Who's going to BLCU for full year program in Fall 2009?

[Guest tin4ik]

Hey! i`m Dayana, and I`m looking for a roommate for the next year

going to Beijing on the 27th, and to tell the truth, don`t want to stay in dorms. Last year i lived in B.#4, then - appartment, it`s cheapper.

If there is somebody who wants to rent an apprt,. or at leas to find a roommate for dorms)) i wiil be glad to meet you

[crisgee]

Hello all!

I'll be going to BLCU this fall too! I got a CSC scholarship and i'm pretty stoked about it except perhaps the fact that i have been condemned to dorm number 2. I dunno, i guess i'll just rough it out. Or else i'll just spend the whole day outside bothering the Chinese with my broken Mandarin, telling them about my life story, and trying to understand theirs.

@dru86

I hope you got your JW201 and Admission Notice already. Yes, enrollment for scholarship students is on Aug 28-30. Classes start on the 31st! Hope to see you around!

[ScoobyDoo]

@sahra, thanks for the info. i know its extremely late to apply right now but i just arrived in beijing a few days ago on a tourist visa, so i'm going over to the school tomorrow to try to get admitted. wish me luck y'all! and to all fall students, we should arrange a meet up soon!

[XiaoBin]

I see that there are alot of questions but only few answers about this. I've been to BLCU 2 semesters 20weeks/ 20hrs a week in 2007-2008 and I'm heading back this fall. I'll try to answer as many questions I can. I can only speak for the short term courses, only have little info on the 1 year course. If you still have specific questions you can pm me. I presume you are all talking about chinese languages studies at BLCU.

Main page international students http://www.blcu.edu.cn/lzb/lx/english/index.htm

ABOUT THE COURSES:

I personaly prefer to take the short-term 20 weeks courses. You will be more flexible in classes. After one semester you can take an other placement test and you will be put in the class most fitting to you're chinese level. Also you don't have to apply for an X visa, so no medical check needed.

20 or 30 hrs a week. From what i heard from my friends is that the 30hrs a week course is a little too much. Class for the 20hrs/week is from 8-12. Class for the 30hrs/week is from 8-12 then lunch from 12-2 and then class from 2-4. Most ppl will skip the afternoon class because there is an 2hr gap. The 20hrs a week class covers about the same material but in a shorter time.

ADDITIONAL COURSES:

Above is the regular language course. There are some additional courses that you can take. They will be late afternoon or at night. You have to pay extra for these courses. Not sure where you can find info about this online. But I'm sure your teacher will be able to tell you.

REGISTRATION:

When you get to BLCU you have to completer your registration. You'll need all the documents that were send to you (letter of admission etc.). The short term students have to complete this between 14-16 sept. (it's written on you admission letter) You'll have to do this in teaching bldg #3 (also known as the student office) It will be better if you bring cash to complete the registration. Credit card transfers are done in an other building and you have to pay extra. It's just alot of hassle.

ACCOMODATION/ DORMS:

You can't book dorms ahead of time. After you complete your registration process at BLCU you can apply for a dorm. Most popular dorms are 17 and 4. When you look for a dorm be sure that it has air-con and no curfew. For ppl that don't have any accomodation when they get there. I recommend to stay in the Conference Center (located behind the library) or XiJiao hotel (http://www.xijiao-hotel.com.cn/index.php?styleid=2) for the first couple days.

TRIPS AND HOLLIDAYS:

The first semester doesn't have alot of holidays. There is only the Golden week. This year it's combined with some other holidays and is 10 days. There is also China's 60th anniversary on oct 1st! Be sure not to miss it. Ceremonies on Tian'an men. BLCU has a couple trippes planned you can go to Inner mongolia or some other places (might be a little different this year due to the anniversary). I would recommend inner mongolia. You will get a schedule when your class starts with all the trips on it. The 1 yrs students don't get a schedule with trips. But they can come on them, so ask about them. There are some language practices throught the year.

Remember that the chinese don't cellebrate christmas, so there will be class on those days. BLCU is pretty mellow about classes and you can skip some. I don't recommend that tho, especialy when you're a beginner. You can take many trips in the weekends (leave friday and come back monday) So don't worry lots of time to travel around.

I'll prob be in BJ form sept 8, apartment hunting. In rare occasions when somebody has big problems i'll try to get my phone number to you. Have to buy a phonecard as soon as i get to china. Oh btw I'm a Dutch guy from chinese decent.

Edited August 24, 2009 at 03:57 PM by roddy

[ScoobyDoo]

It looks like I won't be registering at BLCU this fall afterall! I have to return to the states in October to take care of personal business. Darn! So I plan on undertaking a personal study plan. @Xiaobin- or anyone who knows- Does BLCU sell their books? the ones that they use in class? Or does anyone have recommendations for another book that a beginner can use (I know how to speak mandarin but ZERO writing/reading skills)

[XiaoBin]

Yes BLCU sells their books. It will be hard tho to learn chinese when you're a beginner. The tones are not easy to learn. Personaly I think that it would be best to take classes to master the tones. Afterwards you can learn some stuff on your own.

The BLCU book are sold at the bookstore under Lush in WuDaoKou (not sure how that bookstore is called) and in the library. The book are released from their own publisher. Beginners use 3 books one for grammer one for spoken and one for listening. If you order these book make sure you order the audio cd for the listening book. Maybe the spoken book has a cd aswell. I'm am not sure if you can order these online or not but here are the ISBN for these books (I don't have my first grammar book anymore, but I'll give you the info from the second book).

GRAMMAR

Name: 速成汉语初级教程：综合课本　（2）

zonghe hanyu chuji jiao cheng: zonghe keben (2)

ISBN: 978-75619-0488-6/H.369

SPOKEN

Name: 汉语口语速成－入门篇－上

hanyu kouyu sucheng - rumen pian - shang

ISBN: 978-7-5619-1364-2/H.04066

LISTENING

Name: 汉语听力速成－提高篇

hanyu tingli sucheng - tigao pian

ISBN: 7-5619-1061-4/H-02039

You can also try chinesepod.com

Good luck

[wanderlust]

@XiaoBin: Thanks for all the useful info! I have a question re accommodations - did you get to stay at Dorm 17? If not, do you know if the rate already includes utilities, phone use, drinking water, cleaning service, use of washing machine and kitchen (if there is one).

[XiaoBin]

Brian US wrote:

Just got to BLCU yesterday. Spent one night in the conference center and went looking for dorms in the morning. When I went to dorm 2, per my admission notice, I think with my broken Chinese that they couldn't get me a room and I would have to go to the individual dorm to find out.

I went straight to dorm 17 and they only have double rooms available, so I was just happy to get in. I havn't been to BLCU in two years and I have found there to be a lot of contruction. I guess the large building in the center of campus is for the new dining center.

I am very happy with dorm 17 and would encourage anyone to spend the extra. Having a double helps with the wallet. You can check in early as my admission notice says not until the 26th and I was told it is 65 yuan a night for a double in 17.

I stayed in the conference center before, never in dorm 17. I can only give you answers based on what i heard from my friends about dorm 17. From what I understand is that utilities are included. If you have a phone on your room, you will most prob have to buy a phonecard. Dorm 17 has a laundery room and kitchen. Some guy made a youtube clip about conference center vs dorm 17

It will give you a good view of dorm 17. Dorm 17 is very popular so be quick.

Hope this helps. If any other questions let me know.

[crisgee]

Flying to Beijing in 11 hours, arriving in 15!

Hope to meet some of you guys!

[jadegly86]

@XiaoBin

Thanks for the useful information! I applied for the Short Term Intensive 30/hr week course starting 17th spet and I have not inquired about accommodation as of yet. Started freaking out about accommodation after reading the earlier posts about booking rooms earlier, having few rooms left etc... So your post puts me at ease a little bit.

I am guessing there is no point in me calling up the sch to book a room in advance if that is the case? I will be flying in on the 13th sept afternoon and registering the next day. Guess it will be a rush to the admin office and the dormitory after.

[XiaoBin]

Not a problem. I'm sure you'll be fine

I'll be starting a 20hrs/week course, on sept 17th as well. (arriving in BJ sept 9th)

Booking dorms in advance is not possible. The only on campus accommodation that you can book in advance is the conference center. More info at http://www.blcu.edu.cn/conference/kfjsh.html#2

If you want to stay elsewhere follow instructions above ;)

Let me know if you have any trouble.

[crisgee]

Any scholars *still* in Dorm 1? I'm really getting bored here. Dru86, i know you're here. Show yourself!

Any Pinoys in BLCU? I know how they say we Filipinos are everywhere but i have not come across a single student in the past week. Show yourself!

[aristotle1990]

Any scholars *still* in Dorm 1?

Yes. It's not especially difficult to get used to -- you just need the fortitude to tough it for a week, after which time it feels like the most normal thing in the world.

Besides, free certainly beats not free.

[wanderlust]

@crisgee: Pinoy here! (but of Chinese descent). I would type in Tagalog but I don't think it'll be polite. Arriving in Beijing in two days. See ya.

[greenarcher]

I'm here now staying in Dorm 17. This dorm is crazy and is fully booked whole year round. The building is pretty nice and there's free wifi in the lobby.

I heard most of the dorms including the conference center are packed. It seems there are more students this semester than expected.

Nearby apartments are freakin expensive, around 6k RMB for a 3-bedroom apartment.

There are people from just about every country in the world.

To the Pinoys: You can easily find us in Dorm 17 and around the area. There's a lot of us here. A LOT.

It's really annoying that Facebook is blocked.

[XiaoBin]

Yea, dorm 17 is pretty much booked. From what I understand single rooms are booked or pre-booked. Might still be some doubles left.

Other dorms you can try are 4 and 6.

Apartments are pretty hard to find. I've been hunting for a couple days and it's slim pickings.

About fb see this topic http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/21652-review-on-witopia-and-other-anti-wall-apps&page=2

[imron]

Nearby apartments are freakin expensive, around 6k RMB for a 3-bedroom apartment.

6k / 3 = 2k each per month. BLCU's website say you pay 180 RMB a day to stay in a single room in Dorm 17 or 95 RMB for a shared room. That's 5,400 RMB a month or 2,850 RMB a month respectively. Dorms seem far more expensive to me even if you take into account utilities, internet etc.

[crisgee]

Ahoy! Hey wanderlust and greenarcher! I'll send you a PM after this reply. Maybe we can have lunch/dinner or something. I already met one Pinoy (also from La Salle, greenarcher) in my class. He also lives in Dorm 17. Maybe i'll run into more of you peeps next week.

@aristotle1990: Congrats to you, then. Unfortunately, I just can't take it, especially living with a not so considerate roommate. I'm moving out this week, finally. And i'm happy to pay for my accomodations.

@greenarcher and xiaobin: i found some pretty okay deals on www.thebeijinger.com. there are even sub-1500RMB rooms in a shared apartment. I found myself one such room in wangzhuang lu and i'm moving in there this week.

Edited September 13, 2009 at 12:35 PM by crisgee

[Brian US]

I am only paying 65 yuan a day for a share room at dorm 17, so I didn't think it would go up to 95.

[imron]

Well, I was just going by figures quoted on BLCU's webpage as I didn't have any others to go by, but even at 65 RMB a day that's still 1,950 RMB a month. Which is basically the same as what you'd pay if 3 people split a 6,000 RMB 3 bedroom apartment. Except then you'd have your own room, no restrictions on guests plus a whole host of other benefits. Don't get me wrong, dorms also have their advantages, and living off-campus is not without its problems, but cost is almost always not one of them.