3~ Orientation

Our first official day in Hangzhou started with a 9:30 orientation, where we all had a meeting in a very fancy conference room to hear about exactly what we would be doing over the next three weeks. We were given a huge amount of information over the next 2.5 hours which was quite hard to digest especially with jet lag kicking in but the excitement kept me going. We were asked to fill out loads of forms and then given our timetables which were packed full! Only 4 full days of free time during the entire programme and from 3 - 7 hours of classes per day I was a bit overwhelmed to say the least but it definitely looks like an exciting 3 weeks are ahead of me! 

After orientation we had our first class which was our module option. I had already chosen Chinese Business previously so headed on my way to class with my roommate. I'l probably dedicate a blog to the teaching styles and classrooms so won't go into much detail but today's class was just under 3 hours long! Kind of crazy I wasn't expecting that, while it was long it was really interesting and I'm a big fan of our business teacher Mary, who's English was flawless and seems to have a lot of experience in the trade. We learnt that Hangzhou and people who live in Zhejiang province are mostly owning their own businesses as its better to be a chickens head than a phoenix's tale (pretty awesome idiom there). 

Once class has ended we only had 15 minutes rest until the meeting point for the Opening Ceremony, where we met the big cheese (Vice President of the University, such an honour!) and we heard speeches from various people welcoming us to the University which was pretty awesome. We also had a speaker from the StudyChina students to thank the university for their hospitality - which is what i'l be doing for he closing ceremony in three weeks, I'm so nervous! 

The ceremony was really really nice, everyone seems to welcoming and we also met a group of student volunteers from Zhejiang who seem great fun and really kind. Their English is just amazing and they are mostly studying chemical engineering and other science things which is just incredible! Once the speeches were over and all the pictures were done (I got a cheeky selfie with the Vice P) we all went to the dining hall where a huge buffet had been laid out to welcome us to the university with free flowing beer and food it was pretty awesome to chill out and get to know people. 

Cheeky Selfie with the Vice President!

Of course as our first day in Hangzhou came to an end the jet lag kicked in hard and I think I was in bed by 9 absolutely dead to the world ready for an early start tomorrow! 

An Introduction

Hello! Welcome to my little blog, where i'll be writing about my time studying in Hangzhou as part of the Study China programme. First of all I will explain the background of the programme, how it works, and why I highly recommend this programme to other students, i'll then add links with some advice on how to apply, of course if there are any queries don't hesitate to ask and I will get back to you as soon as I can~

What is the Study China programme? 

The Study China programme is a scholarship that allows you to study Mandarin Chinese at one of China's top universities for three weeks, it is funded by the British Government and managed by the University of Manchester. This scholarship funds all tuition, accommodation and excursion fee's, essentially all we need to pay for are the flights and visa's (I spent around £600 in total). 

The programme itself is very intense, we have 40 hours of Chinese language class over the course of three weeks, plus a chosen module (mine is Chinese business), which is a further 18 hours of class, plus mandatory excursions, a home visit and Taichi/kungfu classes during the week. I find that my schedule is completely packed, but the intensity vastly improves my Chinese which was my main goal. 

It is important to note that you are not required to have any previous Chinese knowledge, you will take a little test to demonstrate your ability and then will be placed into a specific class. The majority of students this year are absolute beginners so it is no problem at all if you can't speak any Chinese yet! 

How can I apply?

You can apply through the Study China website directly with this link, the application is essentially very simple but it is important to meet all specifications. The Study China programme is prestigious in the United Kingdom and competition is high, this year out of 1200 applicants only 82 students were chosen to receive this scholarship so I feel very honoured to be here. My number one tip would be to read all that they require, and make sure your application contains examples of how you fit their criteria, don't miss any aspect out of your application! 

Where can I study?

You can choose one of three universities by putting them in preferential order, your first choice is not always guaranteed but in this case I received my first choice (Zhejiang University). You will study at one of the following:

- Beijing Normal University 

- Zhejiang University 

- East China Normal University (Shanghai) 

All three of these universities are very highly regarded and rated in China and so no matter which one you are allocated you are sure to be getting a very high standard of education. 

Eligibility and Bursaries

There are a few criteria that you must meet in order to be accepted onto the Study China programme, the main one being that you must be a full time student enrolled into a university in the United Kingdom, you can check up on all the specifications on their website here here. 

Another thing to be aware of is the Study China bursary, if you meet the specifications and apply early you will receive £350 upon completion of the course. On top of that you must produce a daily blog of your experience which should be submitted after returning to England. Not only this, but your own university may also award you a travel grant/bursary for this opportunity which will depend on each university (for example Nottingham Trent has awarded me £250 for this experience), and other students have received up to £500 from their universities, it is definitely worth looking into this with your university if you have been accepted! 

All the information you need is on their website and if you are interested i'll be uploading daily blogs of my experience at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou over the next couple of weeks. Please feel free to ask any questions or advice if you're thinking about applying and good luck!! Hope to see you in China next year :D