I'm going to begin replying publicly to email enquiries I get so that my answer does not benefit just one person but instead everyone that visits this blog. That seems to make a lot more sense to me.
I have posted reader questions before in the form of a Q&A like this, but not in recent versions of The BLCU Blog (i.e. not since before it underwent some major changes back in July 2011 at which time I took down a lot of old content that I didn't think stood up to the new standard of quality I was attempting to set and maintain with all articles that I post).
Some of you may already be aware that I have done a few YouTube video Q&As on BLCU in which I've answered readers comments for the benefit of everyone. However, I generally am going to keep content on this blog in the written form, so here is the first Q&A as a post.
These questions were sent in from a reader called Olivia on 1 June, 2012.
"Hi again! I saw the recent video you made answering my question and found it very informative, thank you! I am so excited for my stay in Beijing attending BLCU and your blog has helped me to get it organised! I am however looking for an apartment and wondering where you stayed and whether it was good? I need links or address etc."
Hi Olivia, thanks for the email. Firstly, I'm glad you found the video and information helpful. That is always nice to hear. It's also great to hear that you're looking forward to heading off to BLCU to begin studying Chinese. I'm sure you'll enjoy living in Beijing and China.
If you're looking for an apartment off-campus, you have a few options. There are three main apartment complexes that I can recommend in the BLCU area: Huaqing Jiayuan (near the Wudaokou subway station), Furin Jiayuan (close to the BLCU East gate), and Hanting Jiayuan (north of BLCU).
These are not the only options, but they are the ones that come to mind immediately and where most BLCU students will stay when living off-campus. I would suggest you also check out these two posts I wrote which are going to be relevant for you:
I do not have addresses for these apartment complexes, but I have already told you their rough locations. What I suggest you do is speak to some estate agencies in the BLCU area (mostly in Wudaokou) once you get there. However, be warned that you will need to speak in Mandarin Chinese with them as they do not speak English (generally).
As such, you must understand that you will need to have some form of accommodation arranged for when you initially get to BLCU as it can take a few days or weeks to find the right apartment to rent. You will also have to find people who are willing to share a place with you as renting an apartment for one person is too expensive for most people (probably around 4-5,000 RMB).
Of course, if you want to do some planning in advance or take a look at apartments in the Wudaokou area online, check out The Beijinger and Peking Lettings (make sure you're looking in the Wudaokou area). I mentioned these two websites in my post Arriving At BLCU Without Accommodation.
Personally, I stayed at the Conference Centre during my first semester and then moved off-campus with my girlfriend to both Huaqing Jiayuan and Hanting Jiayuan (at different times, obviously). We preferred the latter as it was a newly built apartment complex that had just opened in mid-2010, which was when I was studying at BLCU. So that would have to be my recommendation for other students too.
"Also, I was wondering whether you got a sim card with internet? I want to use Instagram and Facebook while I'm travelling around beijing."
I did not personally get a sim card with internet on it and it's not really something I can comment on due to the fact that I simply don't know enough about it. Your best bet is to go to the China Mobile store near BLCU. If you take a left out of the East gate and then head north, you will see it sitting near the Starbucks chain. The shopping centre known as Golden Towers (or the Korean Centre, for reasons that I never understood) is also located here. It should be easy to find.
Ask some of the staff, either in Chinese or English (if any of them can speak it), what the best deal is for getting an internet sim card. It may end up costing you quite a bit without taking out a contract (which you probably wouldn't be able to do anyway as you are not a Chinese resident).
I imagine China Mobile is your best bet as far as companies go, but it's up to you if you want to enquire at other stores as well (China Telecom, for example). Sorry I could not give you any more specific details!
REMEMBER: You will need VPN software installed on your computer to access websites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and many others from China! Two services I recommend for BLCU students are PureVPN and ProXPN.
"If I am being a pest, ignore the email but I have found you to be the most trustworthy, informative person on the whole internet about this topic. PLUS I am a little nervous about heading to BLCU as I feel like I am QUITE a lot younger than most blogs I've read (I'll be 18)."
Thanks for saying so and I hope this blog has brought a lot of help to other people out there as well. I know preparing for BLCU can be difficult so I wanted to share my experiences with as many people as possible, providing them with solutions where possible, or failing that at least guiding them in the right direction.
I must admit that 18 is on the young-ish side to be going to BLCU, but I did know a few other students who were that age during my time there, so you won't be the only one. People are very friendly and I'm sure you won't have any trouble getting settled in at all. There's always someone who's willing to lend a helping hand, and generally the Chinese students who are taking their degrees at BLCU are very helpful too. They're always happy for an opportunity to practice their English!
Well, I hope some of this has covered the majority of your questions and if there is anything you'd like further details on please let me know and I'll address it again here on the blog for the benefit of my other readers.
One last thing...
Access blocked websites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and more from BLCU and China with PureVPN!
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