Ocean University of China, Qingdao

[Chris Two Times]

ling_ling24,

 

You are a star! Many thanks for all of that info.

 

Warm regards,

Chris Two Times

[ling_ling24]

Hello Chris,

 

I appreciate your kind words. Just trying to contribute and share my own experiences and knowledge of living and studying in Qingdao so far so future students may have an easier time adjusting and know what to expect. Glad my info was helpful! That's what I wanted to hear.

 

Cheers,

Elaine

[rayne]

That's a lot of great info, ling_ling24!

 

I won't be living in the dorms but I'm interested in your day to day life as a student. I'd also love to know more about Qingdao in general if it's okay to be posted in this thread. 

[ling_ling24]

Hey Rayne again,

 

Yes, of course I can share with you my day to day student life as well as Qingdao life in general :
 

Day to day school life

 

Classes are early (they start at 8 am Monday to Friday) so it can be a struggle for me to wake up. But so far, I haven’t been late to class. Some teachers are more lenient than others about tardiness. There’s a new school “rule” that the teacher read aloud to us to not be late to class. Probably because there were many students late to class last term so class didn’t start right at 8 am.

 

I like all of my teachers in my B class so far. They teach with enthusiasm and try their best to make class interesting. Way better than most of my teachers last term. So the quality of the teachers varies. However, I found the students more interesting in my A3 class last term than my B class this term. But that’s just my personal experience which is only one person’s. Luckily, I’ve made friends outside of my class before the term started who go to my school and I see them every day, so school life isn’t too bad.

 

This term, there are only 2 sub-levels for A & B classes (instead of the usual 3) but 2 sub-levels for C class (perhaps because there was only one C class last term and way too many students in it).

 

The grade breakdown is 20% daily performance (including attendance and doing your homework), 30% for mid-terms, and 50% for finals.

 

There are elective classes you can sign up for (for a fee) in the school, including tai chi, calligraphy, and Chinese painting (which start the second week of the term) but I don’t know any students who have taken them so I don’t think they’re very popular. There is also a guys’ football team (comprised mostly of Koreans) and some other sports team (only for guys) that I can’t remember. There are also posters of involvement/extracurricular opportunities posted randomly in the school.

 

There are 3 breaks in between classes (the first one being 10 minutes long, then 20 minutes, then another 10 minute one). There are days when classes go faster (more so the first few classes during the start) and other days that feel like a drag. I was late a lot after the mid-term exams last term ‘cause I couldn’t wake up early enough. Toward the last few months of school, aside from me, there was only 1 other student who regularly attended classes, so it was also a motivation factor too.

 

Aside from studying from OUC’s class curriculum, I think it’s also important to practice your speaking and listening skills. OUC has a Chinese Corner (it was every Monday, 1:30-3:30 pm last term) where Laoshan students (who are studying to become Chinese language teachers) come to the Fushan school to practice Chinese with us. I found the opportunity kind of helpful and I got to meet more people.

 

OUC Fushan school doesn’t feel much like a campus, but Qingdao University does. There are no Chinese students in the Fushan campus, except those who are studying English to prepare for overseas studies (they study at a nearby school building). There are 4 of such students this term who live in the Fushan no. 9 dorm (where I live). I have made friends with one of them so you can be language buddies with them! The rest of the Chinese students are in the Laoshan or Yushan campus, but not Fushan. I’ve also seen some scholarship students in the no. 9 dorm, but they have to use the public bathroom and live in the crappier rooms.

 

Even though there aren’t any Chinese students in the school, last term, I just met one randomly at a nearby stationary store who became my language buddy. You can probably also meet Chinese people in cafés to practice your Mandarin. Toward the end of last term, I also made friends with some Chinese students from the Laoshan campus who were the language buddies of my dorm mates/OUC language students. You can also practice your Mandarin with Korean students in and outside of your classes (who I mentioned before don’t speak much English).

 

Last term, after class, for convenience, I often bought lunch and/or dinner from the street food stands on Qing Da Yi Lu (where the dorm is located) but for some reason, this term, the street food stands still haven’t opened yet. I may buy beef & choy noodles (la mian), salad, pork sandwich burger, BBQ chicken & greens w/ rice, or fast Chinese food (buffet style). This term, I have been eating lunch almost every day after class with some friends. I don’t cook in my dorm as there’s no kitchen. I often find it a struggle to think of where to eat because although there are restaurants near by, they are lacking in variety.

 

If you live in an apartment, you’ll be missing out on the student life and meeting students from your school. But living in an apartment may be cleaner, nicer, bigger, less noisy, and not smoky (unfortunately, students can smoke in and out of their dorms). So there are pros and cons of both living situations. 

[ling_ling24]

Qingdao Life

 

I’m not exactly sure what you want me to write about this or what your lifestyle is like, but I’ll share with you what I know and have experienced.

 

The climate in Qingdao is relatively mild compared to other cities in China. Summers can be quite warm (30 degree C) but I’ve noticed that there’s more wind now that September is here. I heard that the winters are kind of cold but I grew up in Vancouver, BC, so it shouldn’t be too unbearable. I find the air quality in Vancouver much better, but I’ve heard that Qingdao’s air quality is already one of the best amongst cities in China. It can be quite dusty, dirty, and smelly and the roads in disrepair (like on Qing Da Yi Lu where the dorm is located) so don’t expect everything here to be clean and smooth looking.

 

Transportation wise, it’s fairly convenient to get around the city. There are nearby buses and taxis (9 kuai and 12 kuai for more spacious ones). The subway is supposed to be completed by this December. You can download transportation apps (you’ll find out what the common ones are when you get here) to help you get taxis faster, look for directions, etc. The traffic in the city can get quite bad during rush hour (in the morning and from ~5:30-7 pm). I heard that back in 2011 and prior, when there weren’t as many cars, there was hardly any traffic and the air quality was much better.

 

As for sightseeing in and exploring Qingdao, I think it’d probably take around 2 weeks to see all the main attractions. People have said you can do it in 1 day or 1 week but I think there’s more to Qingdao. Check out Trip Advisor for some recommendations. My favourite places are May 4^th Square (it’s nice both during the day and night time), Zhongshan Gong Yuan (bring a camera and go in April as the cherry blossoms are in bloom only then), the Marina City area (where there’s a mall and cafes/restaurants across the mall), and the Olympic Sailing area (including Darling Pier). I’d also recommend checking out Badaguan (including Granite Castle), the Governor’s Mansion, Zhanqiao Pier, and the beaches: Shilaoren & no. 1, no. 2, and no. 3 beach. I also like going to karaoke (or KTV is what they call it here) from time to time. There are also many coffee shops (if you’re into that), like on Coffee Street, in the city centre, and even some around the school. I will be going on a cycling tour along the coast line (starting point is at OUC Fushan’s main gate) with some friends next weekend which should be fun. It’s 100 kuai/person for 5 or 6 hours and we stop at some of the attractions along the way.

 

This term, I want to check out Pichai Yuan Alley, go bowling at Grand Regency Hotel (the only place in Qingdao that has bowling, though it recently got renovated), and the 2 museums here.

 

There’s also one amusement park and one new water park in Qingdao (although they are far to get to and expensive for Chinese standards).

 

Past contributors to this forum and I have written some info about Qingdao’s night life so you can read up on that here.

[ling_ling24]

As for the culture in Qingdao, there are both honest and not so honest people here, so be careful. I don’t think I’ve been ripped off yet and vendors have given me the right amount of change for my purchases. You’ll find that there may be people yelling on the streets or having arguments. Northern Chinese people can have more a temper than Southern people (I didn’t believe this until I came here), but there are also warmer, gentler, and more hospitable people. There may be people who ignore you when you ask for directions. Also, you’ll have to be more direct when you ask for things, like when you want water at a restaurant, you just have to say “I want water”. It’s perfectly acceptable. Unless you’re at a department store where there’s a sales associate at every corner, many places and restaurants don’t have much customer service. It’s not the norm in China.

 

If you’re white (especially if you’re white and have blond hair and blue eyes) or non-Chinese looking, Chinese locals tend to stare at you. You may think that Qingdao, being a second-tier city, would have many English speakers, but there isn’t a big expat community here. You may be followed, asked to be in a photo, or to have your WeChat. Luckily, I blend in ‘cause I look and am Chinese. But I get asked, “Where are you from?” or “Are you Korean?” ‘cause I don’t have the standard Mandarin accent when I open my mouth. Then when I say “I’m from Canada”, I get the response “But you look Chinese”. I was so annoyed and angry during my first few months here ‘cause I got asked that every day multiple times.

 

You may also be drilled with questions from Chinese strangers. They may ask how old you are, if you’ve eaten yet (though this is usually to more familiar people), if you’ve a girlfriend/boyfriend (although I haven’t been asked yet, thank goodness), etc. It may seem none of their business to ask but Chinese people are just curious.

 

I've probably missed some other points regarding my cultural observations, but this is what I can come up with for now. Hope you've enjoyed reading these massive bomb posts!

[rayne]

Thanks so much for the detailed posts! Is it difficult to make friends there? I have some difficulty opening up to people so I'm a bit worried about that... I think I'll have a similar experience with you as I am Chinese-Canadian as well but I speak Cantonese not Mandarin. And my Cantonese is actually not very good either 

 

And about food, are there decent dim sum and sushi restaurants? I really miss eating dim sum and sushi... nothing decent here in Korea 

 

Also, what visa types do you guys have? I read on the website that I should get an F visa if I am only studying for one semester and I cannot get a residence permit? 

[ling_ling24]

*Correction (as of Sept. 19, '15): there actually is a canteen on the 2nd floor of a building north of the Fushan international school. I didn't know where it was until now probably because I haven't heard anyone talking about it and probably because not many international students go there to eat. It's located between the no. 9 dorm and school. You'll see a convenience store and a few restaurants on the first floor. But because the Chinese students nearby get off earlier from school than the international students, there probably won't be much food left over when we get off at 12 pm. 

[ling_ling24]

Hey Rayne,

 

Sorry for the delayed reply. Here are my responses to your questions. Good questions, by the way!

 

Making friends

 

As I'd mentioned in a previous post, you'll find that the various ethnic groups here tend to stick together. So it's good to put yourself out there from the start if you want to befriend them and not feel lonely and isolated. But I think that coming from a multi-ethnic and cultural background (so in our case, Chinese-Canadian) gives us an upper advantage because we're able to relate to both Asians and westerners (to various degrees in these groups). So you probably wouldn't have too much trouble making friends. For example, although some of my Chinese-Indonesian and Korean friends here want to befriend westerners, they're scared to cuz of the language and cultural barriers. They didn't grew up in very multi-cultural environments and some think that white westerners are "too good" for them. So growing up in the west but also having Asian roots means we can have the best of 2 worlds in China. You can add me on WeChat and we can connect again when you get here. I can introduce you to people!

 

If you've trouble opening up to people, let this experience abroad be an opportunity for you to step out of your comfort zone (as cliche as it sounds). Your experience here will not only be one of language improvement but also self-growth where you'll learn more about yourself. I'm an ambivert and I know I need to set boundaries of going out with my friends so I can have "me" time like staying at home. Even though I'm outgoing and generally don't have trouble meeting strangers, I also need ample time alone to reflect and do my own things. There's nothing wrong with that. So don't think that just cuz you're living and studying abroad that you've to go out all the time and meet lots of people to have a good time. To each their own. Ultimately, do want makes you happy. Not what other people say you should do.

 

I speak Cantonese, not Mandarin. You'll probably find that as you are learning Mandarin, your Cantonese will also improve. There actually aren't many Cantonese people here although there are some in OUC's Laoshan campus (but it's kinda far away). I think you'll still have an upper advantage than many Chinese language students here. At least you know some Chinese. Also, you can practice your Mandarin at the weekly Chinese Corner offered at the Fushan campus. Your Mandarin will definitely improve over a short period of time, especially since you'll need to speak it every day. There aren't many local English speakers in Qingdao.

Food

There are some dim sum and sushi restaurants in Qingdao, but I don't think they are as good as the ones back home. The portions are not as big and the quality not as good here. For example, the sashimi here is probably farmed whereas you can get wild sashimi in Vancouver. Food in Qingdao in general isn't very good, especially if you compare it to Vancouver's. Western restaurants here are more expensive than Chinese ones here but they're comparable in price and some cheaper than Vancouver's.

Type of Visa

 

If you're studying for just 1 term in Qingdao, then you need the X2 Visa. If you're studying for 2 terms (so a year) or more, you'll need the X1 Visa. Here's more info about the different types of China Visas: http://www.visarite.com/visaType.htm. I haven't heard of the F Visa before but according to the link, "the duration of stay (each visit) is normally 30-90 days." That's not enough for the duration of your language studies in Qingdao, as each school term is typically 4.5 months long. So get the X2 Visa if you're staying in China for less than 6 months. If you're staying for over 6 months, get the X1 Visa.

 
 

[rayne]

Thanks for all the info again!

 

I saw here:

http://iec.ouc.edu.cn/yingwenban/Article/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=80

 

 

 

those who are going to study for one semester (within six months) shall apply for an F Visa.

 

 

So I am confused as to which visa to apply for. Is the website outdated in this regard?  I'm actually going to try apply to Ocean University by myself and not through the caucus site so I want to check everything before I get started. Who can I contact from the university about this? 

 

On the site you provided it says:

 

 

 

X2 visa is usually issued for one entry with validity up to 6 months

 

Does anyone know if it's possible to get multi-entry for X2 visas? 

[ling_ling24]

No worries!

 

As for your questions, I'm not entirely sure. Does anyone on here know about the F Visa? I've never heard of it before. I tried searching it up online but the info available seems ambiguous. I've a feeling that the F Visa is more for "business" rather than student purposes as it's categorized as "business" here: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/business.htm. I think the X1 and X2 visas are for students studying abroad.

If no one knows about the F Visa, I can go to the school's Visa department and ask.

 

If I'm not mistaken, X2 Visas don't grant you multiple entries, only X1 can.

[rayne]

On this website (http://www.chinaconsulatesf.org/eng/lszj/zgqz/) it says

 

 

 

F: Issued to those who intend to go to China for exchanges, visits, study tours and other activities.

 

So it looks like it can be used for study but more specific kinds (exchanges, study tours, etc.). So I think you are correct that I should get an X2 but I don't know why Ocean University's website says I should get a F... At the moment I'm considering only studying for one semester and hopefully finding a job by the end of the semester and changing it to a Z visa. 

[ling_ling24]

Hey Rayne,

 

So I asked for you at OUC Fushan's Visa department today and they said the F visa is for those who have a special invitation to come abroad (I'm guessing for research and/or work purposes). The one you need to get is X1 or X2 for studying purposes in China. If you want multiple entries (to go in and out of China), you need to get the X1 Visa. If you don't need to exit China and are only studying for 1 term (less than 6 months), the X2 will do.

 

If you have any Visa-related questions, you can directly email OUC Fushan's Visa department at iechsk@ouc.edu.cn. They can probably understand your English. 

[rayne]

Wow, thank you so much for asking them about that!!! I will email them if I have any further questions. Thanks again!! ^^ 

[ling_ling24]

You're very welcome! Glad I was of help! Good luck with your application!

[Saxondale]

@rayne

 

F visas were issued to students studying for 1 semester.  Now we have X1 and X2:

 

X1 - Issued to those intending to study in China for a period of more than 180 days.

X2 (the old F visa) - Issued to those intending to study in China for a period of no more than 180 days.

 

X2 will most certainly be single entry. X1 you'll turn into a residence permit (multi-entry).

 

You'll also probably need to leave the country to get a working visa.

[rayne]

Thank you all so much for your answers.

 

Sorry if this isn't directly related but could I open up a cell phone and bank account on an X2 visa?

[ling_ling24]

Yes, you can buy a SIM card for your cellphone and open a bank account with an X2 visa! Just bring your passport with you. I'd suggest getting a phone plan with Unicom (the other phone company is China Mobile). Both companies are government-owned. I think the cheapest phone plan that Unicom has is 36 kuai per month and it includes 700mb of data, text messages, and 60 minutes of outgoing calls. 

[rayne]

Thank you, ling_ling24!

[Saxondale]

China Mobile generally has better coverage around China but China Unicom are better for speed. You can also download the Unicom app and change your phone package at anytime. Im a fairly heavy data user so I'm using around 4GB a month, which is about 130rmb a month.