Fudan University

[fernandorte]

Hi everyone, 

 

I am not sure if I am posting in the right place but I have never used a forum before so I am not sure about how it works.

 

I am currently living in HK and I am trying to learn mandarin by myself. However, since it seems difficult to learn here (most of people speak Cantonese and classes are quite expensive) I have decided to move to China to further study mandarin.

 

The thing is I was considering to move to Beijing to study in Beiwai but I have heard from many of my friends that Beijing is so polluted so I finally decided to have a try at Fudan.

 

So here is my question: I have read so many posts saying that chinese classes at Fudan are not that good, that teachers are not experienced and also that it is hard to practice mandarin in Shanghai since many people mainly speak Shanghainese. To what extent is this true? I am quite serious about learning mandarin and I am going to spend a huge amount of money in it so I would like to make the right decision.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Nnedi Ugo]

@fernandorte

 

I currently study at Fudan right now and that's right. Many of the teachers are master students at Fudan fulfilling their teaching requirement while many others have been teaching Chinese to foreigners for a few years. From my experience, i have had very few teachers that are good in what they do. What's the problem at Fudan, they teach us as if they are teaching Chinese students and this method does not work on us due to our past styles of learning. 

 

Also, it can be difficult in Shanghai to learn Chinese, but not impossible. I still feel as though most of people who live in Shanghai don't know English and it will be difficult to move around if you know no Chinese. But also, many Chinese people who know English or are working will want to talk to you in English. But you can get past this by talking to them in Chinese to give them a hint that (hey, lets talk to each other in Chinese). I think the classroom setting alone won't help you improve your Chinese. Take the time to do activities outside of the school to further your language ability. Something I wish I did earlier in my time here, but I find connecting with these people quite difficult, but I believe it can be done. Have an open mind and don't let the culture differences get to you so much. Just have to find something you enjoy with locals and go in that direction from there. 

 

As for the Shanghainese topic, I beg to differ. I feel as though Shanghai is mostly filled with Chinese people from all over China so you will encounter not only Shanghainese people, but also people from other provinces who have different dialects. But for the most part, people do speak the common language 普通话 Putong Hua. Even if you mess up on your tones, the people in Shanghai are a bit accustomed to foreigners speaking Chinese and for the most part will understand what you are saying. 

 

But if you find that you will spend too much time in the "expat community," maybe you should look into studying in a second tier city like Nanjing or Hangzhou or even Chengdu. Less foreigners and probably lesser Chinese people speaking English so there's an advantage in you increasing your Chinese ability to a greater extent. 

 

Good luck whichever route you take. 

[fernandorte]

@Nnedi Ugo

 

Thank you very much for your detailed answer. I may keep searching for some more options before I make a final decision. I am really considering to go to Beijing, however the pollution really makes me worried. And the main problem is that time is running out of time!

 

Do you or does anybody have any references or experiences regarding other universities in Shanghai? Honestly speaking, the main reason why I chose Fudan at the beginning is because accommodation is quite cheap (45 rmb per day the single room in the Affiliated Building).

[Nnedi Ugo]

@fernandorte 

 

I live in the affiliated building. It's not bad at all. We run into issues such as the hotwater not running for a few days, nasty fruit flies in the showers, and mold growing on the walls, but that's nothing new. 

 

Yeah the pollution in Beijing is pretty bad from what I heard, but it all depends on you and how your body reacts to it. I met some people who lived there for awhile and could handle it, but I met others who had to move out of there for it was affecting their health. It all depends on you at the end of the day. 

 

I actually have a friend who is studying Chinese at Jiaotong University and what makes their classes different from ours is that they only study one level each semester while at Fudan, we study 2 levels so we move up quicker than they do (Fudan's courses are intensive after all). But at Jiaotong, they spend time really grasping the material since they have more time to do so and its at a much slower pace as well. And she also told me that her teachers are decent and care about their studies. That is all I really know from our conversation about her classes. I can definitely ask her and she what else she says. But I hear all these top universities that have language programs geared to the international students have very similar classes and teaching techniques. I think the only places where the teaching styles may be different if you attend the Normal Universities or the private language tutoring schools. 

 

Location wise, Jiaotong University is in the city center so you're closer to all the action that's going on which is definitely an advantage as supposed to Fudan which is a bit further out, but not too far from places to buy the necessities and good food. 

[洋人丹]

@fernadorne

 

To be honest, I wouldn't be too determined to go to Beijing. I think there are many other cities in China that have a much better living environment. You can learn Chinese anywhere in China, and many times being in a place outside of Shanghai or Beijing can be much better as a learning environment. 

 

Here is the thing about language classes at any university. While they can be helpful for learning the basics, don't rely on them if you really want to learn Chinese. You will need to work at it yourself, and really, the classes might be able to give structure and teach the basics, but are in the long run are not the most important thing. 

 

Find a place you think you will enjoy. That's the important thing.

[fernandorte]

@Nnedi Ugo

 

I think I may be able to stand the pollution because I have been to Beijing before, the thing is that I dont want it affects my health since I intend to study China for 1 to to 2 years. Jiaotong was another of my options but accomodation is fairly more expensive that at Fudan and ECNU. Unluckily, money is an issue for me. So there are only two options for me now, Fudan or ECNU

 

@洋人丹

 

Yes, I think you are right. I was just worried about the quality of teaching because I am paying everything by myself and since I am going to spend a realtively big amount of money I want to make sure the quality of the program is good, otherwise I may regret. Anyway, I will do my best to interact with Chinese outside the class environment.

 

Byt the way, thank you very much to you both for your help!

[Mimi95]

Hi everybody.

 

I've a question. Actually, I applied for a master in communication and I just received a reply from the school of journalism saying that I've to take the written and oral exams. But I've no idea of the nature of these exams so I asked them but I'm still waiting for their reply.  

 

I wonder if someone here has already taken these exams and can tell me what kind of exams it is. 

 

Thank you in advance! 

[vkim67]

Hi there, 

 

I'm searching for complete lists of courses offered at Fudan, just a simple list of titles would be sufficient!

• Example: UCLA's course list for Chinese department http://www.registrar...HIN &funsel=3
• No course descriptions necessary. 
  (I'll take whatever I can get)
• Primarily interested in lists for liberal arts - foreign languages, sociology, literature, history, international relations 
• No MOOCs, no incomplete 精品课程 lists necessary. 

Is there anybody at Fudan that can link me to some sort of course list? 

 

The closes thing I could find was JingPin courses (http://fdjpkc.fudan.edu.cn/qb/list.htm) which isn't anywhere near what I need...

 

Thank you!!

 

[fernandorte]

Hi everyone!

 

I just applied for a Chinese Language Course at Fudan University. I intend to stay in the Supplementary Building since the rooms are single and cheaper.

 

Can anyone give me any feedback?

 

I have heard there is a period of time to book the rooms. I am wondering whether the website wont collapse when everybody tries to book the room at the same time. I am afraid there will be no rooms for me. Any experience?

 

By the way, I have heard there is not internet connection in the supplementary building. I guess I will have no problem to have internet in my phone because I will buy a card or sign a contract but how about if I want to use my computer?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Nnedi Ugo]

@fernandorte

I did not have to bother booking my room for I have a scholarship, but I heard that the rooms tend to book fast. And esp since the sub buildings are typically reserved for scholarship recipients, your chances may be slim dor when I first arrived, people said they had a hard time. But does nor mean you should not give if a try. Everyone will be on this website trying to book during the small window of time so make sure you are prompt and quick about your decision.

Also, there is wi-fi. You just have to pay for it yourself by buying your own wi fi router and the plan in the 东大超市 which is a shop inside the main building of the international dorm. You can also just buy the plan at the China Unicom shop nearby the canteen.

[Mohammad Reza]

Hi. Well I am interested in studying chinese diplomacy and foreign policy. So naturally the best choice for me is to study in China itself. After examining the majors and programs which are conducted in English, I found these three programms for master degree. 1. Chinese politics and diplomacy ( at Fudan university ) 2. Chinese politics, foreign policy and international relations ( at tsinghua unuversity ) 3. China studies ( at Peiking university )

If you were me, which one would you choose?

Thanks a lot.

[Bambuszne]

Hey Everyone,

 

I will spend the next semester at the School of Economics of Fudan as an exchange student. 

 

1. I would like to take the opportunity that I can study in China to improve my Chinese besides studying economic courses. I have an HSK5 exam, but there is still room for development, and I would like to focus more on the business/economic-specific vocabulary.

Do you have any experience with the School of Economics in general? I would like to take some courses in Chinese and English as well. But to be honest I have reservations about my Chinese level, if it is enough to successfully complete this courses. Generally, I like challenges, it won’t be a problem if it is difficult, but if I barely understand a class it would not be useful at all. What is your opinion? Do you have any experience with certain classes or professors? Do you know anything about the courses in English? 
 

2. I can study some classes of the Chinese Economy and Business (CEBP) or other programs of the International Cultural Exchange School(ICES) or maybe of the School of Management as well. But if I take ICES’s courses I have to pay an additional fee. Do any of you have any experience regarding CEBP? Do you think it’s worth the extra money? Are there any other programs or classes of ICES that you would recommend?

3. Do you have any information about the dorm application dates?

 

Thank you very much, any comments would be appreciated as I do not have any information as I will be the first from my home university who goes there as an exchange student:))

[Not Nicky]

@陳德聰 nice tip, I'm looking at the same situation at the moment. I'd say I'm a safe HSK 5, would you say taking one of those courses would do me better? 

And are the two programs you mentioned the ones listed here (http://www.ices.fudan.edu.cn/p6811c6657/list.htm) as Chinese Economics & Business and Chinese Culture & Society? 

[anonymoose]

I just found a revision booklet for the Fudan undergraduate entry exam in Chinese. There are similar revision books for maths and science, but I think I threw those away.

Anyway, I've posted some excerpts from the Chinese one. Maybe some people will find them useful or interesting.

[Not Nicky]

@Bambuszne, can I ask if you've made a decision about what to study? I'm considering applying for an ICES course starting in September but am not sure if it's right for me. If you think it works for you then it's probably the kind of thing that'd work for me, too, being around HSK 5. 

[Bambuszne]

@Not Nicky Nobody has every heard of these programs among those current students or alumni of Fudan who I asked (majority of them studied or is still studying at ICES).
I will arrive to Fudan in the first week of March and I will go there in person, visit some classes and then decide whether I am willing to pay to take some extra courses of ICES above my compulsory classes from the Faculty of Economy. I will let you know, if you have any other questions please feel free to ask here or PM.

[陳德聰]

@Not Nicky Yes, the CEBP is what I was talking about.

 

@Bambuszne They are both non-degree programs that are only available for foreign students, so I wouldn't expect any students of Fudan current or past to have any clue what they are.

 

Keep in mind that my suggestion was to take these if your goal is to improve your Chinese. If you are looking for transfer credit, these are likely not suitable for you. But if you are already at HSK5, verging on HSK6, I feel strongly that there is not much point wasting your time in the language stream unless you need the credit. The courses under the CEBP and the CCSP are much more interesting, and give you a wider breadth of Chinese language usage that extends into non-language fields.

 

Also one of the instructors arranged a field trip to his friends' factories where we got tours and treated to dinner and wine afterward haha so that was entertaining and informational.

[Nnedi Ugo]

@Bambuszne

Yeah I agree with 陳德聰, don't bother registering for you won't learn anything. I wasn't in the higher level courses @ Fudan but I had many friends who were and said that they did not improve so much over the course of the year rather than having hands on experience outside the classroom. Great for vocabulary, but nothing more. 

[hungry_mallows]

Hi! Can anybody recommend a nice apartment outside the campus?  I've read that the dorms in the main bldg are a bit pricey.  They also say that I could get a better place for the same price if I rented outside. Seeing the negative comments about the dorm, like the lack of hot showers, also bothers me.  I'm not on any scholarship btw, so I'll have to pay for my own when I get there. Do you have any advise for me? 

 

I'm also concerned if taking a place outside will give me less chances to make friends. If staying in the single room will give me more opportunities to interact with the other students, then I might have to give it a second thought. 

 

Any nice places to visit that you can recommend? Maybe after class or outings during long weekends? 

[Nnedi Ugo]

@hungry_mallows I recommend looking into staying in Tongji apts which are literally a bit across from Fudan dorms. A lot of fudan students stay in those dorms. And maybe like a 10 min bike away, they have the newer Tonji buildings which a ton of other Fudan students stay in which is pretty nice. They have a groupchat making it easy to meet people and hang out and stuff. If you're lucky, you can make some friends who live in the dorms that will invite you in where you can make even more friends. Don't fret! If you visit the fudan intl school pages under accomodation, they list Tonji and a few other places you can stay in nearby. I would recommend staying somewhere for the first week and go take a look before you book anything.