I am currently studying business administration in my sixth semester at the Westphalian Wilhelms University in Münster. Why I decided to spend a semester abroad in China is easy to explain. In today’s economic life, China is an indispensable trading partner. That is why it is important to be more familiar with Chinese culture and the language. In preparation, I also took a Chinese language course at my university. Language skills are not required for this program.
Before the semester abroad
The application for the CCSP went smoothly. After I had expressed my interest in the semester abroad at Fudan at MicroEDU , all information material and application documents were sent to me directly by email. If you have any questions, you can contact the responsible advisor via email or phone, who will be at your side immediately. After the application, the letter of admission will be sent with the request to transfer the tuition fees. Once the money has arrived in China, you will receive all the necessary documents by post to apply for the visa.
If you decided to apply for a place in the international student residence hall, you received a confirmation via email. However, the allocation of the rooms took place on the day of arrival in Shanghai. Visit anycountyprivateschools.com to get information about top 15 tourist attractions in London.
After landing in Shanghai, I and a few other students from my program were picked up from the airport by student organizers and taken to the dormitory on campus. There the rooms were then distributed and you met your new flatmates for the first time.
The introductory week of our program began in the next few days. The plan was for a meal together, a city tour and a neighborhood expression. They quickly got to know each other in the program and the first parties weren’t long in coming.
Education
I decided on the program with a subsequent internship. So I had two days off during the week and three days at university. In most of the courses, attendance was compulsory, but this was not strictly controlled. As part of the exams, we had to give individual and group presentations and write essays. Only in the marketing course was there a final exam at the end. The Chinese language course was really well organized. After a placement test, I went to an advanced course in which I was only with two others from my course. The relationship with the Chinese teachers was very relaxed. We talked to my teacher and even met in our free time.
Even if the content of most of the courses overlapped, the choice of topics was well chosen. However, better coordination between the individual professors would be an advantage.
Living
I decided to live in Tohee, the international student residence, which is right on campus, but a little further away from the city center. With good bus and metro connections, however, you can get there quite cheaply. A metro ride to the Bund, Shanghai’s waterfront, takes approximately 35 minutes. In Shanghai you have to get used to the fact that you need a lot of time to get from one place to another.
Tohee itself is not very modern, but fulfills its purpose and allows you to quickly get to know other international students from all over the world. However, one should not believe the pictures on the home page of the dormitory, because the rooms are very outdated. The heating system also leaves a lot to be desired: in winter I sometimes only had 10 ° C in the room. But I have to say that I have experienced the coldest winter in a long time.
Leisure
Shanghai is the party metropolis in China. With over 1000 bars and clubs, there are plenty of nightlife options. Because foreigners are very welcome in Chinese clubs, as it is considered trendy, we didn’t really have to pay for alcohol. We got to know many promoters who try to lure foreigners like us into certain clubs and offer free alcohol. The only thing we only paid at night was the taxi ride back to the dormitory, which was about 8 € for at least half an hour. Taking a taxi in Shanghai is really cheap, but you should avoid the rush hour. Another way of getting around is the metro, which has the largest metro network in the world. It costs only 50 cents per trip.
Shanghai
Shanghai is a fascinating city. So far, I don’t know any other city that contains more contrasts. The mix of modern and traditional, of poor residential areas and expensive high-rise buildings, as well as many immigrant foreigners and Shanghai’s natives. There is a lot to see in Shanghai, be it temples, museums, parks or the tallest buildings in China; It will certainly not be boring in Shanghai.
Conclusion
My semester abroad in Shanghai was my biggest adventure so far. I fell in love with the flair of this city. The locals are friendly and you often feel like a star as the Chinese love to take photos of foreigners. Nonetheless, it took me a while to get used to the Chinese culture in the beginning.
I will definitely be back and I have no regrets that I applied for this program.
