Worldlinkedu, Educasian or Direct apply

[mandarino]

Hi, does anyone know whether this 2-year old option of dorms at Er Li Zhuang still exists and how much it costs now?

I would be happy to get the address if possible. I have just arrived to Wudaokou and would like to move away from my hotel soon.

Thanks for any tips!

[shanghaikai]

It is hard to determine the value of agencies, especially for someone who has never been to China and has no foundation of knowledge or experience upon which to judge the true value of various "services" offered by said agencies.

My advice for people contemplating going through an agency is to at the very least figure out how much the core services actually cost minus all the "extras." This can be done on the internet. The core services, of course, is the education program as offered by the university and university housing prices.

Just keep in mind that university housing is usually NOT cheaper for foreigners than a comparable off-campus or near-campus place (unless you get ripped off by landlords). That said, for someone not in China and without friends or family here, its near impossible to arrange a place before getting here and extremely intimidating. Therefore, it may make sense to just bite the bullet and pony up for university housing since it is so much simpler.

Part of the fun and adventure in being in a foreign country is having to learn how to get things done and the frustration, sweat, and tears that may come with climbing that learning curve. That said, its still not for everyone. If you go with an agency, I'd usually wager that you'll mostly regret it afterwards unless you are exceptionally inept at adapting to a new environment.

I base this opinion (and it is just that) on the fact that most agency services I've seen really don't offer anything truly unique or valuable that the university itself didn't already provide or is relatively easy to find on one's own. I don't think its fair to charge an exorbitant premium for such things. If the agency or program offered stuff like scheduled weekend or holiday tours to other China cities or nightlife packages that include cover and drinks or something like that, then maybe...and only if at reasonable prices.