Office of Study Abroad

Profile: Simon Eber '25

Major/minor: International and Global Studies, Economics, and East Asian Studies majors

Study abroad program: Brandeis in Copenhagen, Summer 2022; Intensive Chinese Language in Beijing (CET Summer), Summer 2023; Chinese Studies and Internship in Shanghai (CET), Fall 2023

Reason you chose this program: I chose my most recent programs because I have always wanted to go to China and have the opportunity to not just be a tourist but live there. Also, having studied Mandarin for 7 years I felt CET's language intensive program was what I needed to reach a new level of language proficiency.

Favorite classes: My favorite class in China was the Chinese Consumer.

How did you incorporate your Brandeis areas of study into your study abroad experience? As an IGS major going abroad is required, and after my experience I understand why. Going abroad takes the global problems we talk about in class and makes them real. It gives them faces, names, and values.

Housing situation: I lived in university dorms!

Favorite memory: Going to my friend's hometown to meet his family. Having dinner with them and getting to share in his life was such a special experience.

Greatest challenge: Trying to adjust to not understanding everything around me because of language barriers.

Did you apply for any scholarships? If so, which ones and how did they impact your time abroad? I received the Helen Ke which gave me the opportunity to travel more extensively in China than I would have been able to on my own.

What you know now that you didn't know before: This list could be so long but now I know that very often, non-verbal communication in societies is as important as verbal forms of communication.

Fact about China that you think people would be surprised to learn: In China the word noodle (or mian in Mandarin) is a catch all term for the hundreds of varieties you will actually encounter based on regional preferences, local crops, and seasonality.