Starting at BLCU/Beijing Language and Culture University in September

[JinWenSen]

Hi guys - I'm starting at BLCU in September, but Visas are still not given out to foreign students outside of China, so I fully expect classes will be online at this point, especially with the Delta variant and the Winter Olympics just around the corner. The university told me they'd give me more information (whether class would be online or not, class schedule, placement test, textbooks, etc) in early September with classes originally scheduled to start on September 6. So not much heads up. I live in Eastern Canada and I'm wondering if there are other people in the same boat as me ? Cheers.

[Serg]

I'm one of last year's scholarship recipients. I already passed my first year of bachelor's degree studying online in a Chinese university, and this year seems like it's going to be the same. So, yep, I'm in the same boat. I've been feeling pretty bad lately, I thought this year I would finally be able to go, but here we go again...

 

The hardest thing will be the time difference, sometimes I have to wake at my 1:00 to take classes, so get ready.

[JinWenSen]

What university are you studying at and which country are you studying from? I think I might be OK in terms of time difference, right now I'm a full 12h behind China and in the winter it will be 13h, so if courses are all in the morning in China so let's say 8 am to noon, for me it will be 8pm to midnight. In the winter, it will be 7pm to 11pm.  

[Serg]

About your future courses, I can tell you that most likely some of your classes won't be in the morning. In Chinese universities classes are spread all across the timetable, for example, on Friday I only have two classes, one at 8:00 (Beijing time), and one at 20:15 (Beijing time).

[JinWenSen]

Yeah, I can see why the schedule is harder with Europe with time differences... But anyway, I guess I can't confirm yet what my schedule will be, but I applied at BLCU because I figured it would still be online when I applied in February and BLCU already has online programs in the morning in Beijing: 

 

https://admission.blcu.edu.cn/en/2020/1104/c1453a2177/page.htm  

 

But even your Friday schedule, although it would be annoying to have classes so far apart in one day, it wouldn't be that big of a deal for me as I would have these classes at 8:15 and 20:00 my time. For you, these classes are in the middle of the night and middle of the day...

 

Was it your first year in your program?  

[Serg]

I didn't know the time difference between Canada and China was so convenient, then I'm sure you won't have any problems with your schedule, you are really lucky, I kinda wish I didn't lived in Europe haha.

 

Yep, this was my first year. Don't get me wrong, besides the time difference and other problems related to studying online, it has been a pretty good experience.

 

This year will you have to take part in the Chinese preparatory course or will you begin to study your degree directly?

[JinWenSen]

The time difference is good in Eastern Canada/US, as long as classes aren't in the middle of the afternoon in China. But we will see, I can't say for sure until I see the schedule...

 

It's too bad you haven't had a chance to study in China yet, but fear not, you'll have a blast when you finally are able to go. Good for you for starting studying the language online at ridiculous hours and staying the course. 

 

I studied Mandarin in university in Canada during my undergrad 10+ years ago and spent a year in Harbin after at 黑龙江大学. With the pandemic and working remotely I started taking Chinese classes again online and decided I wanted to study it again and take my language to the next level. So right now, I got the CSC scholarship as a 进修生 for a year, so a one year non-degree program.     

 

 

[JinWenSen]

What did you do for books? Did you just order them online when you found out which books you were going to need ?

 

[Serg]

On 8/13/2021 at 9:48 PM, JinWenSen said:

It's too bad you haven't had a chance to study in China yet, but fear not, you'll have a blast when you finally are able to go. Good for you for starting studying the language online at ridiculous hours and staying the course. 

我已经去过中国了，这是我等不及回去中国的原因之一；我很想再去玩儿。

 

On 8/13/2021 at 9:48 PM, JinWenSen said:

I studied Mandarin in university in Canada during my undergrad 10+ years ago and spent a year in Harbin after at 黑龙江大学. With the pandemic and working remotely I started taking Chinese classes again online and decided I wanted to study it again and take my language to the next level. So right now, I got the CSC scholarship as a 进修生 for a year, so a one year non-degree program.     

听起来挺有意思的，哈尔滨怎么样？我在北京住过三个月，还参观过河北。

 

我认识的一个西班牙人去年也是一个进修生，他说他在线学习的经历很不错，比较放松。你肯定也会有一个好经历。

 

On 8/13/2021 at 9:48 PM, JinWenSen said:

The time difference is good in Eastern Canada/US, as long as classes aren't in the middle of the afternoon in China. But we will see, I can't say for sure until I see the schedule...

那祝你好运吧。我想起来这个西班牙朋友告诉我他没有很多门课，还有老师们非常帮忙，所以你不要担心。

 

On 8/14/2021 at 6:04 PM, JinWenSen said:

What did you do for books? Did you just order them online when you found out which books you were going to need ?

老师们发给我们每个课本的PDF。我们还可以在网上订购，但是对我来说，这个比较麻烦。