Study in the UK or China (CGS) ?

[MartinTheStudent]

I'll get straight to the point. I have an offer from the university of Leeds to do a BA in Chinese and Russian (or Arabic) and an offer from university of Nottingham to do a MSci (integrated Masters) in Global Issues and Contemporary Chinese studies. But I'm also thinking of applying for the Chinese government scholarship to do my undergraduate studies at either Tsinghua, Peking or possibly Zhejiang and major in maybe Japanese, journalism or Chinese (haven't decided on that one yet). My thinking behind that is, why stay in the UK (I'm not British, but did all my secondary education here) and major in Chinese, ending up with thousands of pounds of debt in the process, when I could study in China, receive intensive Chinese tuition and graduate with different major alongside that.

Supposing that I'd receive the scholarship, what would be more the better/more sensible option? What would you do if you were in my place?

[XiaoXi]

Nottingham is certainly a way more reputable university across the globe. But it depends if that's what's most important to you.

[geraldc]

Is your Chinese good enough to study at a Chinese university?

[MartinTheStudent]

Nottingham is more reputable, but I'm thinking that if I were to graduate from a really good Chinese university, wouldn't that make me stand out more among job applicants than if I were to just major in Chinese at a British university?
 

And regarding my level of Chinese, it's poor at the moment. But with the scholarship, I'd receive a year or two of intensive tuition in Chinese before starting m studies.

[Shelley]

My thinking behind that is, why stay in the UK (I'm not British, but did all my secondary education here) and major in Chinese, ending up with thousands of pounds of debt in the process, when I could study in China, receive intensive Chinese tuition and graduate with different major alongside that.

 

 

Looks like you have already decided.

 

I know there are lots of sensible and economic reason for and against, but what a life experience going to China and all it involves, while you are young and healthy I would go for it, and as you say you will have that extra something on your CV.

[Angelina]

You should look at the programs they offer.

If you want to choose a Chinese-taught program, you should make sure the language preparation course is enough. What about after you start your studies? Will you get any support?

Do you even want to learn native-speaker level Chinese?

When it comes to job opportunities, if you are not British, you might not be able to stay there after graduation. Depends on what job opportunities are like in your country of citizenship.

If there are no job opportunities at your country of citizenship, you can't stay in the UK after graduation, then you can try China. It is easy to move to China. You can study in China, then find employment. Definitely better in this respect, if you think you might face difficulties when looking for work.

Still, you can speak English already, Leeds and Nottingham are excellent schools. Think twice before you decide. Nottingham Ningbo perhaps?

[Flickserve]

Nottingham is more reputable, but I'm thinking that if I were to graduate from a really good Chinese university, wouldn't that make me stand out more among job applicants than if I were to just major in Chinese at a British university?

And regarding my level of Chinese, it's poor at the moment. But with the scholarship, I'd receive a year or two of intensive tuition in Chinese before starting m studies.

You can make your CV standout in other ways.

The drawback is for employment opportunities afterwards. How do employers look at a degree from a Chinese University? Nottingham and Leeds would be safe options.

There would be no point in going to a really good University but getting a mediocre result.

However, if you went for a gap year in China to really push your Chinese skills in preparation for a degree in UK, from my perspective as a layman, I would be pretty impressed you took a year out to do something useful.

You would be so far ahead compared to most other coursemates, get a really good degree result from either Leeds or Nottingham and then springboard onto other things.

[Angelina]

The drawback is for employment opportunities afterwards. How do employers look at a degree from a Chinese University? Nottingham and Leeds would be safe options.

There would be no point in going to a really good University but getting a mediocre result.

This is precisely why I chose China. Employment opportunities back home are nonexistent, I won't have been able to stay in the UK. Had I went to school at Leeds or Nottingham, I would have ended up doing work I am overqualified to do. This is best case scenario. I would have struggled to get ANY employment. Despite qualifications. Even a Nobel Prize would be useless. At least in China, I know I can immigrate.

It really depends on you.

You can, for example, chose Chinese Studies at Nottingham. Then a master's at the Yenching Academy in Beijing. Nottingham is a good choice for Chinese studies.

Leiden is also a good choice for Chinese language and culture.

What exactly do you want to study? What courses are being offered? Look at programs and faculty.

[Flickserve]

Definitely agree with you Angelina. A decision based on balance of all factors is required.

[geraldc]

From people I've met in the work environment, if you want to work in the West, you'd need an undergraduate degree from a Chinese university, and a Masters from a top notch Western University. 

 

With regards to studying in China, are you from a Chinese background and already have some Chinese. It could well be a massive culture shock, shared rooms, bunk beds and a rice cooker is very different from any UK university living experience.

 

If your Chinese is good enough to go Uni in China, you may actually be prevented from doing an undergraduate degree in Chinese in the UK. Most undergraduate degrees they assume no knowledge of Chinese, so a large part of the first year, is just getting you up to a basic level to survive your year in China.  

[roddy]

You'd stand out. That doesn't mean you'd be preferred. Stick with the UK, do a year in China in the middle, spend summers in China if you can. Nottingham has a campus in China, maybe see if you can spend some time there. Oh, I just checked, you already get a year there on that course.

 

Honestly, if I was sorting CVs I think undergrad from Chinese unis would be met with "Well, his Chinese might be really good, but I have no idea how rigorous his course was, or how much of it he actually understood, or...."

[anonymoose]

I think how your degree would be regarded depends a lot on where you eventually want to work and also what you want to do.

 

In the UK, some employers would wonder why you did a degree in China rather than the UK. They may assume you were not good enough to get onto a course in the UK, and thus ended up in China.

 

However, I think the prestige of the university is overrated. It is only one factor when applying for a job. It may help you get the interview, but after that, your interview performance will be the deciding factor.

[MartinTheStudent]

Where I want to work... If only I knew that. So far, I'm thinking something along the lines of journalism, diplomacy, international organisations etc, with my current language combination being English, Polish, B1/B2 French and A2 Spanish (both my French and Spanish are steadily improving). But if that fails then I guess teaching would be something I could fall back on.

 

Some of the universities in the UK have really low standards, and it's not hard to get onto the courses, unless you're applying for the top 5 universities, or medicine.

But if my CV were to say that I received a full ride scholarship to study at either Tsinghua or Peking, wouldn't the potential employer be intrigued/impressed by the fact that I received a scholarship to study at a really good university abroad? Wouldn't also networking opportunities be better at those two universities?

 

Another thing is that graduating with a double major in Chinese and Russian would mean that my Chinese wouldn't be nowhere near as good than if I were to study in China.

 

I do however fully agree with the statement that it'd be better to graduate with good results here than mediocre results abroad, but with the combination of hard work and commitment I think it'd be possible to achieve good results abroad. 

[roddy]

It's pretty clear you want to go to China, so fair enough, maybe you should go to China. But don't burn your bridges. Maybe get a deferred place at a UK uni - then if your first year in China doesn't work out, you have an easy route back. 

[Flickserve]

At undergrad level, I suspect the networking factor is not that significant. I graduated in the UK and moved to HK. Not seen a benefit and my university is a Russell Group member.

My finance friends sometimes employ people from their old University but ultimately those employed have to perform in their jobs or face the sack.

The bit about the scholarship and impressing people with it? The odd person might be impressed. Maybe but where are you going to work afterwards?

[geraldc]

Degrees especially in the UK aren't vocational (with the exception of the professions (but not teaching). If you want to be a journalist, be a journalist, just write, write for the student paper, start a blog, volunteer for local radio tv etc. A journalism degree from a country without a history of free press/investigative journalism would be pretty worthless. Get on weibo and start publishing Polish recipes, I'm sure no one else is doing it, and develop your writing skills. Start with something incendiary like how jiaozi are pale imitations of pierogi or how the Poles and Chinese are the only people who can be bothered to eat carp.

 

China has millions of people with better Chinese and English than you. To make a difference, develop a skill, and have your languages on the side. The reasons diplomats can speak foreign languages is that they are smart and can pick up languages, it's not that they can speak languages and are therefore diplomats.

 

I think you need to go see China, and see what it's like for a student. Do you like people reading books out aloud to you etc? it's a very different teaching style.

[XiaoXi]

Nottingham is more reputable, but I'm thinking that if I were to graduate from a really good Chinese university, wouldn't that make me stand out more among job applicants than if I were to just major in Chinese at a British university?

 

Stand out where? If you want to stand out against applicants with degrees from UK and US universities then you need a degree from Cambridge. A Nottingham degree will make you their equal and a degree from a Chinese university will normally make them stand out against you. It all depends on the country you want to apply for a job in after you graduate.

[XiaoXi]

Degrees especially in the UK aren't vocational

 

Chinese education in general is the least vocational. Then don't even do experiments at school in science from I've heard. Its all about theory, writing and most of all....exams.

[Angelina]

Networking opportunities are excellent, someone I know from school just met (his team impressed)王力宏 Awesome, right?

Maybe off topic, but they said the best thing I have heard: we are not as good as some US schools are, but we are trying. This was after the lady was surprised they are doing something she would expect from a developed country. Pretty indicative.

Plus the 说中文 part, welcome to my life.

http://tv.cctv.com/v1/index.shtml?videoID=VIDEDxvsxmBDFYPxTqN9ICgn161218&from=timeline

My advice is to go for Nottingham now. It is too late to analyze Chinese programs. It will be a leap in the dark. You will need time to see how things are going. Maybe further study in China, you will get a year abroad as part of your bachelor's.

The reasons diplomats can speak foreign languages is that they are smart and can pick up languages, it's not that they can speak languages and are therefore diplomats

This is the status of linguistics in China.

Anyway, you don't have the time to understand what is prestigious in China. Go for Nottingham now, try China later.

[Shelley]

It sounds like you want to go to China.

 

Go learn some languages, make some friends, eat some interesting food, enjoy chinese culture and get a qualification.

 

As long as the qualification is not the only reason for going. Take advantage of a "full ride scholarship". Many people have pointed out the downsides of study in China and the merits of studying at Notts. If you take all these things in consideration and you know what might happen, ie you may come back after years of study and be just one more fish in the ocean or your qualifications may draw blank faces from prospective employers and you are ready for all this then Go, Do it.

 

I can't imagine being young and healthy, having this offer and saying no. I would have done it.

 

If you do go, let us know how it goes, and I wish you all the best.