Should i try to get a bach. degree in China?

[roddy]

They revamped the levels some years back. In my day it ran up to 11, with the 8 being the top of the intermediate level. 6 is now the top level. They've just not updated their docs, and that refers to the level at graduation, anyway, not entry. See here for a uni which would take you into year 3 with a good HSK4. I don't know if you're interested in that degree, but if you can persuade GYU to do the same, and you can get the HSK score, you could be walking out with a degree after two years of study. 

[eliaso]

A uni taking you in as a third year student with HSK 4? Oh my. Well, that would propably be the fastest track to take if all you care about is getting a diploma.

 

In 哈尔滨工业大学 where I study a Chinese Literature bachelors degree (for foreigners) you can skip the first year if you have HSK 4 taken (or skill set of of that level), but you still have to take all the first year exams while attending second year classes and taking those exams as well. I'm starting my third year and would say that roughly all my classmates would be able to pass HSK 6 by now and HSK 4 is deffinitely not good enough for a third year student.

[Lu]

My long term plan is: to not leave China, basically. Married in a couple years, and then graduate and work. (Teach English: just need the degree.)

You're 23 I think you said? That means you'll have about 50 more years to go. It's highly likely that in the future you'll do things like get married, have kids, buy a house, take care of sick relatives or get sick yourself, fly home regularly with wife & kids, perhaps decide to move back home and get a job, etc. You need to lay some basis for all that now, and teaching English is fine as a short-term thing but it won't be enough in the long term.

[kevinBBBBBB]

I don't know how to quote....

 

@roddy

 

Thanks so much for the info man!! Woah. Imagine I could do that!!! I've been in China almost 5 years, so I'm sure if I tried hard enough I could do better than HSK4. But I will get Level 4 this Jan (need to learn about 500 more words). I will look into the site and ask around. The good news is I have a ton of friends in Guiyang and at Guida that can help me out. In fact I already studied there 2 years part-time (as I actually was taking care of orphans secretly) so technically I've gone there 2 years... Not sure that would help for a degree however, but perhaps it would help in some way...

 

Anyways, thanks again man. I will see what happens. Really appreciate the info.

 

@eliaso

 

Hey thanks for that info. Yeah I would imagine after a couple years I'd be at Level 6. Must be! I would like also to do that whole 'skip a year' and do the exams, but that seems a little overwhelming for me. Especially since my writing is maybe HSK 1 at best right now... My everything else is about HSK 3-4-ish...

 

You said you take Chinese Lit for foreigners? How's that work? Is there 'set aside' classes for foreigners? Or do you join in the normal Chinese classes with the masses? Hmmmm

 

@Lu

 

In fact I'm 32. I didn't really 'get it together' with my life the past while. Not that I'm a bum, just never bothered with school. Never had a need. Now I do. And, while I understand you saying what you did, I don't see why teaching couldn't last me until 60 y/o. I do plan all doing all those things you say, but teaching isn't exactly such a tie down as some other jobs. Many schools will let you take time when you want as their desperate for teachers. 

 

No matter, supposing I can get a degree, I would spend the time after graduating maybe slowly making my way into a job I like. Zhuangxiu design or something would be fun I think. Music etc... My theory is, get a degree, work and see what happens. I tend not to plan more than 5 years at a time... maybe that's stupid, but it is what it is. 

 

Thanks all for the info. Really helping me out these days gather ideas and thinking about how to make a good decision. 

[eliaso]

You said you take Chinese Lit for foreigners? How's that work? Is there 'set aside' classes for foreigners? Or do you join in the normal Chinese classes with the masses? Hmmmm

 

All our classes are "set aside" with our own group and we're all foreigners. Every now and then we get some other foreigners joining in who are studying other degrees (in Chinese or in English) in our uni who want to brush up their Chinese or are just interested in the topic of the course. We´re also allowed to choose (almost) any other courses aside from what we are required to study that are taught in our uni just like all the degree students are.

 

First year all we did study was language, second year aside language we also had courses on history and study of hanzi, culture, general knowledge like geography, ethnic groups etc. on China and next year aside language we'll start studying some history and actual literature. Last year will concentrate a lot on writing a thesis. Everything has been in Chinese from day one.

[kevinBBBBBB]

@eliaso

 

Woah, that sounds decent!! I wonder if I can do that too? I will look into it, but I doubt somwhere like Guida has that set up. Not too many 外国人  there I don't believe...

Anyways, thanks for the info!! Very interesting!

[roddy]

I'm pretty sure that's exactly what GYU has set up with the course I linked you to. See also GZNU's 'Chinese as a Foreign Language' degree listed here. As I understand it there's really only one of these degree programs, with the curriculum set by the Ministry of Education in Beijing. It'll be taught in slightly different ways wherever you are (if I recall correctly one period of 实习 turned into a school trip to Hangzhou, with the instruction to 'try and talk to Chinese people'), but the fundamental content won't be much different. 

 

I'm could well be wrong. 

[xuexiansheng]

Why not try out a Chinese University for free with a online course through Coursera? They have 'on demand' courses that you can start/stop and continue at your leisure. Also try Edx. (They start at specific times.) I've been working on their course for Chinese Philosophy, and plan to finish it up when time allows. It might be a good way to see if studying seriously at a university level and subjects in Chinese interests you enough to commit to 2-4 years.

[kevinBBBBBB]

@roddy

 

I'm emailing them now to get more info. Thanks man!!!

[kevinBBBBBB]

@xuexianxheng

 

Ahhhhhh I'd like to go to a real school with real people. Online puts a rock in my gut. I just don't want to do it, basically...

[xuexiansheng]

You don't have to complete the course, I was suggesting it as a way of finding out if that level of Chinese at that pace and that style of teaching (granted class will be different with discussions, but still will be a lot of lecturing...) suits your interests enough to commit that amount of time. (And did I mention it is FREE!?) 

 

I'm taking my 1st completely online class (in English from my local university) this summer. I much prefer a class with a live teacher and fellow students sitting by my side, but it isn't all bad. I think in the future we'll be seeing more and more a hybrid of the two systems as universities get larger and students demand more flexibility.

[kevinBBBBBB]

@xuexiansheng

 

Ohhhhh woah! That's cool! Free is good, and the option to stop before completion is pretty cool too. I may look into it a little more! Thanks!!