Study Chinese in China

Ramzi Sharif • Amman, Jordan • BLCU 1 Year 2010-11

Coming to China through CSA has been a great advantage for me. It’s been a very welcoming family, and although I’m one of the youngest students here, I’ve had no trouble making friends and sharing experiences. We’re always busy with the activity trips, which are exciting and a great time to catch up with friends. The dorms are great, clean and located perfectly between the school and the student nightlife area, Wudaokou. And so far, I’m in love with China, I don’t think I’ll leave.

Megha Bavaria • London, UK • BMA Summer 2010

My CSA experience was brilliant! Living away from home for the first time, I thought it might be a bit scary but the staff were lovely and I made some amazing friends right from the beginning. School was a bit intimidating at first as I started out knowing no Mandarin, but as I grew more confident with the language, the lessons started to become much appealing. Overall, I had the best month ever making some great friends and I hope to be back in the next few years.

Patrick Epstein • Zurich, Switzerland • BMA + BLCU Winter/Spring 2009-10

My time in Beijing with CSA was amazing! It was well organised and if there have been any problems I always had someone on the staff to help me. The weekend trips are a very interesting way to experience China and meet other international students. I really enjoyed my whole time there! Thumbs up!

Tanya Scholz • Hong Kong and Germany • BLCU Fall 2010

From the time I arrived until the time I left, CSA was there to help. I instantly made a fun group of friends to discover Beijing with. Breaking my shoulder within the first month of my arrival, I was extremely grateful to be part of CSA. A staff member was at my dorm within 10 minutes to take me to the nearest hospital. I would highly recommend joining the CSA programme. With its awesome weekly tours and super friendly staff, Beijing quickly became one of my greatest experiences.

Dwayne Hannam • Kingston, Jamaica • BMA Summer 2010

Every weekend CSA organize trips or activities for their students. It was just one fun activity after another. What impressed me even more about CSA is how international it was. I love to meet people from different cultures and I think CSA is like a melting pot. The CSA staff is AWESOME! At times I forgot that the staff were CSA’s employees because they were all just cool like that. Overall, I think I got more than I expected and will definitely go with CSA again.

Yorik Thebaud • Port-au-Prince, Haiti • BLCU August 2007

I really enjoyed the activities on the weekend. After a long week of studying and going to class, CSA offered very interesting trips around Beijing. The staff was great. There’s nothing like a staff that will go out and party with you. They were right there when I needed to be picked up from the airport and made me feel comfortable and eager to start my Chinese courses. The activities and the service provided are definitely two things I look at when choosing a program when going abroad, and CSA provided just that.

Jessica Pedraza • Miami, USA • BLCU Summer 2007

After comparing with my friends that went to China with other organizations, I am sure that CSA is the best one. Other organizations do not offer aid 24 hours a day. CSA helped me with everything that I needed, and even helped me when my sister came to visit for a few days. Studying and living in China can be difficult at times, but with the amiable, patient and funny staff, CSA made my experience in China unforgettable.

Rebecca Wirakesuma • Tangerang, Indonesia • BLCU Fall 2008

Of all the different places that I have traveled to and lived in, I was most nervous about coming to China. So when my Chinese professor at university told me about how CSA takes care of many of the overwhelming tasks involved with coming to China, I was both excited and relieved. I still think that working with CSA to come to China was the best decision I could have made.

Justin Turnock • Waitakere, New Zealand • Yunnan, Peking + Fudan 2010-11

Through CSA, I travelled to China to study Mandarin for one year full-time, dividing my program between Kunming, Beijing and Shanghai. CSA tailored a language program to meet my goals and located accommodation to suit my requirements. The language program at Yunnan University has been made even more beneficial by the one-on-one tutorial session provided by CSA. I thoroughly recommend getting in touch with the CSA team to discuss tailoring a Chinese experience for you!

Ye-mong To • Eastbourne, UK • BLCU Summer 2008

Leaving CSA to take care of finding an apartment, university enrollment, and much of the visa application process allowed me to focus on enjoying my experience in China and improving my Chinese. On top of that, I have met so many friends through CSA’s social gatherings and outings. I know that if I get sick, or am in an accident, or there is a problem with school or my visa, the wonderful people at CSA know what to do and will help me to resolve the problem quickly and painlessly!

Kelli Kinneberg • Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA • BLCU July 2010

It was my first time traveling to China, therefore I was feeling pretty anxious. Luckily I had CSA to help me from start to finish. From selecting a program and answering all my questions to picking me up at the airport at 1am, CSA was always there. I met great friends through CSA and had a lot of fun on the excursions. Because of CSA, my first experience in China was everything I wished for and more.

Valerie Fullins • Davenport, Florida, USA • BLCU Fall 2010

My experience at CSA has been what some may call life-changing. If I had not joined CSA, I don’t believe that I would have ever tried sleeping at the great wall, going to a circus next to a bird’s nest, or trying some crazy foods that I didn’t even know you could eat! To me, CSA is my easy button. It’s the place I can go to for all my problems, no matter what time it is. I couldn’t have managed China with them!

Zane Tackett • Erie, Colorado, USA • BLCU + Homestay August 2010

CSA provided me with an unbelievable experience. They placed me with an excellent family and helped me get set up with school and provided me with an excellent tutor. They also helped me plan out a trip to Shanghai, they got all the tickets for me and when things got messed up, they were there all along the way. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to go to China.

Kyle Rothenberg • Tampa, Florida, USA • BLCU July 2010 and July 2011

CSA is everything you want in a study abroad program, and much more! I was very impressed with both the professionalism and organization of the entire experience, and above all, CSA knows how to have a great time.

Will McLaughlin • Connecticut, USA • Weekly Tutoring + Homestay Winter 2010

CSA puts China in your terms. Coming to Beijing after time spent studying in a structured university setting, I wanted to study Chinese with a private tutor and live with a host family. The CSA staff worked with me to find an ideal tutor and family. I'll never forget a trip I took with CSA to the Great Wall. After hiking all day, we pitched camp. Waking up at sunrise made me realize why we travel -- to discover and reflect.

Alex Pritchard-Jones • Oxford, UK • BMA November 2009

CSA got me to China in a week and a half. I rang up on a Wednesday and arrived 12 days later, on a Monday. My accommodation and course were excellent and I don't have any qualms about recommending the organisation. Most importantly though, the staff at CSA are the most helpful, friendly people you could ask for, always on the phone when you need anything and eager to get you to make the most out of your time in China.