What nobody told you about attending China’s elite university… | Reality of Studying Abroad in China

In this video I share with you everything you have to know if you want to study abroad in China. What is it like to be an international students at a Chinese university? What do you have to know to study in China & is China even a good choice for you?

0:00 Watch this before you decide to study in China!
0:38 If you want to know more check out my book 'I lived in Shanghai' about my experience living and studying at Fudan University in Shanghai!
0:50 Foreign and Chinese students often live very different lives in China (you need to make some effort to get to know Chinese students)
3:02 When living on a campus, Chinese students and foreign students live in separate dorms
3:56 Language barrier in China
4:30 Don't underestimate the size & diversity of China, know what you expect to get out of your experience living in China
6:38 Campus life at Chinese universities
7:26 Legal regulations & working permit for students (Are students allowed to work in China?)
8:01 Attendance is very important at Chinese universities (You can get your visa cancelled & kicked out of China if you miss too many classes)
9:30 Studying in China in English, is it a good idea?
1:20 Do you need to speak Chinese when going to study abroad in China?
12:54 Would I recommend studying abroad in China.

Hi! My name is Kaja Kubicka. I grew up between Poland and Denmark, and for the past couple of years I have been living in Copenhagen, Shanghai, Bangkok, Warsaw and Paris, making videos about my travels, daily life & fashion.

#China #FudanUniversity #Chinavlog #Shanghai

[dreamer]

If you wanna study in China, I 100% recommend you study in English, studying in Chinese is always hard, no matter what level of Chinese language you are, coming from someone studying in China right now in Chinese. btw Great video, Thank You.

[JosildaNdreaj]

From my experience, I have studied in Wuhan but many Chinese students and locals took the initiative to approach me and communicate with me in English. I made so many Chinese and international friends. Professors were our friends as well and they introduced us to a lot of cultural aspects. From my observation most of the other students do not go out that much, they prefer staying in the dorms, with people of their nationality sometimes, so they cannot have contact with anyone else but their classmates or countrymates.

[citlalygarcia]

Last year I was going to study abroad at ECNU in Shanghai. I submitted the form and tuition fees also my flight was booked. However, covid happened and I didn’t end up going because everything was over zoom and students had to quarantine in their dorms. I was so upset about it, but I still want to go. Hopefully I can try again sometime next year!!

[aubreyzarinagagto]

I have a potential scholarship in China this coming September semester, I hope they will open the borders soon cause I prefer the physical class rather than online class. Also, some are against with me going to China but I have an open mind towards China that it's not bad as the media portrays.

[joycetango]

Yes, language is a point. As a Fudan student, I am now in Amsterdam as an exchange student, but I am not one of those who are perfectly fine in English, as you said. My oral English sucks, and I can't always understand others, especially if they are native speakers, using a lot of slang or speaking super fast. When I was in Fudan, since Chinese students and international students don't live together and Chinese students may hold fewer parties, we also didn't have many opportunities to know foreign students, which makes me spend more time getting used to the multicultural environment in Amsterdam.

[charminghe]

I can tell you from personal experience that the most important thing is to prepare a VPN that can be used in China!

Otherwise, Facebook and WhatsApp will not work properly. Remember, it is a VPN that can be used in China. There are many VPNs that cannot be used in China because the technology of these VPNs is too poor to bypass the government firewall.

MetroVPN is the more reliable VPN I have used, at least it supports all my devices, iPhone, iPad, and Windows computer. The only downside is that it's not cheap, about $60 a year, but it's really professional.

[nickpellatt]

Key point to consider - Check if the degree you are planning to study has value in the country in which you plan to work. My current employer requires a degree ... but it must be from an English-speaking country.

The future value of your degree in the country and industry you work in is far more important than almost all other things you could consider. A degree from China, may be useless in your future in a way that a degree from another country may not be.

[yyaksok]

ahhh i really hope i can study abroad in china sometime:) your experience sounds really great and bc my minor is in chinese i really want to be able to experience the culture while working on my language skills

[stephenchan]

For most Chinese university is for study; whereas in America many consider freshman year is party time. Chinese students tend to gather with fellow Chinese students possibly due to lack of fluent social skill in English but then expat students behave the same.

[HugotheBrainwasher]

In China the Chinese students would get in groups with the other Chinese. But also the Koreans with the other Koreans and the Japanese with the Japanese. The rest of the foreigners were the ones mixed between themselves. 😅

[pilotjony]

in the fact, many chinese student want to make friends with other coutry people, but shy. welcome to make friend with me!

[sdliong]

Good video. Although I think most of what you said actually applies to any culturally different country, it is worthy talking given the facts that 1. china is not an immigrant country 2. china was quite closed in the past couple centuries until recently 3. china has been mysterized and meanwhile demonized a lot. Speaking from a foreigner with her own experience is valuable for anyone non-chinese who wants to go to china.

[lucyfabulous]

International students got much better dorm than local students in Chinese universities

[kaithlyn-ines]

ahh, this really helped...I'm looking towards studying in China, but also would like to keep a few countries at heart just in case my mind had a turn...overall thank u for ur insight....I'm a med student finishing of my last year of school and am getting ready for a huge step :D

[supererikman]

Having been to china i noticed that going out and partying is what young adults do after college. Not saying chinese college students dont go out they do, but not at the level they do after graduating

[nileshbhattacharya]

Beautiful China.
Beautiful video ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you Kaja Sis for this 🙏

[PhoebeJones]

This is such an insightful video! thankyou :)

[christiankabano]

What I didn't like was that with Chinese students or friends I was always the one making the effort or trying to reach out to them. Trust me even if you reach out few will ever be genuine friends.

[johnster]

thanks. in the first 30 seconds you completely disuaded me lmao

[BenJones]

I am interested in if a Chinese degree can be authenticated for use in the US, Canada, or other western countries, I kinda wanted to study in China but on my Z Visa. Also I think it is unfair how Chinese citizens can study abroad and still be accepted into society (as it should be) but here in China, foreigners despite the huge salary, are 2nd class.

Like I'm pretty sure foreign exchange students can also work in the US, the university might even offer them a job.

Many people break the rules and there is a market for it but still, there are places in western countries that are all Chinese immigrants and I think that's super cool. But in China when there's a lot of foreigners in a certain area, then it's deemed as bad and the police kinda discriminate against you, perfect example would be how people here perceive black people in Guangzhou.