To study abroad..?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>As much as I hate asking random netizens to help me make my decisions... my indecision has driven me to it. I'm currently torn between studying abroad at the Middlebury C.V.-Starr program in Hangzhou Chinese vs. simply staying on campus.</p>

<p>A little background info. I'm an Asian studies major currently focusing on modern Chinese politics/history. I've spent the last two semesters in Beijing with one studying Chinese and the other interning at a public relations firm. While my grasp of the Chinese language has come a long way, it has definitely hindered me at times while working and I am still working on it.</p>

<p>Here are the pros and cons (that I have though of so far):</p>

<p>Studying Abroad: I would obviously increase my Chinese level substantially, but also think I would have a better time. I currently go to a liberal arts college with a population of a little over 1,000 students. While I do enjoy my classes, have made good friends, and am lucky to be here, I have gotten slightly bored and a break from the campus life would be nice.</p>

<p>Staying here: I would take "technical courses" like accounting to round myself out, maybe dual major in political science, start a club that arranges alumni to help students find internships/jobs in China, and be available for on-campus recruiting. Most of this stuff is really just for my resume/job-searching. However, I feel that I feel I would not be as happy.</p>

<p>I would appreciate any thoughts, insight, or input anyone can contribute. Thanks for reading this.</p>

2

<p>I think this really has to come down to want you want to do in the future. Do you see yourself using Chinese in your future career? If so, I would absolutely go to Hangzhou. Chinese is not the sort of language that you can maintain without significant practice, and it really does require an immersive environment. </p>

<p>If you see Chinese as just one facet of your future and you think that a politics dual major would be of strong interest to you, stay on campus. Bear in mind though, that your Chinese will simply not be as fluent.</p>

<p>(In the interests of full disclosure, my degree was also in Mandarin Chinese. I graduated in 2008 and as I have not used it much since, my language skills have declined rapidly.)</p>