Undoubtedly, your child is excited to get to China and experience all that living and studying abroad has to offer. While this is as it should be, there are some things your student should be aware of before going to China.

Credit Cards and Money
In China’s major cities, there are many places which accept credit cards. Typically, hotels (especially chain hotels), airports, high end restaurants, and larger shopping centers will be able to take a credit card for payment. You will want to make sure that your student keeps the current exchange rate in mind when using a credit or debit card. Your student will want to know just how much a Chinese yuan renmenbi (RMB) is worth in terms of American dollars. You should also be aware that most credit card companies do charge a modest fee for international transactions. If this is a concern, you will want to check with your credit card company to make sure you are aware of how much these charges will be.

Most of China’s smaller establishments, and virtually all Chinese businesses outside of the larger cities, do not accept credit cards. In major cities, this is not much of a problem, as ATM machines are readily available to withdraw RMBs. If your student plans on traveling or living within the rural areas of China, however, he or she will need to plan in advance so that they have enough Chinese currency on hand for living expenses.

Staying Healthy and Safe Abroad
Many parents have concerns about the safety and well being of their children when sending them overseas. With that said, your child is as safe studying abroad as if they had stayed home and attended the local community college or high school. Still, it is important to consider your child’s well being when making the decision of sending them to study abroad.

One concern that many parents have about sending their children to a foreign country is the perception of other parts of the world having strong anti-American sentiments. Actual experiences of American students being targeted overseas because of their background are rare.

Many of the safety issues which confront students abroad are a direct result of the students’ own behavior. Students studying alone in a foreign country may engage in drinking, partying, and other risky behaviors with people they don’t know well, and this can get them into trouble. In that respect, there isn’t much difference between being home and abroad.

Your student should be prepared to listen to and follow advice from their host family, on-campus personnel, personnel at the study abroad agency, and the local authorities. The overwhelming majority of students who study abroad do so without getting hurt and without running afoul of the law. The best way to avoid being hurt while in a foreign country is to follow the advice of the people who live there regarding where to go (and not to go) and what kinds of activities are or are not safe to engage in.

It is worth noting that the crime rates in major Chinese cities are very low compared with comparable sized cities within the United States and Europe. Owning or carrying a gun is illegal, which cuts down considerably on violent crime. Most of the crime in China’s cities are petty crimes such as bicycle thefts and pickpocketing.

Obtaining Health Insurance
Your health insurance may or may not cover your child while studying abroad. You will want to check with your insurance agent, benefits administrator, or human resources department regarding your health insurance and whether or not it extends to overseas travel. It is also a good idea to check with the study abroad organization’s representative to see what kind of health insurance coverage they require or recommend for your student’s trip. Fortunately, most students are able to obtain health insurance for study abroad at very reasonable rates. It is not advisable to have your student overseas without some form of health insurance, regardless of the destination country or their overall health before departing.

Communicating Internationally with Your Child
You will want to make sure that any study abroad program you consider using for your child allows you to have regular contact with him or her. If they do not, the logical question is, “Why not?” Most study abroad programs will either allow your child to have a mobile phone capable of making international phone calls, or they will provide them. Next Step China, for example, provides international mobile phones for students in our programs.

Internet Service
The Internet has made the world a much smaller place. In the past, exchange students were often unable to have much contact with their families due to the high cost of international telephone charges. Most of the contact was relegated to postal mail. While it’s still a good idea to send physical letters back and forth, the Internet now makes it possible to communicate via e-mail, video conferencing, instant messaging, chat rooms, and social networking. While some social networks may be unavailable in China, you and your child will be able to use the Internet to communicate with one another.

Sending Mail to China
You will receive a postal address for your child from the study abroad organization, along with basic instructions regarding how to mail letters to your student while she is in China. In most cases, you can address a letter similarly to the way you would address a letter within the United States. You will want to make sure you follow the correct formatting of the Chinese address to ensure delivery, of course.

Letters addressed in English will need to have the address translated into Chinese by the personnel at the postal office. This does admittedly slow delivery a little. If you are capable of addressing a letter in Chinese, then feel free to do so, though you will also want to include the address in English for postal workers in the U.S. The US Postal Service can help you determine postage amounts for international mail.

Academics
One of the things most international students realize right away while studying in China is that the Chinese culture holds the laoshi (teacher) in very high regard. While teaching is a well respected profession in most countries, teachers are held in particularly high esteem in China.

Most people in China take education very seriously. There is much competition for scholarships, and most Chinese students go to school year-round, without the long summer break that most U.S. students expect. After-school educational programs are also a common part of the Chinese educational system, and are often supervised by the Youth Communist League or the Committee for Women’s and Children’s Work.

Of course, studying abroad is not all work and no play. There are many activities exchange students can engage in while they are not studying. Most study abroad programs offer a variety of tours, trips, and other activities designed specifically for international students.

Most of the major universities and some of the high schools in China have special departments for international students designed to teach Mandarin Chinese by immersion. Immersion has been soundly demonstrated to be the best way to learn any foreign language. There is simply no better way to gain fluency in the Chinese language than to live amongst the Chinese people and be immersed in their culture.
Next Step China has created the following guide to help parents feel comfortable about having their child study abroad in China. Please view the topics below for more guidance.

Studying Abroad in China: A Guide for Parents

The Benefits of Studying Abroad

Why and Where in China to Study Abroad?

Where to Start: Choose a Program for Studying Abroad

Is Next Step China the Right Study Abroad Program for Your Son or Daughter?

Student Responsibilities While Studying in China

Before the Student Departs: Preparing Your Student to Successfully Study Abroad in China

In China: What You and Your Child Can Expect

Other Opportunities While in China

What Life Will Be Like for Your Child While in China

Studying Abroad With Next Step China