Fudan Foreign Student Dormitory

[pro]

Hey guys, I am from Greece and ill be moving in Shanghai on September to study in Fudan for the 1 year Chinese language course.

I am going to apply today for a room in the foreign student dormitory. Can anyone give me some feedback if he/she knows on how is the dorm rooms etc?

Kind Regards

Pro

[Xiwang]

The dorms look fairly decent with two beds and a bathroom. The residential tower is standing by itself so, if you are high enough, you get a decent unblocked view of the area regardless of which side of the building you are located.

A friend of mine complained that the cigarette smoke from the guy downstairs leaked into her room even though he was not supposed to smoke in his room. The feedback I got from other students is that the place is average.

[terrina87]

Hi! I'm Teresa, an Italian girl that will attend the Chinese Language course at Fudan University (2010/2011 fall/winter semester). I want to know if you have succeeded to book on-line the room of Foreign Student Dormitory. I have tried but I have failed and I'm worried because I don't know where I have to go. What's your name? I would be happy to know other International Students at Fudan!

Teresa

[pro]

Thx for your reply Xiwang , i guess always u cant expect very much from student dorms.

Hi Teresa, my name is Prodromos, i ll be also attending the 10/11 language course. Yes i managed to book a room there although it was a difficult procedure because the site kept lagging due to the many people trying to book. It took me 2 hours almost to book and there where not many rooms left by then. You can try check the www.tohee.com its a international apartment site opposite Fudan. U can check it and call them to ask if they have rooms available. Do u have a facebook account?

Kind regards Pro

[weregoingunion]

Hey I hope this helps someone but it's not very good news.

I was actually in the Fudan dorms this Monday (July 26) and they are apparently completely full. I am not attending but was helping a friend that had just arrived in China. I was a little concerned when he told me he hadn't tried booking a room online but he had planned to just get it done on this visit. I went to Fudan a few years ago and the dorm situation is far from organized. I stayed there just one semester.

So we go inside and the people working downstairs said it was full. The said that the online booking had just started *that* morning and had already filled up. Basically a "sorry, nothing we can do." I do know the persistence pays off and other people have secured a room after it was "full" by simply bugging them enough, but my friend was only going to be in China a couple more days and couldn't come back until a few days before the fall semester starts. So I asked about a waiting list and she takes a blank piece of paper and wants him to write his name, phone #, and nationality. We had to give him my girl's # because I don't live here in China and neither does he (yet). I said, "so he's the first?" She said, "Yep!" So I find someone else to see if we can find someone a little brighter...

Next guy gives us a similar story but at least walks us through the (simple) online process and he shows us it's full. But the online form puts you on a waiting list. We talked him into pulling up the list and showing us where he was at in line and it was WAY down on the list, of course NOT first like the nice lady said. (I guess he was probably the first to be there in person by happening to wander in on the same day.) The website offers little consolation for such ridiculous treatment of an incoming student. It basically recommended that we "find a hotel near the school to stay...but that may also be difficult."

So I walked him over to these apartments directly across from the dorms (called Tong He)that rent rooms to (mostly) students by the night, month, semester, whatever. The people in the dorms gladly recommend you go over there and will even go as far as saying they are affiliated with the university (but they're not). Although they are pretty nice and many students prefer that to the dorms. We got him a room there but I would guess that they also fill up as the semester begins. I am glad that I went along with him and knew I had to because I remember my first time showing up at Fudan. If I had not had help, I would have been completely lost. The school does *nothing* to prepare you and is extremely disorganized. The people that need help the most (newcomers to China who can't speak Chinese) will have a hard time finding someone who will explain in English whats going on.

Fudan most likely won't do anything to help you if you show up for school a week or so before the semester starts and the dorms and nearby apartments are full.

All the negative remarks aside, once you get settled successfully, the classes and teachers are all great and you can successfully learn Chinese so long as you put in all the effort required on your end.