Shandong University

[roddy]

This topic is for discussion and reviews of Shandong University. Accommodation, courses, on-campus facilities and activities - anything to do with Shandong University goes in here. If there's a lot of discussion about any one particular topic we might split it into a new thread and leave a link here.

[Yenchi]

Hi! I am Chinese Government Scholarship Student who will be studying in Shandong University (Shanda) this September.  I've tried to gather as many resources as I could in the internet, but only find myself wandering in the pool of the same limited information (copied and pasted) in various sites. One couldn't really get much from that.

I vsitied the university's website hundreds of times already, have also tried contacting the university's international office (calling and emailing), but nobody seems to be picking up.

In a matter of days, I will be in China soon, but I still find myself almost clueless about how the systems are going to work in general. I haven't met or know anybody who will be attending in Shandong University yet as well.

If you are an incoming or a current student from Shandong University, please keep in touch with me by replying to this thread. Let's talk and share experiences. It would really be nice to meet somebody who is or who will be attending in Shandong University. Let's help each other as well as the other upcoming students who will also be going to Shanda. Your contributions will be greatly appreciated.
 

[ChinaLaw]

Hey

I spent the last semester as an exchange student in Shandong University so if you have any specific questions I can definitely answer it or ask one of my friends who is still there. 

Good Luck

[Yenchi]

Hi ChinaLaw!

Appreciated that you took the time to reply. And I am glad I finally know somebody who has been to Shandong University. How was your experience and how are your friends doing now? Of course, I am really excited about studying there but as I have mentioned, I'm also at the same time worried since days are fast approaching and I have not heard anything from the University. Actually, my concern is more on the registration process or the things to do once I get there. I kinda have an idea about the documents needed since we were given a little handbook by the Chinese Embassy here in my country, but it only says so little about the entire process. Did you just show up at the international office during the registration schedule? And is any of your friends a Chinese Government Scholarship recipient?

[ChinaLaw]

Hey

 

1- I had a really good time(thanks for asking:)) but try and make a lot of friends or focus on your studies because Jinan itself can be a very boring city(minimal nightlife, no cbd etc).

 

2-To be honest you won't probably won't hear anything from the university as their quite unreliable, but what will happen is this-there will be a registration day(presumably a Monday) in which everyone pays their tuition and their health insurance(you won't do this if you are an exchange student or have a confuscious scholarship or Chinese Government scholarship), after this they will arrange bus rides to the local police station to change your visa to the right type for you and you will then have a test to determine your chinese ability(assuming you are a language student). This will not all be on the same day.

 

3-The day you get there, go to the foreign students dormitory(Building 2) and choose a room. I STRONGLY recommend you choose building 2(1295rmb a month include ensuite) or building 3(1000 rmb a month with a roommate includes ensuite). Building 1 is not the best place to live and I can explain later if you like(its a long story). If you are a scholarship student you will likely be automatically be placed in building 1 but you can ask to pay to stay in the other buildings if you don't feel comfortable there. Do this the first day you get there as long as you arrive before 5pm(if not stay at a hotel for the night and come back the next day).

 

I know this is very messy but I'm really short on time today but if this is unclear or you have any more questions I will definitely try and respond.

P.S. I think I have a booklet I got at introduction so I will look through it for any hints.

[jeffantastic]

Im going to SDU too , it seems im the only Chinese guy online here lol

[aone]

Jeffantastic, you are not alone  

[jeffantastic]

Hi aone~~~ what university are you currently going to ?

[aone]

I am going no where  ; I mean you are not the only Chinese guy online here.   

[Guest Wei_Lin]

I got response from SDU last week. They've already sent my documents to CSC for final decision. Comparing to other universities, there's a definite lack of information. May somebody in this thread help me in clarifying certain moments (concerning tuition, accommodation and English-taught programs)? I'd be grateful if you could. Who can I turn to ask some questions?

[aone]

Hi Wei Lin, you can leave your concerns here, someone might help.

[Guest Wei_Lin]

Thanks for readiness to help me!

1. My first question concerns English-taught courses. Don't you know anything about their quality? University says that my major is International Relations. I wonder what's is the true level of teaching in English in Shandong University.

2. ChinaLaw in the post #5 recommends not to choose building No. 1 for living. Why? As far as I understand, foreign students are placed in this building 'by default'. What exactly should I do if I want to be placed in Building No. 2? Is single room (11m²) with private toilet and shower a good idea (45 RMB person/day)? Can the scholarship cover such a housing or should I pay the difference myself? In this case, what period should I pay for at once (each month/6 months/1 year)? I sent my application to e-mail of the Un-ty accommodation service, but there's no answer from them.

3. Is climate in Jinan really such a terrible thing as it can be seen from photos or travel-stories?

[ChinaLaw]

Dear Wei_Lin

 

Regarding your #2 query you are right to say that foreign students are placed in building one by default. This is the default building for students supported through a Chinese government scholarship. I recommended not to stay in building one because the conditions aren't great and the friends I had who were staying there said that it was impacting on their time. The first thing about them is that they were often shared and you may have a room mate (depending on how many students are staying that semester). This can be a really good thing or a really bad thing depending on your roommate. In reality it seemed to be a bad thing. Living with anyone for at least 6 months at a time is difficult but this can be exacerbated if that person comes from a completely different culture. Also, during the time I was there, there are only three showers available on each floor for each gender and there are many people on each floor. The hot water is not on all the time and so It can be a bit of a competition and the hot water may run out. This is the same for the toilets(they are squat toilets). Its a bit of a pain to have to get up and walk down the hallway and past other people to use a toilet as you don't have one in your room(it can also be very very cold at night during the winter). 

 

Building #2 has private toilet which is western. If you want to stay in this I believe you have to pay the rent by yourself and you do not receive any money for the room which you forfeited. It doesn't really matter when you pay as you don't receive a discount but don't forget to bring 600rmb for the room deposit which is required when you arrive.

 

Good Luck

[Guest Wei_Lin]

Dear ChinaLaw!

 

Thank you very much for such a detailed answer! Your honest description of living in the Building No. 1 seems to be quite oppressive...

However, a few more questions arose.

 

1. You've told about single rooms. But what's about twin rooms in the same Building No. 1? I look through the table of types of dormitory rooms and see that they have their own toilets and showers, so that there's no need in public ones on the floor. You say that foreign students can live in the double rooms with mates. Nevertheless, in spite of having a mate, the living conditions are much better (f.e., no squat toilets)! Am I right or mistaken?

 

2. Are you completely sure that there's no discount for a better room from the side of Un-ty? For example, I've found out such an answer in the threads: 'if you wanted to upgrade to a better dorm or a single room you had to pay the difference'. Of course, If I preferred living off-campus, I would be given 700 RMB/month. But scholarship should cover on-campus living anyway, otherwise there's no sense in the scholarship itself.

 

3. What's the situation with staying in the campus on winter and summer holidays. Are all the students obliged to get away from the campus and find another place of living for this time?

[ChinaLaw]

Dear Wei_Lin,

                       You are very welcome and please don't hesitate to ask any further questions.

 

#1-As far as I know each room in building one had two beds. Therefore if there were too many students then they would have to have a roommate or two people could choose to share a room even if they were both entitled to a single room (i.e.. couples). As far as I know there were no private bathrooms in any of the building one rooms regardless of whether there was one person or two. Perhaps you are thinking of building 3 whose occupants all have a roommate (unless they pay enough for two people and get the room to themselves or there are not enough students) and a private bathroom? The toilets in building 3 were western as well. I looked at my friends receipt who was staying in this building and he paid about 1000 rmb a month, if this price correlates to the double room with a private bathroom you may be talking about building #3.

 

*I have heard building 1 was undergoing renovations to improve living conditions but they probably will not install private toilets in this renovation*

 

#2-I am definitely not completely sure. The reason I said you have to pay the difference is because of my experience. I was there as a privately funded student and my friend was there on a scholarship. I lived in building two and paid the rent. My friend stayed in building 1 for free but wanted to live in building 2 and when he asked about changing he was quoted the same price as I. I hope that you can get a discount if you choose to building 2. If they are offering to give you 700rmb if you forego the room perhaps that can be transferred to the rent of staying in another building. I believe I paid about 1350 rmb(45/day) a month so you still might have to pay a little bit.

 

#3-It depends. If the semester finishes and you will be returning next semester then you are entitled to stay. If you are not returning then I believe you have to leave within 10 days.

 

Hopefully i've been helpful and enjoy your time at Shandong Uni.

[Guest Wei_Lin]

Dear ChinaLaw (unfortunately, I don't know your name)!

 

Thanks once again for being so kind and patient in answering!

Yes, I know about Building No 3, but I didn't mean it. I got all the information about singles and doubles from the table On-Campus Room Types for International Students (attached). You may see that double rooms in Building No 1 are marked with a private bathroom (unlike single ones). So, you can imagine my confusion.

 

If I understand correctly, living in Building No 2 suited you, and you felt rather comfortable...? But what's with your friend? Did he finally move to another place or decide to stay there for free?

-Did you pay for your room each month (or they demanded to pay all the sum at once)?

-Don't you have a photo of your room (if it's not a secret)?

 

Of course, I can know all the details only upon procedure of the registration. But the Un-ty accommodation service keeps silence now for some reasons. Certainly, paying the difference would be the best variant for me, but who can guarantee this - it's a rhetorical question.

 

I'm interested in other conditions of life too:

-Internet speed in the room.

-Food (did you cook or eat out? what's the best variant? what's the approximate sum for month nutrition? food quality in Jinan?)

-Medical service (did you apply to the local hospital? did you use your insurance? if yes, was it successful?)
 

My best regards,

Kate

On-Campus Room Types for International Students.doc

[ChinaLaw]

Dear Kate

                , Thank you for showing me that. The buildings must have changed a lot so perhaps I should't comment on that anymore. 

 

#1-I really enjoyed living in building two. He stayed but I think that was out of necessity as he didn't budget for living in building two because he was told that he would get a private bathroom room when he received the scholarship but ultimately he didn't. You might actually like it but building one (as it was in 2014) wasn't great compared to what we are used to (we are from Australia) so that also probably played a part.

 

Something else to consider is that the 2 buildings have very different people staying. The people staying in building 2 are often Korean, European, American, Japanese, Australian, British etc. Those in building one are often scholarship students and often the scholarships are targeted at countries in Africa and the Middle East. You can imagine these two groups of people have different ways of living so that definitely impacts the 'vibe of the buildings'.

 

#2 I paid the rent each month which was 1350 rmb and received a receipt each time. The only exception was the first payment in which I also had to pay the 600 rmb deposit which was returned to me on the day I left. If you forget to pay they will come to your room and if your not there they will put a sticker on your door to remind you. I'm not sure if I have a picture but if I do I will post it when I find it.

 

#3 If I remember correctly the internet was 40rmb a month. A man comes to your room to connect it and he gives you a password as well. It may be best to pay this up front as it can be a tedious process waiting for them to connect it because although he tries his best he has hundreds of rooms to connect so he will inevitably be late.

 

#4 There is a canteen at the central campus. It is the third biggest in China. It has 5 floors. Price is variant on the floor and ascends from the bottom to the top. On the basement a big plate of dumplings will be about 6rmb. The food is not Michelin star standard but it's not bad. You pay for it with a card you put money on and I'm sure the process of doing this will be explained to you. 

 

#5 I didn't go myself however my friends have told me they were not great. However this might be because we are coming from Australia.They did not bother using an insurance claim as treatment is normally really cheap.  

 

Again, hopefully this has been helpful and don't hesitate to ask anymore questions.

[Guest Wei_Lin]

Dear ChinaLaw,

all your answers are very useful, without any doubts!

Due to your help, I'm prepared much more better than before for certain unforeseen difficulties. And now I have a clue how to tackle them, especially uneasy issues of living.

 

Let me ask you about SDU pick-up service. I've read that Un-ty provides it at Jinan Airport and Jinan West Railway Station on September 6-9. Did you asked for help of this service? If yes, is it reliable? In general, how did you get to Jinan from Beijing? By bus and high-speed train?

 

Another question concerns your phrase 'Jinan itself can be a very boring city'. In this case, did you travel inside the province or to other provinces?
 

Finally, is there a good gym or swimming pool in the Un-ty? Is there a practice of month-cards for students?

 

Have a good one,

Kate

[ChinaLaw]

Dear Kate

 

#1 The university does offer a pick up service from Jinan airport and Jinan west station. People who went to the airport received this service. A friend and Iywent to Jinan West but the service never came so we had to take a taxi. If you have to come be rail then don't get off at Jinan west济南西站 but go one extra stop to Jinan济南站. Alternatively, you might have to get off one stop earlier depending on the direction you're coming from. Once you leave the Jinan station go to the taxi rank and show them this  山东大学学术交流中心. This is the address of the university hotel that is right next to the international building. Remember whatever building you stay in your have to register at building 2.

If you are coming from Beijing you really should come by rail. It take about 120 minutes which is longer then the plane but you don't have to check in so you save a lot of time. It is much cheaper as well. 

 

#2 

Jinan does not have a city centre perse. Just a collection of malls. There really isn't much to do. The streets are pretty quiet from 7pm onwards and the stores close early. It may be a good idea to travel Beijing and Shanghai are both very close.

 

#3

There is a swimming pool and I think it might be around like 80 rmb a visit. I never went myself so I could be way off but I remember 80 rmb for some reason. There was not really a gym with weights in the university but I heard one was being built. If not, there is a gym with weights outside of the south gate. It's english name is the black horse and I can't remember the whole name but its something like 黑马健身房. If I find my card from it I will post it.

 

I still haven't found a picture of room but I am still looking.

 

Again, please don't hesitate to ask anymore questions

 

ChinaLaw

[Guest Wei_Lin]

Dear ChinaLaw,

thanks once again for your quick and exhaustive comments!

 

My next question will be devoted to the mobile communication in Shandong. If I'm not mistaken, you could buy SIM card only after you get your student ID (?) What mobile operator would you recommend for the calls inside the province and China in whole? Do you remember which one did you use?

 

And one more question (it may be a little bit silly) concerns... fridge. As I see, there're no fridges in the rooms. Can I use a common fridge (?) in the public kitchen if needed?

 

PS. If I don't make you tired, please, let me ask you few more questions when I finally get more specified information on my staying in Shandong (in the nearest future)?

 

TIA,
Kate