Eamohuajie Posted March 21, 2009 at 05:50 AM Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 at 05:50 AM ^^ I couldnt find much/any info about the 12 week courses either...so i started this thread! I arrived in Beijing yesterday! its so different here. just got connected to the internet. now to check what pages are censored and see if i really need to connect through a proxy... huajie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanie Posted March 21, 2009 at 09:20 AM Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 at 09:20 AM Any trouble finding a place to stay? (Are you staying in the dorms - how is that? I'm planning/hoping to get a single dorm room, barring that the conference center...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eamohuajie Posted March 21, 2009 at 11:06 AM Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 at 11:06 AM trouble...not really...well i wasnt able to find a place...i got someone who can speak chinese to help me. and now i have a place...if you can already speak chinese then it should be no prob..but my chinese is quite poor. i have no idea what people are saying...i just smile and look puzzled. haha. i wasnt allowed book a room at the dorm and it was more expensive anyway, so i have a studio apartment. way bigger than the dorm rooms and i have tv internet little kitchen area and a huge bed...its a bit far from BLCU tho...well i havent walked there yet, but ill probably go there tomorrow...havent quite mastered getting food yet...so i must do that now before i die of starvation... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regina tan Posted March 21, 2009 at 01:02 PM Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 at 01:02 PM eamon, how is it there? im getting nervous... :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eamohuajie Posted March 21, 2009 at 02:05 PM Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 at 02:05 PM regina its great here. dont be nervous. i just spent 3 hours in a supermarket...there was so much stuff there, i didnt know what to buy (not to mention almost all the labels being in chinese). it was great fun tho. everything is really cheap...i should really prepare a list next time so i come out with what i intended to get...oh well... I havent been to BLCU yet, i guess im a 10min bus ride away. when im settled into my area ill probaly walk to campus and check to place out. i also have to register...maybe i should study if theyre going to give me the placement test when i register...im not sure Dont worry about it, and again, dont be nervous...you'll love it here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanie Posted March 21, 2009 at 02:22 PM Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 at 02:22 PM Crap I'm nervous now too... I had the impression that it's possible to get a dorm room without booking (and not to bother booking anyway) but now maybe not. Eek. DD: But I will be flying in with a family friend who knows mandarin, so maybe I'll be ok. She'll only be around for three or so days but that should be enough.. I hope. Fingers crossed. D: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eamohuajie Posted March 22, 2009 at 12:26 PM Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 at 12:26 PM i heard some people were allowed book over the phone...altho they wouldnt let me. if you just go to the accomodation section of blcu they will have a place for you. I was at BLCU today just to find my way there. my apartment is 1hr walk away, but if i get a bus i guess i can be there in 20-30 min....havent tried buses here yet. they always seem packed. Anyways campus is quite nice. altho it looks a lot older than i expected. Can't wait to start class now ^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanie Posted March 24, 2009 at 04:01 AM Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 at 04:01 AM Well I got a room in Dorm 6 by showing up ... so it is possible. The room is decent and reasonably comfy, better than some of the other dorm rooms I've had. The dorm front desk staff don't speak English at all, but they're quite used to dealing with people who can't speak Chinese and are really helpful. And my phone's out of credit ALREADY... so I need to figure out how to recharge. X_x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ariane Posted March 25, 2009 at 07:51 AM Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 at 07:51 AM Xanie, if you haven't recharged your phone already, you can take it to the friendship store-- the electronics desk, I guess. give them 50/100 kuai and they'll put time on there for you. Make sure you know your phone number, as they'll need that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regina tan Posted March 26, 2009 at 01:08 AM Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 at 01:08 AM im staying at dorm 17. this is so depressing. since i really cant talk mandarin, and only a few seems to understand english... i cant even eat out alone, cuz the waitress cant understand me just took the placement test as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanie Posted March 26, 2009 at 05:56 AM Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 at 05:56 AM Ariane - that's what I did yeah, just handed them the packet the SIM card came in, and they did it for me. Regina - how did you go? I think my placement test went alright, just gotta wait for the results to come out tomorrow (I'm in the intensive stream, some people doing the regular know theirs already - from looking at the testers' notes?). And I totally hear you on the food thing.. so far I've been eating at the BLCU canteen mostly because you can just point at stuff to order... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedan Adjuster Posted March 26, 2009 at 08:25 AM Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 at 08:25 AM Share us what happened on your first day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy_C Posted March 26, 2009 at 01:46 PM Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 at 01:46 PM Regina, how did your test go? Mine went ok.. think as expected to go to B.. but not sure till tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanie Posted April 4, 2009 at 11:17 AM Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 at 11:17 AM First day... hmm... Welp, if you count registration day as the first day, it was basically paperwork. Go here to register for your dorm room (do this first if you want one, by the way, because you need your admission notice and the first thing they do when registering for the course proper is take that), go to the dorm to see said room, go back to pay ... go to this building to register for the course, go to the bank to pay, come back, go to the friendship store to take photos for your student ID (yeah you need ordinary passport photos, although they don't tell you that beforehand) ... and then they give you your student ID and tell you to come back in a few days for a placement test. Placement test: they will give you a test regardless of what level you checked on the paper, and I think it's the same written exam at least for A and B levels. There's also a short oral test where you sit down with two teachers who put you through your paces (they asked me simple questions: read some characters, if I'd studied chinese before etc...). Then, if you're in the regular stream, you come back the next day for your books and class assignment, or if you're in the intensive stream you come back the next day for your books and class assignment and begin lessons immediately. Like, "here are your books, open them to page 1, let's begin by reading these characters..." immediately. In the intensive stream we have class from 8-12, 1-3, with 10-minute breaks every hour. On the first day we had a campus tour in place of afternoon classes, but after that it's 6 hours of class a day plus 4-5 hours of homework if you're diligent and/or not so good at mandarin. Obviously, you can get away with less, as half the homework I've been assigned has been "read this" or "memorise that" rather than "write this out and hand it in tomorrow". What else ... you can change classes in the first week but apparently you can't change back, though if you want to go from e.g. B- to B to C that is okay. There were about 16 people in my class to start with, although with all the comings and goings I think we're up to 19. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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