laffy Posted January 22, 2007 at 04:53 PM Report Posted January 22, 2007 at 04:53 PM So...... Having more or less decided (i.e. convinced the better half) on spending some part of a semester (or maybe all) at BNU this fall - accomodation is next! My preference would be to share a place, but to have my own room - (i.e. to share a 2-bedroom apartment), preferably with a Chinese guy. Is my best bet using uni accomodation or finding something once I get there? Is there some site/forum where people get together for sharing a place (maybe somone on here?) Also, would I have to be there much before the course starts to find a place, or would it be relatively easy to find something decent once I get there? (I intend skipping all the opening ceremonies and stuff and getting there just a couple of days before the actual lessons begin). Thanks once again! Quote
adrianlondon Posted January 22, 2007 at 05:05 PM Report Posted January 22, 2007 at 05:05 PM If you want to share with a Chinese guy, you won't want university provided accommodation. Here, we all have our own rooms or share with other foreign students. My flatmate (two bedrooms, sharing a living room and bathroom - all small, but well serviced and comfortable) is Indonesian. Opening ceremony is a waste of time. Skip it. Closing ceremony (if you're still around) is good fun. You can take university accommodation and move out whenever you like, I think, so I'd suggest taking it and then looking for a room to rent. Or, use some online resources (eg advert on thatsbj website) and line up somewhere to live before you arrive. But you'll need some sort of registration document if you do that, as the University will want to register you with the local police. So, best to take Uni accommodation or a hotel even if just for one or two nights, to get the registration document. You can rent an apartment and find your own room mate, but (a) short term leases are hard to find, and (B) EVERYONE I know here who tried to jointly rent with a new chinese friend got messed around. Quote
laffy Posted January 22, 2007 at 05:09 PM Author Report Posted January 22, 2007 at 05:09 PM mmmmmmmm.........that's good to know...............thanks a lot! Quote
adrianlondon Posted January 22, 2007 at 05:23 PM Report Posted January 22, 2007 at 05:23 PM Just my 2kuai's worth. Wait for some other opinions before deciding what to do! ;) Quote
enceeno Posted March 1, 2007 at 03:13 PM Report Posted March 1, 2007 at 03:13 PM hi...I've done both..lived in the international dorms at BNU and now am in a 2 bedroom apartment near the school. check out http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/5-how-many-characters-do-you-know310 you are probably already here as I am writing this now... If you do want your own room then your best bet, if it is to be in the dorms, is to get into Dorm 1 or 2 single rooms. However, there may be all taken by now..but if you are still determined you can always put yourself down on their waitlist (which has to be done individually for each dorm at that dorm's front desk). If you stay in the dorms you have a 2week period where you can move within BNU or outside without a penalty fee. I lived in Xinsong..which is all double rooms where you share a room..I didn't enjoy it much as I have done this many years ago in university. so I decided to move out...and loving it. I agree with adrianlondon...get a bit settled first and you can always decide or look for appts in that 1st two weeks. When I started looking it did take me a couple of weeks...but was during the end of the 1st term and I didnt' have to rush so much. Now many people may be looking... Hope that helped a little Quote
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