Takucharael

Hey guys,

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Laylah

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.

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.

(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.)