2010-11 Student Photo Essays

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I was born in Saigon, Vietnam, to Chinese/Vietnamese parents. I moved to California when I was four and grew up with Vietnamese as my first language, English as my second, and I never learned Chinese.

I decided to study abroad this year because I felt it was a wonderful cultural opportunity. I am finally learning Chinese after 20 years of lost opportunity. It is also wonderful academically, because I truly feel that Chinese will be the language of business in the future. After my return, I hope to either study abroad another year and perfect the language, or complete both my degrees and work on my master's degree abroad.

Upon coming to China, one of the most complicated things all students should be aware of is the difficulty in first finding housing, then paying for it. There are rooms available to rent in apartments full of strangers, studio apartments, or multiple bedroom apartments where groups can live.

Be sure to bring enough money to pay for up to six months worth of rent up front. Two culture shocks students should be aware of are: Not all housing options have western toilets; and most areas of housing do not have dryers.

Campus is amazingly gorgeous and large. Considering the number of students attending Peking University, our classes are very intimate. The teacher to student ratio of 1:16 is very common.

Lower-level international students take only two or three classes, ranging from two to six hours a day. Speaking, listening and grammar courses are required of lower level students, and electives are only granted to students of intermediate levels or higher.

Another concern for students coming to China is food. Food on campus is cheap and of average taste, but can be excessively oily, so prepare to drink a lot of tea. If students are not used to the style of cuisine available on campus, there are still many Western restaurants around, such as KFC, McDonalds, Starbucks, and Pizza Hut. But students should still keep in mind that the taste caters to the Chinese public.

It is very easy to get around in Beijing because the public transportation is not only convenient, but extremely affordable. It costs roughly 15 cents to take the bus and 35 cents for the subway. There are also taxis with starting rates of $1.50 but because of everyday traffic jams, cost of waiting and distance are added together. As a student, the best investment is a bike (and multiple locks, because theft is common).

One of the most amazing things about studying abroad is the ability to travel. The program itself pays for group trips; however, planning your very own excursion around town or neighboring districts every weekend is the best way to get to know the area.

Since transportation is cheap and convenient, traveling is not difficult. Just be aware that you are in a country with 1/6 of the world's population—it is best to adjust to the crowd and culture.

Make time to study, because it will consume your life, but don't worry because there will still be plenty of time to go out and have fun!