classes for 9 students! So my language class has 3 people in it, it’s pretty sweet. We have 2 hours of Chinese every day plus 1 hour one-on-one tutor twice a week. The Culture class is almost a joke, but an interesting one - it’s only 2 hours a week, and the reading for it isn’t too intense.
Chinese medicine, if you’re interested in it, is pretty good - it’s taught by a doctor and the reading is interesting - but working in a Neuroscience lab is impossible. If you do TCM, you’re doing clinical shadowing and anthropological/sociological research.</p>

<p>The DISP (independent research) you do is probably gonna be an anthro/soc kind of thing, because that’s really all you can do. You’ll interview people and observe and write a long paper… I think it’s really interesting; mine’s on cancer/medicine options. It’s cool that I get to study stuff that interests me, in depth.</p>

<p>Our living situation is pretty good. We had a big hassle about getting internet… they get us cakes for our birthdays… we live in 3 person suites (one double one single) with two Pitzer folks and a Chinese roommate. I’m in the double and I get to practice Chinese kind of a lot…</p>

<p>Umm so yeah, there are people ont he program who care and love China, and people who kind of came on a whim. Some speak really well, some dont speak any and aren’t really trying to learn. You can get drunk on Baijiu or go out to a beautiful park… there are many options. The food is pretty good, cheap, and accessible. Alcohol is everywhere and super cheap. We live in a dorm with the CIEE kids and the American University kids… it’s ok really, the AU kids are loud and obnoxious, but some are nice.</p>

<p>I’d recommend this program if you’re really interested in how Chinese people function. The research you do is really a key point in this experience… you get to understand the culture really well through this program. If you want to find out about something specific and kinda do your own thing, this program is for you.
It’s a very small program - 9 people - but the people who do come are interesting. You have access to a lot of help, but at the same time you have to be self-sufficient. The program sets you up and then kicks you out of their office… it’s a pretty good deal for the most part.</p>

<p>However it IS expensive. You’re paying fcking Pitzer tuition. So… it’s good, ESPECIALLY if you want to do Traditional Chiense Medicine during the semester (the SIT kunming chinese med program is a summer one) and do research. But you have to get funding for it or have the money or graduate a semester early… ha… guess which I’m doing.</p>

<p>Anyway. If you have any other questions, please reply! I can answer anything. :D</p>

<p>PS there’s a swattie on this program right now! I’d feel kinda creepy giving you her name online, but if you ask your abroad office they might connect you with her :)</p>

5

<p>Hey smileycow I sent you a pm.</p>