 Jaime Leblanc-HadleyConfucius Institute Assistant
GIS major
Class of 2009
Mandarin Chinese is the type of language that you start studying out of curiosity, keep studying out of a determination to master it, and go overseas for study abroad because you realize that without that experience, you cannot become fluent. I discovered this fact after my second year in the Chinese minor program at WMU. I did not want to invest years into learning a language only to graduate from school and not be proficient in it, so going to China quickly became a priority for not only myself, but also for my husband, Dan, who was also studying Chinese. We decided to study for an academic year at Beijing Language and Culture University in Beijing, China, from September 2008 to July 2009.  Jaime and Dan in Shanghai
As a non-traditional student couple, the question of how to finance our year in China was a concern until Dan and I realized the amount of substantial financial aid in place to facilitate study abroad. I was fortunate enough to not only receive the President’s Grant for Study Abroad, but to also receive the Boren National Security Education Program scholarship (NSEP), which covered all of my expenses. Dan, a Marine Corps Reservist, not only received leave from the USMCR for the year, but was also able to continue to receive his GI Bill benefits while overseas.
Living in Beijing, China for a year really opened my eyes to Chinese culture and the Chinese language. Beijing is such a frenetic city; there is endless activity, and since it is the capital of a nation, you are near the most important people and places in China. Once you get past the fact that it is impossible to go anywhere quickly in Beijing, and that local Chinese will invariably not understand you because your tones are not correct when you speak, it will become easier to adapt to the new environment and make progress. It’s important to learn to laugh at yourself, and to get past any embarrassment you may feel.
During an average school day, we had four hours of Chinese classes in the morning, with the rest of the day spent doing homework and/or studying. The classes are conducted entirely in Chinese and are rigorous so that by the time you leave, you are proficient in Chinese. BLCU has the reputation of being the most international university in Beijing given the fact that foreign students outnumber Chinese students, so the campus has a unique international feel, and it’s possible to make friends from all over the world. In addition, because BLCU is located near several large universities (including Beijing University and Qinghua University), meeting and making friends with Chinese students is very easy. In fact, the best friends we made there were all with local Chinese university students, and we were fortunate enough to even spend Chinese New Year with one of our friends in his hometown in southern China.
 Jaime with friend Tang Xin Pin in the mountains north of Beijing After living on-campus for the first semester, we moved into an off-campus apartment second semester, which provided the best environment for us to immerse ourselves in both the language and culture. I quickly discovered that knitting outside in the common area is the fastest way to attract curious onlookers; feeding the neighborhood stray cats will guarantee you a conversation with a neighbor about why you should take some of those cats back with you to the United States; and being caught outside alone will encourage your neighbors to question you about how much rent you pay for your apartment, how much your tuition is, how much money you currently have, why you have no children yet, etc. Needless to say, living off-campus was a completely different experience than living on-campus, and we really enjoyed it.  Jaime at Potala Palace in Tibet
Because travel in China is so cheap, most students choose to travel during holidays and school breaks. Our first trip to Xi’an taught us why it was a bad idea to travel during National Day on hard-seat train tickets; our trip to Guilin taught us that southern China is one of the most beautiful places on earth; and our trip to Lhasa taught us that four days on a train can expose you to most of China. I feel that traveling within a country really exposes you to different aspects of the culture and history of the place, and China is no exception. It is not enough to just go to class and study hard; it’s also important to get out and experience other places, which is not only fun, but also forces you to use your new language skills.
 Dan on a yak in Tibet
Living abroad for a year has had a huge impact on our lives and future plans. The experience has made us realize that our language studies cannot stop when we come home, but rather will continue and even play a role in our advanced degree goals. Dan and I want to return to China and stay even longer, either pursing advanced degrees or working overseas. We are both grateful to have had the opportunity to study abroad, and we look forward to going back.
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