Looking for cheap Chinese Uni

[Liebkuchen]

I've posted on the forums recently, deciding to do what I can to go to China for September 2011 to study Mandarin for 9 months. I'm not eligible for the usual scholarships so I'll need to be self funded. Extra money through simply doing more hours or getting a second job isn't an option due to the job situation in my town. So I have some more questions:

1. I'm looking for somewhere cheap- yearly tuition fees of 10,000 RMB or cheaper but that also has an acceptable level of teaching. I don't need to be near lots of other foreigners but I would like to be in a Mandarin speaking area of the country. Any recommendations?

2. Xuzhou Normal Uni offers free tuition an accomodation in exchange for English tutoring. Does anyone know if anywhere else offers this, either formally or informally?

Thanks again!

[Gibbs]

Is that 9 months total in China or 9 months attending class? I am asking because the normal semester is almost 5 months. A university will usually have spring classes from the first week in March to the second or third week in July. The fall semester is usually from the beginning of September to early January. If you were to stay for 9 months total you would be paying for two semesters but really only able to attend one full semester and a quarter of the next semester.

If you are a native English speaker, you will have ample opportunities to teach or tutor English. If you arrive in China with just enough money to pay 9 months rent(rent is prepaid so you may also be able to only pay for the first three months), tuition, and enough to live off for just one month, after that first month, I guarantee you will have found teaching jobs (either privately or at a school) and will be able to fund your food, entertainment, utilities, etc. with your teaching fees. Ocean University in Qingdao is 7,000rmb per semester. You can find an above avg. 1 bedroom apt for about 1500rmb per month.

Here is the address to a classified website, http://58.com/changecity.aspx just choose a city and you can easily browse the apartments for rent section. Good Luck.

[abcdefg]

Does it really need to be a university? From your previous posts I would guess you aren't actually seeking a degree, so you might also look at language schools. You might wind up with fewer actual classroom hours and plenty of time for part-time work to pay your way. Many language schools that teach Chinese to foreigners also teach English to Chinese students and are potential sources of employment.

[Liebkuchen]

Thanks Gibbs. I should have said 1 academic year.

The tutoring when i get there sounds good- my only hesitation about doing it 'informally' is I'm one of these pathalogically honest types. If there was a way to do it all 100% above board, I'd rather do it that way. But I'll calm down and include tutoring in my figures.

I have to admit I'd rather live on campus as I'd like to use the facilities/get involved.

I'm still after a cheap course, though

[roddy]

You're assuming there are things to use and get involved with. You may well find (and particularly if you're choosing a university for cheapness) that isn't the case. And either way, if you're attending classes you're going to be on campus every day anyway.

Really have to recommend you overcome the worries about teaching on the side. Minimal chances of it causing you any problems, very real chances of it giving you more options and improving your quality of life. And the 'package' study and teach deals are probably no more legit than you signing up for a university and then finding a few hours private tutoring work a week - you're still on a student visa, and you're still not *meant* to work.

[jbradfor]

I'm one of these pathalogically honest types

Really have to recommend you get over that as well. I'm not saying that Chinese are more dishonest (but not saying they're not, I'm just not going there), but let's just say that different cultures have different standards of just how rigid "rules" are.

I have to admit I'd rather live on campus as I'd like to use the facilities/get involved.

If you can swing it, getting a Chinese roommate might provide the equivalent.

[Liebkuchen]

Okay- I'm readjusting my standpoint here. I can see that 5 hrs a week tutoring gives me maybe 2000RMB a month which is good with me. Which is far less than the 12 that Xuzhou Normal want. And pays better than my job here in the UK

I actually have a legit internet business in the UK through etsy.com which gives me at least £200 a month doing art (internet commissions and selling my own work). Is this portable? I mentioned it on their forum and they're very, very big on legalities and got shot down.

[fanglu]

I can see that 5 hrs a week tutoring gives me maybe 2000RMB a month

Does it really pay that much? 400rmb/hour? That sounds a bit extreme.

I actually have a legit internet business in the UK through etsy.com. Is this portable?

Legally, no. Practically (I assume you get paid through paypal or similar and don't need to actually attend on your clients), how will anyone know?

[roddy]

Maths!

You're worrying too much. As long as you don't actually open a firm named 'Foreigner's Illegal Sweatshop' on the local high street, and then burn it down with all the employees inside for the insurance, nobody is going to care. I'm fairly sure that what you're talking about would be legally fine anyway, but as it doesn't matter I'm not going to check.

[Liebkuchen]

Cool- Winging it it is! I shall enter into the Chinese entrepaneurial spirit!

Excuse my dodgy counting fanglu but aren't 5 lessons at 100RMB equal to 500RMB, which over a 4 week month equal to 2000RMB?

[fanglu]

Maths!

Never was my best subject

[roddy]

Your Mandarin-speaking criteria means you're stuck in the north-west, and I'm wondering if you can get tuition as cheap as 10,000 there. I looked up Jilin Normal as it's in the middle of nowhere and I knew the name from here as a small north-eastern place. But that's still 7,000 a semester. (See also. I've actually just dropped that guy a line as I'd love to hear what happened to him.)

[Liebkuchen]

Update: Having relaxed a bit re: money/income,I decided I was quibling over a few hundred pounds and should be more concerned over quality of teaching... I went through all the non-Beijing/Shanghai posts, picked out the recommended unis, then looked at their websites. At around 13 500 RMB, the South West University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu really stood out for me- has all the uni activities i'm after, matches you with a Chinese student for tutoring and has a very well organised information pack online. Chengdu seems like a lovely city. I watched videos of the school and town on youtube and from the online stuff,really liked what I saw. If I wanted a proper job with a language school, they do help with part-time work visas. There's even a chance of a part or full tuition scholarship.

However, if anyone can enthusiastically recommend somewhere else, I'm all ears!

[roddy]

Excellent. Chengdu's a great city and there's some fun traveling round about. You've got plenty of lead time so if you get to work online you can probably have a small group of Chinese friends there when you arrive.

[abcdefg]

Chengdu is a good place. You may find this site of some interest: www.chengduliving.com

Perhaps you should also have a look at Kunming. Life is pretty sweet there.

...has all the uni activities i'm after

I'm way out of the university "loop" and can't help wondering what activities you mean. Could you please fill me in.

You are making outstanding progress and I wish you well in your search.

[Liebkuchen]

Thanks guys for such a supportive response!

Roddy- thanks for the idea. I shall try to be proactive both here and elsewhere online. If anyone else is planning to attend SWUFE or indeed any Chengdu schoool/uni next September, they're can drop me a line. Thanks also for the kick up the proverbial

abcdefg- ta for the link. I shall definately use. I will also look up Kunming at your recommendation As for uni activities, I want to take advantage of some of the community aspects of being at a uni- I want to keep fit through joining a sports club or two- SWUFE has 2 swimming pools plus lots of other facilities. They have a student cinema on Friday and Saturday nights and foreign students are allowed to join the other clubs (I understand this may not be realistic for the first semester at least due to language ability.) They're aspects I loved when I was an undergrad and would get me out of the international college clique.

The city and nearby attractions are also ideal for my artwork. I can't believe how excited I am at the prospect!

Have you seen this official promotional video from the city?

The clincher was all the positive comments from ex residents posted below...

[gato]

Southwest University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE / 西南财经大学) should be fine, but I wouldn't get my hopes up about school activities too much.

I actually was in Chengdu recently and got some nice grilled something-something at a sidewalk stand across the street from 西南财经大学. Chengdu's a great place if you like spicy food. ;-) Be sure to try the hotpots.

[Liebkuchen]

I've just applied to SWUFE as well as for their full tuition scholarship. I've followed the wooly guidelines on what is requied for the scholarship- and emailed it off with scans of all my academic and volunteer bits of paper to add a bit of weight behind it.

If I don't get it, it gives me ages to look into alternatives since its my hands down first choice. If I do get it, I'll have time to plan and make contacts unlike all the Chinese Government Scholarship folks who get little notice of where they're going.

Wish me luck!

^_^

[abcdefg]

Best of luck! Being decisive often carries the day.

[Liebkuchen]

Got a lovely reply next working day!- unfortunately, they can't accept my scholarship application until June, deadline July 15th.

Need to see if I can afford to go regardless.