wanting to study in kunming for the summer

[cjake22]

Hello I am a complete noob on this website, but I have been reading the forums on here and it seems like a great place to find information. For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with Asia and China. I am a college student at a community college in the united states, I have had a rough time with school. Not because of academics, but life events. I have always wanted to travel and learn Chinese. I have decided to take a gap year, and finally travel and learn Putonghua. I have been doing tons of research, and been on reddit asking for information. Someone told me Yunnan and Sichuan province were both good places to study during the summer. I am interested in going to cunning this summer and, then going to a university in the east in September. I have a few questions. Is Kunming still a cheap place to live, and how much money should I save up? Are there any good private schools that are affordable.Can I get a tourist visa for three months, and switch it to a student visa. Will I have to go home and come back to china? I read online that you can work on a student visa with the universities permission. Is this true? I am also thinking about getting a college degree In Chinese and I want to know if any one else is doing this? Sorry about the wall of text. I have many questions and this seems like a good place to start.

[abcdefg]

Someone told me Yunnan and Sichuan province were both good places to study during the summer. I am interested in going to cunning this summer and, then going to a university in the east in September. I have a few questions. Is Kunming still a cheap place to live, and how much money should I save up? Are there any good private schools that are affordable.Can I get a tourist visa for three months, and switch it to a student visa. Will I have to go home and come back to china?

 

Welcome to the fourm. I can help you some, though I don't attend university here and have less information about doing that than some other members.

 

Kunming is still cheap compared to an East Coast first-tier city. Prices have risen since many of the articles you find on line were written. Need to break down your budget into component parts and ask about housing, food, clothing, transportation, entertainment, and so on as separate line items.

 

There are good private schools, several of them. Whether or not they are affordable depends on how you define that term. It also depends on whether you want to study in a large class, a small class, or one-to-one. It also depends on how much personal hand holding and help with problems of daily living you will require.

 

Historically people have been able to arrive on a tourist visa and switch it to a student visa without leaving at all. I've done that myself several times. Regulations changed in November of last year, and I'm not sure whether or not that works any more. The most definitive answer will come from the school to which you are applying because different schools have different connections 关系 with the authorities.

 

Kunming is a good place to live. You will encounter lots of non-standard Chinese on the street. I don't find that to be a deal-breaker, but some others disagree.

 

Hope that your plan works out!

[anonymoose]

Why are Yunnan and Sichuan good places to study in the summer? I'm not saying they're not, but I don't see any big advantage over other places in China. It is good to avoid the north of China in the winter, unless you don't mind bitter cold, but in the summer, you may even find Yunnan and Sichuan uncomfortably hot.

[abcdefg]

It rains a lot during Summer in Kunming.

[Johnny20270]

It rains a lot during Summer in Kunming.

 

 

 

 

 

I'd see that as a good thing though Love to study in a cafe with the windows open while the rain is pouring down outside

 

To the OP: in brief, I thought kunming was dull to visit but I would like to live there. Beijing is the opposite for me. At first glance, Kunming seemed a bit grim but it had a nice feel to it, if you can understand that logic!

 

As for saving and expenses, abcdefg can tell you about Kunming but as a relatively newcomer to china, you budget can be twice more expensive if you do everything western, i.e. Starbucks, western restaurants, buy western food etc Its a hard habit to get out of to be honest. I was spending 60Y a day on my lunch, buying a sandwich, coffee and cake in Beijing. That has come down to 20 doing Chinese style (and nicer!)

[abcdefg]

I'd see that as a good thing though Love to study in a cafe with the windows open while the rain is pouring down outside

 

Yep, it cools things off and settles the dust. Makes the delicious wild mushrooms grow.

 

It's pretty easy to feel at home here once you get the feel of the place. Slower pace of life, a little less shoving to get into the bus and such.

 

Every day good things happen seemingly on their own. Yesterday I went to the market to buy vegetables and saw a table that had nicely made red 红包 envelopes with 福子 on them, drawn really well by hand. Wanted to buy a few for Spring Festival.

 

Young chap and his wife running the stand refused to take my money. Wanted to chat and insisted on giving me five of them free instead. They were so happy I knew what they were and that I admired their craftsmanship. Not sure that would have happened in a more sophisticated venue.

 

Kunming does have its share of highly skilled 小偷。It isn't some kind of magical Promised Land.

[cjake22]

Thanks for all of the advice the more I hear about it. The more I think this is where I want to start my Chinese journey.

[abcdefg]

You can learn some more about Kunming, both its good points and bad points, on GoKunming.

 

www.gokunming.com

[cjake22]

Okay I will. Can any recommend a good university or private school to study at?