How long to get a student card? Survey

[cellofallon]

Hi,

I'd like to do a quick survey and see how long it takes to get student cards at different institutions across China. Count from the start of term, or when you completed all the necessary requirements i.e paperwork and paid fees.

My paperwork and fees were paid on August 28th, and I'm being told student cards won't issued until after national holiday - so five weeks. Can any one top that for inefficiency?

I'm presently at Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi

[billiardsmike]

I believe it was three days for BFSU.

[muyongshi]

From the time I gave them a picture and the money about a week and same for renewal.

[yonglin]

About 2-3 days at Xi'an Jiaotong (can't remember...?). The guy wrote and pasted the IDs before my eyes, but then he had to go and obtain an official university stamp.

Edit:

This was the red book. I've never encountered an actual "card" in China?! All Chinese students buying train tickets etc seem to be using their little book-type 学生证.

However, I'm very curious as to what you want to use the card for. Do you need it for any particular on-campus activities? The provincial policy in Xinjiang is seemingly not to give any student discounts for people who look foreign, even if they have a Chinese student ID. So you're not missing out on much, really.

[adrianlondon]

A related question ... at BNU I got a student ID card (which took about a month to get) and a student red book (which I think I got instantly).

Am I right in thinking that in order to get the student bus pass (I also notice that the subway fares have reduced recently!) you ned the red book, stamped and uptodate, rather than the card which has no expiry date?

Also, what about getting student tickets to things such as the Summer Palace. I used my red book, but would the card have worked?

I'm in London now so can't try these things.

I only ask because the red book has expired but the card will last for ever at a guess.

[roddy]

Still waiting for mine - they started handing them out a week or two after the start of term, but mine is getting held up as I shifted from being a 本科生 to being a . . . not sure what . . . 进修生 I guess. They want me to write an application letter that they can approve to cover the move, while I want to not bother. I've been more worried about my passport and residence permit - that took about three weeks to come back.

[Shadowdh]

From the time we did all the paper work till the time we got our "cards" (yep the little books really) it would be about 3 weeks or so. Thats at 华中师范大学 in 武汉。

[beijingbabe]

Mine took 4 days at beida (paid sunday afternoon, received thursday morning). I got a little red book (学生证). I'm a short term student thought, the long term (1 year) students took a little longer - I think a couple of weeks, although I think someone told me they got a red book and a plastic id.

[lilongyue]

At Zhejiang University I got my student ID a few days after registering. The visa takes a week, and luckily it doesn't cost anymore than it used to (I'm American, and the visa fees for Americans just went through the roof).

[cellofallon]

Thanks for your replies. We go back tomorrow, let's see if I actually get the card (red book)!

[cellofallon]

hmm, well, would you believe I'm still waiting for the student card (little red book). It's now into the 7th week of teaching (8th week if you include national day week).

On a seperate issue, lots of my classmates are still waiting for their visas from the PSB, some have been waiting nearly 6 weeks. Waiting without any ID as they've no student card and their passport is in processing... is it just Xinjiang that's slow this year?

[cellofallon]

So into te 9th week now including October break and STILL no student cards (red book). And no sign of the being resolved. I keep complaining to the banzhuren teacher but no joy. I've tried the international office, but they send me back to my department. I want my discounts dammit!

Any suggestions how to resolve this?

[roddy]

上访！Your department>University>Municipal Education Authorities>Provincial Education Authorities>Ministry of Education>Zhongnanhai. 讨个说法! 向秋菊同志学习！

[cellofallon]

Hi Roddy,

What's the story behind 秋菊？Any links to read up on her case? My Chinese Reader post dated 1986, so I fear I may have not learned a valuable lesson...

[applepie42]

At Tsinghua, we got our student IDs (the little books) about 3 weeks into the semester, right before National Week.

But this ID is very useful in getting discounts at almost every major attraction in Beijing. I've used it to get half-price tickets to the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, etc. However, I was told that university students were not allowed to get discount subway cards...