In advance
As a student specializing in International Business, the semester abroad is compulsory for us in the 5th semester. I decided to look for my own university because it gives me a wider choice. I was enthusiastic about the friendly and competent advice from MicroEDU and finally decided on the Contemporary China Studies Program at Fudan University in Shanghai. Until then, I couldn’t speak a word of Chinese myself, and I have never lived in Asia before. So it was a “jump in the deep end”.
Application process
The application process is quite simple and logical. You can also call MicroEDU for help over the phone at any time, and the testimonials are also very helpful. Applying for the Chinese student visa is quite easy, quick and cheap compared to other countries like the USA. I hired an agency for a fee (approx. 115 euros) who did everything by post within a week. Visit anycountyprivateschools.com to get information about MBAs in Europe get cheaper.
Care and accommodation
I was picked up at the airport by my buddy on the day of my arrival and taken to the Tohee. Overall, the help from the buddies was very helpful in the first few weeks. The study coordinators were also always on hand to answer any open questions during the semester.
Tohee
I decided to stay at the Tohee and I don’t regret that decision. I chose the cheapest room (2000 RMB per month) and it was more than enough. The apartment itself had a huge living room. The kitchen (never used) and bathroom were a bit worn, but functional. Tohee conveniently delivers drinking water to your room for 15 RMB per canister and one full cleaning cost 30 RMB.
Tohee has the main advantage that you only need 7 minutes to get to the classroom with a used bike (about 150 RMB) (about half an hour on foot, as the campus is gigantic). You can also get to the metro station and Wujiaochang much faster by bike. Most of the students in the program also live at the Tohee.
A third point is that the Tohee management takes care of everything, ie if something is broken, someone always comes over and you don’t have to take care of it yourself.
Unfortunately, the Internet is quite slow, but this is not only the case at Tohee, but also at university. Should you move into town, be sure to test your internet speed beforehand. I also recommend buying a commercial VPN.
Flat share in the city
I myself lived in the city center for 2 months after the program, which is really great because you are very close to the action and you save a lot of travel time. However, it can be quite annoying if the landlord suddenly remembers that a wall in the apartment has to be torn down and it took a while for the warm water to work. There were no such problems at Tohee. Also, shared rooms in the city can get quite expensive (up to RMB 3600).
Where you ultimately want to live is up to you. During the semester, the Tohee is great. However, living in the city center can also be a great experience. But then you should accept the travel times and rush hour.
Budget
The monthly expenses in Shanghai can be compared with those in Germany. I haven’t even used my kitchen in the four months. The ways to eat are numerous. For example, street food costs around 10 RMB, in cheap restaurants on the street around 20 (recommended by my favorite cook “Roger”, right in front of Tohee) and in a normal restaurant it can cost 50 – 80 RMB. If you want western food, it can be more (tip: Pizz @, opposite Tohee makes great Italian pizza 50-70RMB, free delivery). For example, good burgers at Bluefrog sometimes cost 100 RMB and more.
The second big cost point is the transport costs, as Fudan is a bit out of the way, you will often take a taxi (to the city center about 35 RMB before 23. 00, then 55). You will quickly notice that the taxi prices can vary greatly and that it is generally cheaper to have Chinese people in the taxi.
All in all, you can expect about 4000 RMB per month, plus rent (which was paid in advance in the Tohee).
Education
Since I got full credit for the semester at my home university, I chose the language course + 5 courses + a 1-month internship at the end of the semester. I was very satisfied with most of the professors and assignments. I particularly liked the business courses, which deal with doing business, practicing business and global supply chain management, because the lecturers came from the business world and were able to give many useful tips.
My professors all spoke very good English and the classes were very small (2-20 students) and the exams / homework fair. I also took the basic Chinese course, which was quite pleasant and a lot of fun.
My choice of courses was designed in such a way that I only had courses Monday through Wednesday. This gave me a lot of free time for trips and activities in Shanghai.
Some of my fellow students have chosen the option of doing a 1-day internship during the semester. However, most of them had had rather negative experiences with it, because you can certainly not do much responsible in such a short period of time and the day off can certainly be invested more usefully.
I myself was very satisfied with the 1-month internship after the semester, as I was able to get a taste of a Chinese company.
Leisure
Thanks to a huge international community, the leisure activities in Shanghai are awesome. Every day there are countless promotions in the city’s clubs that provide foreigners with free drinks and, so to speak, advertise for you. There are clubs for every taste in music, price range location. After a while you get a feeling for what good promotions and clubs are and it is also quite common to be invited to the tables by the club manager or super-rich Chinese for a game of dice and the Dom Perignon marathon. Never (!) Refuse a Chinese, otherwise they will lose face.
Also to be mentioned are the nice Tohee house parties, rooftop parties and the countless western bars.
Other group activities such as KTV (karaoke), teppanyaki, go-card driving or laser tagging are particularly fun.
Conclusion
The semester abroad in Shanghai was definitely one of the most exciting and interesting experiences during my studies. I was able to learn a lot about Chinese culture and get to know the country and its people better on some excursions. Shanghai is definitely a city that I could imagine living in again for a longer period of time. I can therefore only recommend Fudan University!
