Best university course for me?

[Ink15]

Hi

I'm looking for advice from you lovely people! Please share your experiences and wisdom!

I would like to study Chinese in China. My goal is to become fluent (HSK level 6) in Chinese and to live the rest of my life in China. Could you guys kindly advise me on what the best options are for me in my particular situation?

My situation: age 24, just finished my masters degree in chemical engineering in the UK with one year's engineering work experience. I am a British citizen. I have no preference for any particular city in China, but I have a great impression of Shanghai having studied briefly at Fudan university. I have HSK level 1 in Chinese currently.

Would I be better off applying for a masters degree, a bachelors degree or a 2 year language program in Chinese? I would like to get a government scholarship, which option gives me the highest likelihood of getting one? Furthermore, I would like to go to a top ranked university, preferably in the top 10, at least in the top 20. And additionally, I would like to begin studying in the spring semester of 2014.

An added complexity to the situation is that my birthday is in December this year, meaning I will be 25, I guess that makes me too old for a bachelors degree?

Dan

[ChTTay]

"My goal is to become fluent (HSK level 6) in Chinese and to live the rest of my life in China"

What has motivated you to this decision?

I don't think you are going to find a straight up answer here to your question. "Oh yes, with your exact circumstances you should go and study at X University because..."

Please give more details...

Do you want to use your chem eng degree to work in China?

What do you envision yourself doing in China?

Have you looked into possible jobs after graduating? (might help you lean to how/what to study)

A language program usually just means you pay your money, they let you on. There aren't many pre-requisites.

What would the bachelors/masters program be studying? Chinese? Don't you need to have obtained a certain level in HSK before you can do this?

[abcdefg]

Since you already have a good degree, why not just do a non-degree language program? Since you like Shanghai, seems that would be a logical first choice.

I don't know about the government scholarship angle. Could you get an engineering job in China and study the language part-time? Admittedly, that's not the fastest path to language proficiency.

Lots of good questions were raised in post #2, just above. This comes across like it might be a sudden and radical life change decision. What's going on? Seems like there has been a change in goals since January.

Ideally I'd like to combine my engineering skills with my Mandarin language ability and return to Europe when I'm finished in China (finished meaning that I've reached HSK level 5).

http://www.chinese-f...sh/#comment-299143

[Ink15]

@ ChTTay

Yes, I would like to use my technical degree to work full-time in China. However, this would mean I would have to learn Chinese part-time. Ultimately I would like to move into an executive business/management type job, as opposed to working the field or in a research laboratory. This basically means I need to be fluent in Chinese. Moreover, from what I've read on these forums, it's very unlikely that a company in China will employ me as an engineer over a Chinese. Perhaps I could target jobs where fluency in English is essential, sales, technical writing etc.

@ abcdefg Yes, because I already have a degree I have been looking carefully at 2 year language programs, at present I think this is the best option for me. My goals have changed very quickly after spending time in Shanghai and coming to the realization that I could live there comfortably long-term. I have been paying very close attention to the possibility of teaching science/mathematics, but I think if I did that I wouldn't be able to stick to my original goals, which are to work in the business side of the chemical industry.

Another reason that I don't want to work fulltime is that I enjoy student life, and moreover, I would like a 1-2 year break from engineering. I really enjoy studying Chinese, I can't say the same about working as an engineer.

[Tianjin42]

Okay, only have time for a quick post but do think seriously about your goals here. If you are HSK one and you want to get to HSK six then it is a long road and even then, fluency is a journey not a destination.

That said, if you are set for this then I wish you luck.

Regarding your query, I would concur that if you have your degree and you want to advance rapidly then you may as well get yourself on a pure language course. Also remember that your presence on the course itself will not further your skills without some clear conscious personal decisions about how you spend your time etc. If money is not a major issue then take a look at the uni guide on the forum and weigh up what you want.

One thing I would add is that you should be careful with rankings. In my experience the quality of the university Chinese course for foreigners doesn't necessarily match up with the university's reputation in relation to the courses proper (for predominantly Chinese students). Perhaps you could consider researching universities you would be interested attending and cross referencing with universities offering possible scholarships. Cucas would be a good starting point.

[JustinJJ]

As someone who is towards the end of a similar experience I'd suggest that you treat your Chinese study and career separately and make the primary focus of your stay in China to enjoy studying Chinese, because using your degree to work in China may not be easy. There's a massive population of every increasing university graduates (6 or 7 million) who are willing to work for rates that would be less than social security pay overseas, so the competition is intense.

I came here because after several years of working 80 hour weeks in finance I wanted a break and learn purely for my passion for Chinese with any other career/life benefits being a bonus. Now after 18 months outside the professional world, I need to focus on my career, but since my success rate for gaining interviews at reputable companies here is 0% (when I apply overseas my success rate is very high, although there's only so far an interview process can go over the phone while I live in China), unfortunately it's hard for me to justify staying here, so I'll most likely be going home shortly.

If you want to work towards an executive management role, it may be easier to focus your energy on Chinese if you come to China, then return to the UK, build a career outside China and with your language skills perhaps you could convince an employer to send you here to work in your field in the future. I was lucky enough to have been sent to HK a few years ago for a year-long secondment (I knew no Chinese then), but finding a job inside China is much more challenging, unless there is a niche market you can fill. I'm sure there are foreigners working in professional fields in China with spectacular Chinese (probably some from this forum), but many of the foreigners I've met who work here, seem to have accumulated years of experience at management level rather than the language strength.

Regarding the language skill requirement, another consideration might be that it could be easier to impress companies with Chinese skills outside of China, since there will be less people who can grill you at the interview and it will seem more 'unusual' meeting a foreigner who speaks Chinese overseas than in China.

In summary: If you are extremely passionate about China/Chinese come to China to learn Chinese being the priority, however if your goal is to study then continue your career here, it may be difficult to find opportunities in your field to sustain you for the rest of your working life in China.

Good luck!

[Angelina]

Why would you want to live in China forever? I wouldn't want to stay here more then a few years more.

Do you really want to enter the corporate world, or are you just looking for a job in China? I'm not sure what kind of a major would you choose if you want to go for a degree program.

[abcdefg]

I am a suspicious person, and have to ask whether the Original Poster might have come to Shanghai for a few months earlier this year and fallen in love. Goals and career plans can then change abruptly and thoughts of spending a year or two in China can then suddenly transform into thoughts of spending a lifetime.

I've found over the course of many years that I have an almost infinite capacity for self deception. If I really want to do something that is a matter of the heart, I can manage to come up with a whole flock of good reasons to make that emotional course of action appear to be an inescapably rational decision.

Some time ago I met a really sweet girl over here and we had a good thing going. Naturally I settled in her town so we could be together, plus I began studying Chinese like a demon so we could communicate better. If anyone had asked about my motives, I would have blandly said, "Oh I want to live here because I admire Chinese History and Culture," or some other high-sounding slogan. I would have vehemently denied any other more personal motive.

[ChTTay]

Good point about why would a Chinese company hire you, a foreign engineer, over a local Chinese engineer. However, concerning any notions of working here in China, you should still ask yourself... why would a Chinese company hire a recently graduated foreigner when they can hire a recently graduated Chinese national?

If you are looking to get into a more management/sales type of role here... then really your best bet might be to get that kind of job in the UK first. Once you have a good level of experience, perhaps some management experience... then have a look at the Chinese market.

As a few others have suggested, you should think about coming here and really making a go of Chinese and making that your main aim. If you want to go from HSK1 to HSK6... that's a hell of a journey. Whatever HSK you get, you can take that back to the UK, get the right experience, keep working on your Chinese ... and eventually make your way back out here.

As for Universities, most Chinese people I spoke to here before I decided to study all said I "MUST" study in Beijing. These were just random Chinese people, businessmen, teachers, random guys in bars or on planes... what do they know? Well, I guess they are the kinds of people who would eventually hire you, me, foreigners... Shanghai probably wouldn't be looked upon too positively as a place to study Chinese. A lot more temptations there not to speak Chinese too.

Peking U and Tsinghua are probably known as the best Universities in China generally and both are in Beijing. However, having studied at one of those, I wouldn't say they are the best places to study Chinese as a foreigner. In fact, If I could do it all again... I would probably pick somewhere smaller, with less foreigners, and would mostly ignore the Universities standing amongst Chinese people. In my own head, I would probably head to Kunming or Chengdu.

That's my two pence. Sorry it's so messy, word vomit.

[Ink15]

@Tianjin42 If I wanted to return to the Europe, should I be looking only at the big name universities in China? Or should I concentrate on going to a language school with good teaching ability.

@JustinJJ Can I ask you the same question above?

@Angelina I really want to enter the corporate world. Is a masters a better option? As I'm not entirely sure about what I want to do I guess Chinese is the most sensible thing to study.

@abcdefg I am a naturally suspicious person to, and if in your position I would probably think the same thing. The reality for me is that there is very few career opportunities in the UK. In some ways, I am fortunate because I have not fallen in love, I still have total flexibility over where I can work/settle down.

[Ink15]

@ChTTay Chengdu and Kumming are still pretty big cities. Is there really much of a difference between Chengdu/Kumming and Shanghai?

[ChTTay]

Have you been to Kungming or Chengdu?

I can't imagine many people would disagree when I say they are completely different. It's not about the size as such. Shanghai is probably the least Chinese city in China. The easiest place not to speak Chinese, to hang out with other foreigners, essentially go to the same kind of bars, restaurants and shops you would at home. As it happens, a couple of friends I met in Beijing left Shanghai because they wanted to learn Chinese but didn't have the will power for it in Shanghai. That probably says as much about them as Shanghai I guess

As for your comments above, what about a MBA in China, learn Chinese at the same time or as part of it... then try to move into some kind of technical sales/marketing. My friend recently started an MBA at PEKING U.

[Angelina]

There was a post where someone complained about a scholarship offer for doing an MBA at Peking University. He was asked to pay his tuition fees or something.

I received the Chinese Government Scholarship two times, once for a language course, once for my Master's, so yeah, getting a scholarship is not impossible. It's more important to decide what you want to do with your life.

[ChTTay]

"It's more important to decide what you want to do with your life"

Don't say that! ... I don't think I'll ever know :'(

[Ink15]

Hi guys,

 

I will be studying in China starting September 2014. I'm at the stage of applying to different universities. I will be studying Mandarin for 2 years.

 

If I'm honest, I haven't got a clue about which universities/cities to pick, and this is what I'd appreciate your advice on! 

 

What factors should I consider!?

 

These are the factors that I have in mind at the moment:

 

cost of living (Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen etc are obviously more expensive)

climate (Harbin is just too dam cold, Shenzhen is just too dam hot!)

lifestyle (e.g. shanghai seems to busy, everyone is in a rush, whilst I loved the city when I was there on holiday, I'm not so sure about living there 24/7)

quality/ranking of the university and it's facilities ( I will look carefully at this factor toward the end of my search and once I've decided on the city)

pollution (Beijing is completely out of the question)

 

Anyone have any recommendations?

 

Thanks

 

Ink

 

 

 

 

[sparrow]

You might want to check out Hainan. The weather is beautiful—tropical, sunny, I've heard the food is good, and it's on the ocean. Double-check if the beaches are any good, though.

 

Also, I'm guessing the pollution is not so bad. People take siestas there (and in a lot of places where the climate is warm), so the lifestyle should be more relaxed than in Shanghai.

 

You could also try Jinghong in Yunnan Province's Xishuangbana area. The food is amazing (very similar to authentic Thai food as Xishuangbana borders Thailand), and the climate is warm. Every year, they have a cool festival called Poshui Jie, where supposedly everyone runs around throwing water at each other! Sounds fun to me. 

 

In Shenzhen, I noticed a lot of people have a very strong accent in Mandarin, which may or may not be an issue depending on how and what you study, and how your teachers instruct you. It's something to keep in mind when you make your decision.

 

I don't know how the language programs are except for Beijing Shifan Daxue and Beijing Yuyan Daxue, but in my opinion, learning a language has more to do with how you spend your time and the materials you use, rather than the quality of the teachers. Good teachers can really help, especially if you don't know what you're doing, but with good advice, you can get pretty good at Chinese really fast—three to six months.

 

If you want my opinion about learning languages, feel free to ask here or PM me.

 

 

One strategy for finding information is to go to colleges in your area, find Chinese students, and see if they know anyone from your target cities once you've picked them. In addition, to get an outsider's opinion, you could ask people from anywhere in China about the climate, lifestyle, food, and so on in your target city.

 

Another strategy is to contact the English departments of your target universities in China. You may get lucky and find a professor or two at the English departments who can help you find out about the Mandarin for Foreigners curriculum, and they might even be able to put you in touch with American/British/etc. students who can give you details.

[roddy]

Merged with your pretty much identical topic from a couple of months back. If you want a list of factors to consider you could have a look at the 'want to know where to study' pinned topic in this sub-forum.

[roddy]

Ink15, how's your decision-making process going?

[Ink15]

Hi Roddy

 

Thanks for asking. I am applying for the CSC scholarship with my preferences being Fudan university, ECNU and Zhejiang university.

 

I hope to start in September 2014. I'm just finalizing the paperwork.

 

In the end, the reason I chose Fudan as my first preference is because I know they have a high quality program there, and I have the impression that there are more opportunities in Shanghai for me than anywhere else. Obviously the cost of living is higher than other places, but I think I can off-set that with some of my savings.

 

I look forward to using this forum more and more as September approaches :-)

 

Thanks

[roddy]

Excellent, you could maybe drop in and say hi here. Good luck with the scholarship application!