In this BLCU Q&A with local Chinese student Brian Liu, from Hunan Province, we get a look into the life of a non-foreigner studying at the Beijing Language and Culture University. He takes a look at his typical day, what it's like to be surrounded by so many foreigners on campus, and the tireless hours that go into getting into a reputable university in China.
Remember to check out all our Q&A posts here. Thanks to Brian for his time, and remember that you too could appear in the series: just email theblcublog@gmail.com and let us know that you're interested to be interviewed.
Please tell us about your process of getting to BLCU. I understand for Chinese nationals it is a very competitive university (one of the best), whereas for international students it is simply a matter of paying a fee to learn Chinese. We don’t need to show the same academic achievement to get entry into BLCU as you do. Essentially I’m asking to tell us about your journey to BLCU.
I had to work so hard on the college entrance examinations to get admitted at BLCU. In China, if you want get into a reputable college (what we call zhongdian benke, 重点本科 in Chinese) in Beijing or Shanghai, you have to get really high grades in that examination. My grade was 612 (of a possible 750). Back then, BLCU wouldn't even consider you if your grades were under 594. By comparison, the grades for Tsinghua and Peking University was around 680-690. Only one guy in my class got into Tsinghua and nine of us got into BLCU.
We had to work day and night to get such high scores. Many of us were tired all the time in order to get into our ideal college (the exam is only held once a year, and usually lasts two days between 7-8 June). I intended to major in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, but because my grades weren't high enough I was transferred to Management Information Science, where I am now.
As a Chinese national, how is it be on a campus with so many international students on your doorstep? Is this a great opportunity or do you get tired of all the foreigners (haha)? Do you find it easy finding language partners or are there too many Chinese students competing for the attention of the foreigners? I wonder if you could explore these ideas a little bit, and what your sense of being on such an international campus is.
At first it's exciting and cool to see different people from all over the world speaking different languages. My hometown is a very remote village in Hunan Province, and I did't get many chances to see foreigners. But I quickly got used to it. We are all the same, and to be honest some of the foreign students can be jerks just like everyone else!
It's easy to find language partners on campus. All you do is pin up a poster or ask foreigners in the Canteen, etc. We have more foreign students here than Chinese. You don't have to fight for a language partner, and some of us don't really want one.
Regarding the international college, I don't really think we can call BLCU international in the same way that Harvard and MIT (for example) are international, and where people come from all over the world to actually learn something, not just a language. As you have said, you pay a fee and you get into this college (as a foreigner). I don't think that there is much communication between Chinese and Foreign students except the language exchange thing. We live in two different worlds basically.
What were your first impressions of Beijing and BLCU when you arrived from Hunan? Were they positive or mixed with some negative? What were your worries about being at BLCU, and what did you think was great?
When I first arrived in Beijing I felt excited and hot! It was nearly September and Beijing's weather was so dry that my nose kept bleeding on the very first day. Other than that everything was great.
What have been your good experiences with foreign students at BLCU, and what have been your bad experiences?
I have some very good foreign friends and language partners. We help each other with the language and hang out. I've got a friend from Italy who gave me a copy of their music. It was awesome. As for bad experiences, I don't really have any. If you don't like someone you just simply walk away.
I know the average day of a foreign student at BLCU, but I wonder if you could give me an example of the average day for a Chinese student? I imagine it is much more tiring and that there is more pressure to perform well. What is your average day like?
A normal day for us is dull and boring. Usually we get up around 7am (to make sure we show up by 8am in the classroom), then grab something to eat at the school canteen most of the time. If you are running late you may want to just buy some bread from the Bakers. Our morning classes end at noon, then we have lunch, take a nap (if you want), and go back to afternoon classes between 2-6pm. After that we might have some optional classes, but most of us are free then. The power is cut at midnight so we have to make sure we get into our beds before then (lol).
One last thing...
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