I do recommend Approach to someone who is interested in learning a second language. They have…read more great teachers and collaborative advisors. In my experience I could learn from not speaking anything in English to being fluent.

I would like to write something about my experience in Approach School. I studied there for two…read moremonth and I really enjoyed my time being there. During that time all teachers and stuffs have helped me a lot. Very diverse group of teachers and students. Personally, I dont know about other schools, but I can only recommend Approach to anyone.

I'm going to talk results. I love what the other reviewers before me have said - it definitely…read morereflects my husband's and my great experience with Zina's classes (we opted for the one that spans several weekends). Informative, empowering, respectful, approachable, individual, caring, encouraging. But, at this point I've had my baby. I had a natural (no epi, no pitosin, etc..) birth at a major hospital. It was an amazing experience (seriously) and I owe that in large part to Zina's teaching and guidance. This is how Zina's classes helped: 1. My husband and I had learned what was happening at different stages of the birth process, and could make informed decisions once we got to the hospital, we didn't feel like we were being told what to do and instead were an active part of the decision-making process. 2. I felt confident and excited, instead of apprehensive and scared (if left to my own devices, I'd just feel scared). This made such a difference. 3. Probably the biggest difference was that when the time came, my husband and I were a team. It's natural for a partner to want to help, but oftentimes it's hard to know how, especially with how birth is portrayed in movies. Zina's class gave us a 'toolkit,' and having those options and ideas at the ready for when you don't really have time to think was key.

I can't say enough to picture how this class helped me feel more confident, secure and overall…read moresuper excited about my baby's birth! These 5 classes just flew by and I did not expect to learn this much. I feel prepared and empowered to help my baby come to this world. And this is not just me, my husband absolutely loved this class and feels like he can really help and that we can do this as a team- all three of us I highly recommend this class, Zina is a great teacher and overall an amazing person. I feel so lucky to have found this class and if I have any issues with breastfeeding I'll know who to call!

In my profession, and particularly as a graduate student, I work closely with a lot of native…read moreChinese speakers. Even my advisor is Chinese. At the place I work here in Boston, the majority of my group is native Chinese or Chinese American, including one of my bosses. Thus, I decided that it was about time that I learn how to speak Mandarin, so that I could understand better the language and culture of my fellow students and co-workers, and so that I could help those who have difficulty or are reluctant to speak in English. I looked at the Boston Language Institute, but their high prices suggested I look elsewhere. Thanks to Lauren S.'s review, I found this place, the Chinese Institute of Language and Arts. Their prices are more than reasonable - I paid $220 for 20 hours of class in beginning Mandarin, as well as the workbook and CDs. The owner/manager, Peter, is very friendly and welcoming. Classes are amazingly small - I think the most I saw from any one class was 5, and my average was about 3. This means that you get plenty of individual attention and practice with the language, including drills on character recognition, help with pronunciation of words and tones, and conversation practice. The teachers are typically native Chinese or Chinese American college students or recent graduates, which is more than enough to teach beginning Chinese. They might not have tons of experience teaching, but they all seem to follow a general lesson plan, and they're quite willing to help with problems or questions you have. All in all, I think that going to CILA was a good move on my part, as it helped introduce me to the Chinese language and gave me some tools that I can use in everyday conversations with my fellow classmates and co-workers. While I need more practice (and indeed, practice outside of class helps a lot), I feel I'm sufficiently prepared to take on more studying of the language in attempts to become semi-fluent. I would definitely recommend classes here to anyone interested in learning Chinese.

Since traveling to China three years ago, I've become obsessed with all things China; I will read…read moreany related book or magazine article I can get my hands on. After a lovely breakup and many months spent shunning all my interests, I decided to finally get off my ass in late '08 and pursue two of my longer-lasting loves: learning and languages. I scoured the internet for a class offering Mandarin Chinese and found a couple of schools located in Chinatown that had decent prices compared to the go-to linguistic center in town, the Boston Language Institute, whose prices were more than double these other two places. The Chinese Language Institute offered a course breakdown with joining dates for new classes (limited to 6 people!) along with a prominent guarantee of satisfaction. A 10-week course, two hours a week, cost only $180, compared to the $450+ offered by BLI, so I warily but cheerfully submitted my interest online, promising to show up on the date of the first class, scheduled for 1/12/09. I dutifully showed up at 6pm that night but was informed that class began the next week (even though the website had not updated the schedule). I didn't consider this a big deal, so I came back the next week and enrolled with four other people in Beginning Mandarin. I forgot my checkbook that night, but they were really cool about it, saying I could pay them next week and letting me take the textbook and CDs for the class (these were not included in the online price; it added $30 to the total class fee). A little bit about the space-- it's a small area of a couple classrooms that are in, uh, dilapidated condition. This, I imagine, is probably quite unlike the BLI, which probably has gleaming whiteboards and spanking new desks. However, I cannot praise CIL enough. This is the kind of place where you get as much as you want out of the class-- you're not there to pay to have a teacher clap their hands and hand you a fancy certificate at the end of the class. You're there because you want to be there, and the teachers will give you two hours of their best work each week. The first night I had a different teacher than the one I have now-- she was very good, but the teacher I've had since the second night is amazing. She is firmer than the first girl and throws in so many different teaching activities in two hours that I'm really impressed (I work in textbook publishing so I know a little bit about teaching styles). We sometimes sing songs, work off picture charts, practice conversation with each other... in terms of the environment, it's bare bones essentials, but Wen Laoshi (Teacher Wen) has taught me a hell of a lot in only a few weeks. She sends us emails in Chinese and English with song attachments and is always fetching us tea on breaks. She's smart and makes the class challenging and enjoyable at the same time. In short, I love CIL and I am very glad I signed up for a class. If you want a language class that has an official syllabus and nice classrooms, then this isn't the place for you. But if you want to learn Mandarin or Cantonese in a supportive, engaging environment, then CIL is your best bet. Cheap classes, fantastic instruction-- one of the best things I've found in Boston. Wo hen mang. Zaijian!

My partner had an experience so awful that I cannot wait until I can switch my Health Insurance…read morecoverage. My partner is experiencing pain from a tooth that needs a root canal. He had received a filling earlier today and unfortunately, the dental student did not secure a prescription for pain medication due to thinking a filling would solve the issue. Since he was seen by a dental student and due to the day/time they were unable to have an overseeing dentist prescribe him pain medication. He decided to call HUHS to see whether his PCP or his staff could help him with medication until a root canal on Monday. After speaking with someone on the phone, the person said they did not know what to do for him, but they said he could come down if he was close by and wanted to discuss it with a Nurse Practitioner. He went in person and ultimately nothing could be done because his PCP was not in. It would have been much preferred to hear that over the phone as opposed to walking (In pain) to the Smith Campus Center. That itself could have been a misunderstanding but how he was treated when arrived there is the real problem. The front desk staff were rude and dismissive from the moment he started speaking to them. The man at the front desk denied he had coverage (rudely, cutting my partner off...) and questioned everything my partner said. My partner presented his card and then said his PCP's name and that he had been there before, the man responded "Well that's impossible." Someone else then looked him up and found him, but as he was walking to see the NP they shouted out "No wait you don't have coverage!" To then check again and confirm he did. What is going on at HUHS that they can't even check someone in who has been there, and if the system was having issues then that is not their fault, but how they treated my partner is again the issue. The NP then told him that they did not have the authority to prescribe him anything. This, again, could have been said clearly and directly over the phone to not waste his or anyone's time but again would not be a huge issue if not for the interactions at the front desk. My partner was in pain and thought he would receive at least basic level of human decency in his interactions with HUHS staff. He was treated like he was a criminal walking off the street demanding drugs. He has seen his PCP there. This is HIS healthcare provider. They were asking him whether he was a "summer school student"...do they really not know how to use their own system, and that itself is understandable because systems change/new staff/systems act wonky... but being rude and dismissive is not. I have heard others' stories of bad experiences at HUHS (including my partner having previously been given wrong information in getting blood work done) and now it is just too much. If you are a staff member, then choose another insurance option. I had been a graduate student at Harvard before becoming an admin and thought it easier to stay. But I deeply regret that decision after what my partner experienced.

This review is for all of the nonsense that I have personally had to deal with as a student here…read more I am honestly fed up with the general attitude here. Giving it 2 stars because of neutral to good experiences I've had with some members of staff. Freshman year: I go to my primary care doctor. I tell him I have these horrible headaches. He literally tells me to just get sleep. Um. Ok. Sophomore year: I have this massive 2nd degree burn. I go to urgent care, literally no patients waiting there. I have to wait an excruciatingly long time before I get treated. When the doctor is ready to see me, she says, "Oh we have patients staying overnight who have more urgent concerns than yours." No apology. To top it off, the primary treatment I am given is this topical cream that, after a quick google, I find out, "prolongs healing time" and shows no "real indications of efficacy." I get by on codeine. Junior year: I go to an urgent care having filled out a survey. My thyroid might actually be infected. A doctor sees me, and she tells me, "Oh, we don't treat thyroid issues in urgent care. It's not urgent. You have to go see primary care." I guess I would have really appreciated it if they had just emailed me to not show up rather than making me show up and wasting my time. The next day, I phone in to try to schedule a primary care appointment. She asked me why I didn't call yesterday, and I told her that I had a lot of work I was trying to take care of. She literally scoffed at me. She also was both extremely unhelpful and condescending when I asked her about the steps I would need to take to treat thyroid issues and . . . I'm fairly certain that she doesn't understand the difference between getting the ok for a thyroid screen and actually getting a screen. She honestly didn't seem to know what she was doing in general. It goes without saying that it is extremely frustrating to talk to someone who is both illogical and also arrogant about it. Never in my life have I dealt with such terrible service from health staff. Point being, HUHS, step up your game. We as students go to you to be treated, not aggravated.

My experience with One Stop Parenting, and specifically with Ghislaine Backmon as the supervisor,…read morewas the best possible experience I could have asked for. Ghislaine was attentive and accommodating in an otherwise difficult and complicated time. She handled each visit with the utmost understanding and professionalism. She prioritized my child's wellbeing, was able to guide us through any difficult situations that arose, and made herself available whenever possible. Being a mother and grandmother herself, combined with her years of experience truly make her an outstanding expert. She puts her heart into what she does, which ensures her care for resolving oppressive family dynamics to the best of her ability. I will be forever grateful for her time and energy she spent with us. Ghislaine is an angel and I am so happy that she is here for future families in need.

Ghislaine and her team helped our family through a difficult transition. They went out of their way…read moreto put the needs of our son first and accommodate our changing schedules and requests. I am forever grateful for their support and professionalism.

Susan is amazing! She is a super sweet, spry 76 year old who taught my kids to ride bikes in under…read morean hour! This is after I have spent hours trying myself without success. What a cool place!

I have two boys who weren't interested in riding their bikes. Susan changed that. One boy was…read moreriding regularly by the end of the week, the other by the end of the month. My wife and I can't thank her enough!

I wouldn't let this guy teach me to play tiddliewinks! He is rude, crude, he smells, his kids a…read morepain in the butt always interrupting! Stay away from this jamoke. The yapping dogs are annoying too.

Both instructors were very knowledgable and answered my questions in terms I could understand . It…read morewas great to be in a relaxed atmosphere . Small class was key and much less intimidating . It's also great they offer the class's in Burlington as well as Wilmington it makes it very convenient . Another plus is they accommodated my schedule. I would recommend them to anyone

I came here for my Oncology Certified Nurse exam…read more I was very happy with my experience here, and would definitely come back for any other testing needs. For starters, their location is super easy to get to, from Quincy it was very straightforward 93 to 24; and less than a mile straight off the highway. There was tons of parking in a private lot. Check in procedure was easy and fast. I didn't want to be late so I got there super early. You are suppose to arrive 30 min prior to your time. I was there 15 min before that. They took me right away and I started early. Check in - Show your ID, read the rules then put your belongings in one of the lockers - Large clean bathroom available - You then go in another room and they check your eyeglasses (you place them on a desk, they don't touch them) - They check you with a metal detector - You give fingerprints of your two index fingers, sign in with your signature and time. They then take you into a small room with computers, approx 10. The temperature of the room was actually not as cold as I thought it would be. It was perfect, but I brought a sweater just in case. They leave you at your computer with your ID, locker key; as well as a scratch pad with two markers. There are ear plug headphones but I didn't use them. I found it very quiet. They sometimes come in and walk behind you which I found mildly distracting but it was fine. There are bathroom procedures if you have to leave, but I never did. After you're finished you sign out with your check out time, and they printed my results report. Finally, the staff was very friendly and on the whole this was a very positive experience. I would definitely recommend them, especially considering reviews on the other Boston testing sites (lack of parking, paying for parking and rude staff). This place was worth it.

I've had the chance to spend time at a lot of Prometric Testing Centers on my way to becoming a…read morephysician. I took the USMLE Step 3 over the past few days at the center in Brockton, and it was my favorite by far. It's the smallest Prometric I've been to (only around 10 or 12 testing stations in one room and two employees at one time) and it feels quieter, less stressful, and more personal. The employees were thoughtful, encouraging, and called me by name. Best of all there was ample parking and very easy access to the bathrooms which is always a plus for a stressed out test taker. Hopefully I passed my exam and never have to go to Prometric again!