First week at Sun Yat-Sen University

My first week as a Chinese language undergraduate student is now over and I’m really happy I chose to study at Sun Yat-Sen University! The teachers are educated and know what they are doing. They are prepared for class and have a clear plan for the whole course. The courses are interesting and challenging. My class (本二下) on the second year is just right for me and the level suits my needs.

Our basic compulsory courses are comprehensive (综合), listening (听力), writing (写作), reading (泛读) and speaking (口语). Besides that we can choose at least one selective from five different courses. I decided to choose Cantonese (粤语) and calligraphy (书法).  If you think Mandarin is difficult, then you should try Cantonese and think again!

My original plan back in 2010 wast to apply for Beijing Language and Culture University, but I think I made the right decision to stay in Guangzhou and come to the Sun Yat-Sen University. It’s the best university in the south and usually 9th or 10th best in the whole country. Even though in Finland it doesn’t matter from which university you graduate (students of Helsinki University might disagree with me), but in China it’s appreciated if you graduate from on of the top universities.

Now my job for the following three years is to be a top student. Final exams aren’t the only factor when calculating our grades. We also have to do our homework or other assignments, attend classes (after certain amount of absence from class you’re not allowed to take the exam) and be active in class. All of this requires a lot of study and I’m ready for it.

I dreamed about studying a Chinese degree when I was 16 years old. Now is the time to be worthy of my dream.

Now I would like to throw the ball to you my readers. Would you like to know more about my studies at Sun Yat-Sen University? Or more posts about learning Chinese?