Renmin Fall 2011

[Ilanav]

Hey all,

I will be studying Chinese in Renmin starting Sept. 2011.

Who else is coming?

Ilana

[Brian US]

I'll be starting my masters during that time. Will you be in the language program? I put together a pretty detailed guide with only a few things needing to be updated:

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/28887-beginners-guide-to-renmin-university-%E4%BA%BA%E5%A4%A7/

[Ilanav]

Hey Brian,

Thanks for your answer.

Yeah, I'm suppose to be in the language program. I've seen your guide - it is very detailed, thanks but it also kind of pessimistic. Is it all still the way you wrote? big classes?

And how about the dorms? are they ok? shared bathrooms sounds kinda threahening

Thanks,

Ilana

[Brian US]

Most of my teachers were pretty good, but I also became lazy with my studies. I did have a teacher we called the 对不对 teacher as he stated on the first day of class that he wouldn't teach us grammar or the new words, just go through the book. It consisted of him going down the attendance and having us read out loud, followed up by questions. Most people didn't prepare, so they would guess and he would simply say 对 or 不对. We only met once a week for that class, so it wasn't a big deal.

I think my biggest problem was and is getting over the intermediate lull. Our main grammar teachers were great and I would have really improved my writing if I had actually studied. Speaking will be a problem with a class of over 20 students.

The international student dorm will have men and women on the same floor with shared bathrooms (separate of course). The showers have their own individual stalls with locking doors. It costs around 900 RMB a month for a shared room and I'm not sure about the nicer Korean dorm.

I think I was a little too pessimistic when I wrote the guide, so I'm going to tone it down a little. My teachers were much better the second semester.

[Ilanav]

Thanks again

20 ppl in class is crazy - when I was studying in 云南师范大学 in 2008, we were 6 in class...:/ ohh well...

and i think dorms is the best option for scholarship students, because its... free, so I will try that and in the worst case scenario move to an apartment later.

Hope to meet you on campus

[lcr89]

Hey guys, I'll be at RenDa this fall with the Chinese Government Scholarship as well! I have a couple of questions:

a) Officially with the CGS, I'm at RenDa to take language courses.. however, I'm interested in potentially also enrolling in some business and finance courses. Do you guys know if these are taught in Chinese, English or both? How do we go about enrolling (or at least auditing) these classes?

B) Are the single rooms usually all booked by registration time - would it be advisable to arrive slightly earlier on campus to secure these rooms if one is interested?

Thanks! Let me know if anybody else will be around

[Brian US]

a) Officially with the CGS, I'm at RenDa to take language courses.. however, I'm interested in potentially also enrolling in some business and finance courses. Do you guys know if these are taught in Chinese, English or both? How do we go about enrolling (or at least auditing) these classes?

They have some business classes taught in English, but I think for the most part it will be in Chinese. You can sit in on classes, so go to the respected department and ask. I haven't done it before, but I don't think it's a problem.

Are the single rooms usually all booked by registration time - would it be advisable to arrive slightly earlier on campus to secure these rooms if one is interested?

I think it is harder being a scholarship student, because they may not let you check in early. You will probably need to pay the full room rate per day until the official check-in date. If you really have your heart set on a single room, then $10+ a day to be there early might be worth it.

[lcr89]

Great, thanks for the info, Brian. Do you know where I can go about obtaining some sort of course list from RenDa; is this kind of information available online?

Also, I assume most scholarship students live together in the double room housing -- does this mean we probably can't check in to the assigned rooms before check-in as well?

Thanks!

[Helene US]

Hi All,

I'm planning to do an exchange program for the Renmin Fall 2011 semester, I think that I will be participating in the Masters in Contemporary China studies, can anyone tell me what to expect when I arrive as far as registering for class, securing housing, etc.? Right now my contacts say that I might not be able to find room in the dorms, if so they will help me find a room to rent, do these rooms come furnished? I'm arriving on Sept 6th which I think is the first day I can move in, I'm travelling with one other student but we are otherwise in the dark and would appreciate any advice! I read the beginners guide to beijing on this site but it seems like its for language students and I don't think that's me, so any advice on what to expect for housing would be much appreciated! I am going to try to call the school contact I have tonight (China daytime) for some responses but in the meantime I thought I'd try this!

Thanks!

Helene

[Brian US]

The rooms are furnished with language students and degree students living together. You will probably have a different registration day, so just go by your acceptance letter.

[trose1189]

So I just showed up in Beijing yesterday, I'm here for the Masters of Contemporary China Studies program but only one semester. My contact told me I shouldn't live on campus, but has otherwise not been around much or offered much advice, and my Chinese language skills are pretty rough. So, does anyone have some golden piece of advice on finding a decent apartment? I've been looking at thebeijinger.com's classified ads, without a whole lot of success.

Thanks!

[Brian US]

Look out the west gate and go to a few different real estate agencies.

I'm almost finished with registration as a graduate student after two days of waiting in lines and running between buildings. As a foreigner and a graduate student, I was told to register on the 8th. Of course, going to the foreign student office took the entire afternoon and I was directed to the business school for the next day. They didn't plan it out well for foreigners, because the 8th was also for all graduate students, so I was immediately a day behind Chinese students.

I missed half of an introduction lecture in the morning and found myself as the only foreigner attending them. The check-in list had less than 10 foreigners on it with only a few checked in at the main office, I assume for the business school only. The next lecture was about the library, but after waiting 45 minutes with no one showing up of a 1 hour lecture, students started to leave. The next lecture was how to select classes online, which was suppose to last an hour and a half. We waited for half an hour when a student came in and informed us that a teacher already covered the process in the introduction lecture, so it was canceled.

Undergraduates have a direct link to signing in online, but it took me a bit of looking to find the graduate's link only to find out my 用户名 (supposed to be 身份证 which I assume is my passport number) doesn't work. I'll have to go to the office at 8am before my classes start in the morning to register and even find out when my class is.

I did give more work to myself when applying for a new visa, which is done at the foreign student office along with all other registration. A teacher recognized me and told me I can 自己办 my visa, which I said I didn't really understand. She kept saying how I could do it myself, so I just went along with it. After putting some information in the computer another office worker gave back my passport and the address to the visa office on 安定门东大街. Apparently the other teacher thought she was doing me a favor and saving me the 60 kuai service charge at the cost of me traveling across town and probably wasting 4+ hours of my time. I immediately asked them to do it for me, but I guess once he inputted it, there was no going back.

Oh, the perils of being paid to study in China.

[Brian US]

Just finished my first main class this morning that went for three and a half hours. I was lucky enough to understand half of what the teacher was saying, let alone sit through such a long class on accounting theory. I can't even watch TV or a movie for three and a half hours.

This is going to be a long two years.