Xiamen

[Rose090909]

Hi everyone, 

There's been some great information posted here so far, it's been really helpful to someone who is also considering studying at Xiamen University for one semester. Can anyone tell me anything about their experience studying on the Xiang'an campus? I checked based on Carenja's post above, and it seems that all language teaching/accommodation for foreign students has now moved to this campus. I know that the main campus is famed for being really beautiful - I'm a bit worried that this new campus seems very far out and ultra modern with not a lot going on around it / not much in the way of natural beauty. 

I'd really appreciate it if anyone could share their insight into this! 

[tallcity]

carenja, i have been considering that area for scholarship, but i dont like the party scene.

would you consider Fujian Normal instead? Huaqiao?

[ZhangKaiRong]

Hey guys,

 

Could somebody update me on the current living conditions/price level in Xiamen? The latest, detailed post is from 2010, and a lot of things changed in the last 5 years...

Recently I got three offers from companies operating in the city, and offered packages ranged from 12k RMB to 25k RMB per month, which seems to be a huge gap (offered position was basically the same however at different firms). I was wondering how much money I need to earn a month to maintain a normal lifestyle?

By normal lifestyle, I mean renting a fully-equipped nice apartment in or near the city centre, eating like a well-situated Chinese, going to a gym regularly, occasional weekend partying (once in a month), etc. I don't want a typical expat lifestyle, I don't want to eat Western foods, I can live happily without Starbucks or any other cafés (I hate these kind of places here as well). However, I would like to save some money for regular travelling in Asia (Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, etc.). I would like to know what kind of package should I aim for in the future.

 

Many thanks for any answer!

[gato]

Why not take the highest offer? You can take take a look at site like Ganji.com for classified ads on apartments.

25k/mo should be well into upper middle class for Xiamen. Though keep in mind that most well-to-do people in China made their money either in real estate or business, and not through salary income.

[ZhangKaiRong]

Thanks for the info, gato!

 

I did not take any of the offers as I'm currently not too mobile due to personal circumstances. Currently I would only go to the other part of the world if the package was really that sexy. But let's be honest, 25k RMB is still not on that level, in Europe someone can get 3,500-4,000 EUR/month plus bonus plus fringe benefits package with my background, pretty close to home and with good professional guidance. All positions offered were from a new segment of business, therefore I doubt there would be too much room for professional development. I was just wondering what would be a package I would really consider.

[gato]

Still probably best do some time at a Big 4 in Shanghai (or Beijing, if you are ok with the smog) so that you can get to know more businesses and make more connections. Hard to jump directly from a Big 4 in Europe to the most attractive companies in China directly unless you are a superstar.

Or moving first to a European office of a multinational like Siemens or GE and later lateralling over to China at a senior level is another possibility.

[idieh]

Hi, I am planning to study in chinese language. Does anyone have any experience with Xiamen University or Huaqiao University? Thanks