Harbin Institute of Technology

[grawrt]

Good luck in Harbin. I think you'll be surprised how much you'll like it. The food is good, everything is cheap, and everyone is really nice. Plus the AQI isn't usually that high (although the last two days have been kind of high). I think you'll be fine in the winter because everything is heated. I came here in March and they still had the heat on, and it was so hot I had to open the windows every night.

 

Edit: I would recommend learning some Chinese before arriving here. It's a little hard to get by with zero chinese, especially if you want to do all the stuff that you want to do (buy electronics, taking a bus, etc.) Plus I noticed most restaurants here are just in Chinese unlike in Beijing where they have these massive menus with pictures inside. If there's something you don't like/cant eat learn the word for it and the character and how to ask them which foods don't contain it. I don't eat pork so I got accustomed to asking them these kinds of questions, and everyone is pretty nice.

[sujeto]

i can eat everything except for snakes, rats, dogs, etc. I'm still not culture prepared to eat this, but migth get use to it at some point i guess, same story for the chinese toilets, i just can't understand how they manage to do it that way 

[grawrt]

the toilets aren't that bad, you get used to it. Just remember to bring toilet paper with you as most toilets don't provide any (even on trains), and of course hand sanitizer.

[sujeto]

Is google blocked in China? That would be a shame for me, I use too much google for searching university stuffs, and what about facebook, my mom only use facebook to chat with me, she doesnt use wassap and so.

[grawrt]

Google hasn't been working for a very long time. When I first got here it worked but extremely slow but now it's mostly just not working at all, Facebook is totally blocked. You'll need to get a VPN to get around that. I use Skype to talk with my parents. Sometimes the connection is crappy but for the most part it works just fine. Try and sort this out with your mom before you leave, teach her the basics on how to make skype calls and leave skype messages, etc. My dad already knew but I ran him through it before I left. It's very hard to diagnose a problem overseas.

[skylee]

Try to replace facebook with wechat. It is an international app originated in China. Chinese people love it. It is a cross-platform software and can be used on pcs and cell phones.

And of course your chats will be monitored, ssimilar to the situation in some other countries in the world.

[sujeto]

OMFG, chat being monitored, blocked facebook, no google!!! This is goin to be interesting... Is China being attacked or something, wait, is this forum being monitored also??

[Lu]

I've been away for almost a year and a half now, so check with others to see what the current details are, but: Youtube is also blocked, as is Twitter, IMDB (yes, really) and blogspot blogs. Access to Gmail can sometimes be patchy. Download Skype in your own home country before leaving, since the version you can download in China can be listened in on by the Chinese government (they won't be very interested in your weekly chat with your mom, but still). Some news outlets are blocked (Washington Post and BBC among them iirc). Usually only English news outlets are blocked, because there are relatively much fewer Chinese who know other languages. Most websites with a strong opinion about the various 'sensitive topics' (the three T's and the FLG) are blocked.

This forum is public, so everyone can read it, government or no.

China is not under attack, but the government doesn't like people writing bad things about it and also doesn't like Chinese people reading bad things about it, and as China is not a democracy, they can simply block websites.

[grawrt]

Lu IMDB isn't blocked but it does go through slow spells. I only know cause I used it last week lol. Everything else you listed is also blocked. But just wanted to mention Blogspot blogs that have 'blogspot' in their names are blocked, but if theyre blogspot hosted but paid for their own server name than it still works.

 

But yeah you'll find the internet in China is uhmm well quite an experience. I always think to myself I really miss the speed of internet back home and being able to easily use google and search for things etc. But now i'm used to it. so it doesn't bug me much.

[sujeto]

Should I get a private Medical Insurance? Or It's the CSC Medical Insurance good enough?

[Mohsin]

Hello Everyone,

I also got admission in HIT in PhD Studies in Electrical and Automation department. I got admission here on CSC scholarship they are offering 2000 yuan/month. Registration date is 4th to 6th sep. But my visa is a little bit late so i will join HIT near about 20th september 2014. I need some help in following maters please help me. 

Either 2000 yuan would be sufficient for my stay in Harbin.

HIT is offering free on campus dormitory.As I will be a little late HIT will still give me dormitory?

 What kind of room I will get? any cooking facility will be available?

Any of HIT official person will came to pick me from Harbin airport??

how many days after my arrival, HIT will give me settlement allowance?

[eliaso]

Either 2000 yuan would be sufficient for my stay in Harbin.

 

It's not that much but doable. You will however have to budget your spendings and buying stuff like electronics or quality clothing will be a stretch to fit into that budget. Also books and study material etc. unless they are included in the scholarship?

 

 

 

As I will be a little late HIT will still give me dormitory?

 

I would make this sure with the international student center as soon as possible. Earlier this year dorms filled up and university was actually giving monetary compensations for people moving out of international students dormitories.

 

 

 

What kind of room I will get? any cooking facility will be available?

 

edit. oops, didn't notice you said you are going to be a Phd. student. What I wrote below might not apply to you. I guess Phd. students can apply for private rooms, make sure about this with international student center.

 

Most likely a room of about 10 sq meters which you share with a roommate. Two beds, two desks. You and your roommate will share toilet / shower with a room of two other students. Cooking facilities aren't available and having your own equipment is officially forbidden. I guess some people still have their hotplates and rice cookers and stuff.

 

 

 

Any of HIT official person will came to pick me from Harbin airport??

 

I guess not unless someone has stated you otherwise? Ask the international student center? If not, you can take a shuttle bus n. 1 to the railway station, find your way out of the area and get a taxi to HIT. Getting a taxi from the railway stations viscinity is extremely hard so just walk a bit further somewhere else first and try to find a vacant taxi. Or just take a taxi from the airport straight to HIT which is a bit more expensive option at about 120 yuan. Taxi drivers won't speak anything else than Chinese so if nothing else have 哈工大 written on a piece of paper or on your mobile device. Did you receive a campus map with your admissions documents? What about dorm issued to you, which one? You want to get rid of your luggage and go register at the international student center once you arrive. Taxi drivers can drive inside the campus if you pay a fee (perhaps 5 yuan? don't remember) but normally they'll just leave you at the main gate if you ask them to go to 哈工大 ha1gong1da4.

 

 

 

how many days after my arrival, HIT will give me settlement allowance?

 

You want to ask this from the international student office. Also, how is this allowance given? They give it to you in cash or do you need a Chinese bank account or...? I'd deffinitely want to have some money tucked for my self when arriving and not relaying to receive any scholarship money at the exact moment you arrive. I'm sure you'll receive it sooner or later, but how long it takes and what is the procedure... be ready to wait and nobody knowing anything about anything.

 

You'll be fine in the end. Just have a little bit of cash when you arrive so that you'll at least survive your first month if everything doesn't work straight away.

[Mohsin]

Thanks eliaso...

Books and study materials are included in scholarship

Can you make sure from international student office that either I will get a private room or other one.

Well one thing more is there any possibility of getting part time job in harbin. As after one or two months I must have to search some job because i have to support my family back home.

[eliaso]

Can you make sure from international student office that either I will get a private room or other one.

 

Sorry, but no. I don´t work for HIT but am just a regular student. Right now I have quite a bit on my own plate as well with new semester going to start: health check, meeting with my landlord, my own registration process, renewing residence permit, reviewing hanzi after two months of not writing a single one with a pen etc.

Besides, you should contact yourself with the international student center as soon as possible to make sure you get a room. I would give them a call personally and not rely on email. And after phone call try to verify it with email. They should be open Chinese time from 8-12 and later from 13.30-17.

 

You are going to be a Phd. student? Haven´t you had any contact with your professor(s) and talked about how things will be organized?

Well one thing more is there any possibility of getting part time job in harbin. As after one or two months I must have to search some job because i have to support my family back home.

 

Possibly teaching english (no problem even if you´re not a native speaker) or some bar job in a night club. For both you´ll however have to find things via personal contacts and working on a student visa is illegal.

 

Honestly, if your only income is 2000 RMB a month in a form of scholarship and you´re planning on finding illegal work to support family back home then your plan of coming to study here does not sound very good. It´s propably doable but a lot of hardship and you risk being deported any time if found working illegally without somebody with strong connections saving your butt.

[anrui]

Hello. I am at the WeiHai campus of HIT. I am a teacher/researcher. Is there a Chinese class for foreign teachers? I attended a single Chinese class at East China Institute of Technology and loved it. There was an Irish guy, Canadian, Japanese, 2 Americans, and a Russian guy. It was held once a week for 2 hours. I am looking for something similar. thank you for any help.

[stasinop]

Hello everyone, I'm an American that will going to HIT this August to study Chinese this August. I have some questions I'm hoping someone can answer.

 

1. What is a total rough estimated cost of what a year in the Chinese program at HIT costs? I calculated for myself and I believe that with everything included (including plane tickets) I should be able to get by for a year on less than $8,000 if I stay in the dorms and eat pretty cheap. Is this accurate?

 

2. When exactly are students supposed to arrive in town to start the program, and how do you go about actually getting a dorm room when you get there? This is really basic info, but the international student center won't help me with my questions.

 

3. How would you go about arranging to stay in a Chinese dorm (not for international students)?

 

4. Can you stay at the dorms over winter break?

 

4. If you are in Harbin on a student visa, what to do you do over winter break? I'll be coming on a yearlong x-visa (I think it's x1? I can't remember), but I don't have any definite plans for the 3ish month break. I know it's technically not allowed, but is there anyway to work a bit on the side during this time?

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Guest sashajohnson]

@stasinop Welcome to HIT!)

 

1. That's tricky question, for everybody usually it's different, so it's hard to say. 

2. Usually the program starts on 1st of September, but you should arrive for registration which will be in the end of August (25-27 of August, as far as I know).

3. Usually you need to ask International Students Center, not all the students are allowed to stay at Chinese dorm.

4. Yes, you can.

5.  Basically students travel during the winter holidays or just stay in the city. Yes, again you're right, it's not allowed to work, but usually this rule doesn't stop students. The most popular work for foreigners is teacher in the kindergarten or language school.

If you still have some questions, please feel free to ask!

[Anatoliy]

Hello everyone!

 

Anyone around planning to go this year to HIT?

 

Any news or good adivce before arriving from people already in Harbin would be great