Flat-Sharing Near BNU

[bad_dream_house]

Hi,

I know there is already a lot of chat on the forum about renting near BNU but a lot of it seems to be about renting with chinese flatmates. I'm a 23 year old Brit going to BNU this September, and although like most I am hoping to learn as much as possible I don't think I'm quite up to the idea of sharing with Chinese flatmates. It's not that I don't like their company or anything, and I totally realise the advantages of having Chinese flatmates when it comes to studying, its just that having worked in Beijing for a while last year and living in a shared apartment with other foreigners near Wudoakou, albeit a dump of a flat, I know that when I get a bit stressed with life in China I like to be able to close the door on it and be in a semi-familiar environment for a while. So I'm really just seeing if there is anyone else going to BNU who is thinking of sharing with other foreign students in a flat near the campus and what their thoughts are on it, and also if there is anyone out there who has some insight into the advantages/disadvantages of living with other foreigners compared with sharing with Chinese folks.

Cheers

[Jamoldo]

Hey dream house, if you stayed in a dorm at BNU that you would not be sharing with a Chinese student anyway. Chinese students usually sleep 4-6 to a tiny single room. You'd be staying in a foreign students dorm, either by yourself or with another foreign roommate. The dorms are supposedly nice, private bathroom thats cleaned by a maid, air conditioning, heat, 24 hr hot water, high speed internet etc. Of course you pay 60-90 RMB a night for it, which is not bad by our western standards, but a fortune by Chinese standards. Of course the chances are that your roommate would probably be Korean or Japanese, but there is a 2 week grace period to switch housing or move out or switch roommates and that sort.

How long are you going to be at BNU? I'm thinking at least for the academic year.

[bad_dream_house]

Jamoldo you make a good point, I understand that Chinese students do not enjoy the same level of comfort as foreigners when studying and are usually cramped into tiny wee rooms but I was really thinking more along the lines of private accomodation. I was just condidering that a lot of people seem to be leaning towards sharing with Chinese students or young professionals, and I do get the thinking behind this, but for me I like the comfort I get from sharing with people who are in the same boat, i.e. foreigners studying abroad. I aint against integration or anything I just remember from my student days here that when I get home I like to have a drink with my flat-mates and reminisce about my day and I maybe would feel more comfortable doing that with other westerners than Chinese students who might think my issues trivial, aftter all as you say they usually have to share 4-6 to a room! As for the dormitory thing, I don't think that would be for me. I know in the US its common for students to share a room while at uni but in the UK this is practicaly unheard of, you probably know what we Brits can be like, and personally I don't think the dorm thing is such a good deal. I admit I haven't seen the ones at BNU, but I have been to the ones at BLCU and I wasn't to impressed. Fair enough they were better that my room in my flat around the corner, which didn't even have air-con, but I only paid 900 rmb a month and to me 80 rmb a night = $300 USD a month = approx £150 which is what I pay for a room in my flat in Glasgow. Okay so maybe Glasgow wouldn't even fit into a district in Beijing but what the hell. Thanks for your feed back though, I'm also going for at least the year and I am looking forward to meeting all the lads and lassies who will be there too.

[adrianlondon]

Here's another idea ...

BNU will be shared with other non-Chinese but could be Japanese and Koreans. Not exactly the "let's have a laugh about Beijing over 5 pints of Guinness" crowd

However, (and this is only based on my time spent looking at BLCU and its campus) if you end up living with Westerners you'll just stick together, sit around in large groups, drinking and chatting in English.

I plan on staying in BNU accommodation for the initial 2 weeks (to see what my flatmate is like) and then probably moving into an apartment with a chinese pen-friend (well, ok, we met on the net, does that make him a typing-friend or, worse, a finger-friend?).

I know you're wary, but I still recommend sharing with chinese, or at least a mix of chinese and westerners - that is possible, try to find a Westerner who already speaks bloody good mandarin.

Then, simply go for drinks and meals out with your course friends before you go home.

[Jamoldo]

I'm going to agree with Adrian on this one, going out with Western friends or whomever but if I have to room with someone, preferably a non-English speaker though I'll probably stay in the dorms for the first semester at least. I know that I need to get my Chinese up to snuff and make the most of it while I'm over there.

Dream house, everyone has their own preferences, no worries. Lots of dorms are singles at BNU (and i might prefer one over a double), though I've never seen them. 150 pounds of rent a month? do you have flat mates? I mean that's dirt cheap! I haven't heard of anything like that in a major city here in the states!

[crow610]

I totally agree with Adrian and plan on doing the same exact thing. If I end up with a mostly fluent English speaker then I will look for off campus housing. However, if I end up with a non-English speaking student (level of English is not that good) then that might create a conducive enviornment where I will be forced to speak the language instead of living with a Chinese student whom will probably want to practice his English with me.

I have heard too many stories like the following: "Jon was in China for a year and spent all his time with Americans. He can't even ask where the bathroom is".

Just make sure you break from your comfort zone and try to minize falling into this trap.

[Jamoldo]

the good thing is that we are not in an American/foreign progam. We are directy enrolled at a Chinese University with Chinese students, with the majority of foreign students being from non-English speaking countries.

[adrianlondon]

However, BNU might think they're being clever by putting us Westerners together.

From experience, Japanese and Koreans like to stick together. The chances of making good friends with one with the view of moving into their shared room (with their korean/japanese roomie moving in with your roomie - i.e. a swap) are slim. We have two weeks to try our hardest to do that.

Of course, if I end up being put with an Australian or American I may just decide to pretend I don't know English, and speak a bit of French or something

We shall see!

[Jamoldo]

Or BNU just might not give a damn and just throw names into a hat. I don't think it will be too big of a problem if I have a western roommate as long as I can focus on my Chinese, it'll be ok.