A Blog about Education Abroad

Category: Xiamen University

Skye Breeze Petser at Xiamen University, China

Skye Breeze Petser

Chinese Hons Student

Semester Exchange in the Second Semester, 2023 at Xiamen University

Pre-departure:

I won’t sugarcoat it, the months leading up to my departure were rough. There were a lot of problems with my registration to the host university, but I was lucky enough to fight through it all with a fellow classmate who had also chosen Xiamen University. I had chosen Xiamen over the more popular choice of Beijing because I wanted to be closer to the sea and not directly in the middle of a busy and massive city (I’m not much of a city person). I did, however, find out that I would be on Xiang’an campus and not Siming campus which needs to be stated. The visa application was a process because we had to wait for our acceptance documents to arrive from China, but they had been sent through the post and only arrived two weeks before we left during a taxi strike. My nerves were shot by the time I was sitting on the plane. Between booking flights, getting my visa and online registration I was ready to make the most out of my exchange. It was my first time leaving the country and I was so excited to experience what was to come.

Skye with a fellow Hons student from Stellies.

Experience at the Host University:

Unlike the months before I arrived, my experience in China was amazing. I will say the registration and the first few weeks was difficult for us all. I had to run around with fellow students, during a typhoon, to finalise our registration and various other odds and ends. We were trying to get our student cards, SIM cards and bank cards sorted while also figuring out exactly what was going on.

Something that I had to get used to in China was the fact that you use an app called Alipay to pay for everything. Many people also use WeChat pay, but a lot of us exchange students couldn’t access WeChat pay, though this wasn’t a problem because you can get by with using Alipay. China also has tons of apps. There is an app for everything, such as buying electricity and using the washing machines in the dorms, selecting food while at a restaurant or even for public transport.

It took some getting used to how things worked in China, but it was worth it. Using the metro system or the buses to travel around made transport convenient and affordable. I was able to travel with friends wherever we wanted to go, and it would always cost us around R5 to R20. My friends couldn’t understand why I was so excited about being able to use public transport, but it was amazing to see the possibilities of what could be in my own country.

The actual experiences I had at Xiamen University were endless. I met the most amazing people there, from the girls living in my dorm (which only cost me around R1000 for the semester), to the fellow students in my classes, to the Chinese students I met through various activities like archery and even to the workers at my favourite little tea shop which was a five-minute walk from my dorm. The people around me made my experience what it was – sure, I attended classes and did every language elective provided, but I learned so much more outside of the classroom than I did inside.

Skye at Nanputuo Temple

I was able to improve my speaking and listening skills in Chinese by talking to locals, as well as learn so much about Chinese culture that I would never have learned from a textbook. I was invited by a close Chinese friend to stay in her family’s home in Quzhou to celebrate her birthday with her while experiencing more intimate parts of Chinese culture. I celebrated birthdays, Christmas and New Years with different nationalities who shared their own traditions and customs. We tried new foods at the street food market outside the campus’s West Gate or Dong Men. We were smoked out of our dorms by a fire drill at 6am and went for karaoke at night. There were Halli Galli tournaments with shop workers as spectators, picture wars where we became like the paparazzi, as well as becoming Santa Claus while giving foreign friends advent calendars and presents for their first-time celebrating Christmas. I even played badminton in the middle of the pavement for three hours against some friends who needed a break from work. I will never forget that I had all of these adventures while laughing so hard that my stomach hurt.

Return to Stellenbosch:

I’ve been back in South Africa exactly two weeks now and my time in China feels like a dream. To be honest, the actual academic part of my exchange barely crosses my mind. What I remember are the people and the things that we did and saw during those five months. The lessons I learned and the parts of myself that I discovered will forever live in my heart. Going on an exchange means getting uncomfortable and trying new things. I would never have experienced half of what I did or met the amazing people I did if I hadn’t taken opportunities and tried new things. My future has opened up and I’m excited to see where I will go. I know that I’m only better off for having gone on this exchange. One day I will return to China but for now the future is a blank canvas.

February 22, 2024
Charissa Beukes at Xiamen University, China

Charissa Beukes

Chinese Hons (Virtual Exchange)

Semester Exchange in the Second Semester, 2022 at Xiamen University

Pre-departure:

I am part of the 2021/2022 Chinese Honours class, and a requirement of our degree is to spend a Semester at Xiamen University. Unfortunately, my classmates and I were not able to go to our host country, China, for our study abroad due to COVID-19 but virtually attending Xiamen University’s classes was definitely a different and interesting experience. For this it is very beneficial to make contact with your classmates or someone who has prior knowledge on studying abroad or travelling overseas in general. This really helps in the first steps to studying abroad because you are guided, instead of doing it on your own, which could make your study abroad lonely.

The first step you should take, which really helped me, is to sit down and find out everything that needs to be done, and then making a checklist. For example, in our case we needed to fill in a lot of forms for Xiamen University, send our passports, work with our lecturers to help us with the forms, download all the necessary teaching platforms of our host university, become familiar with the new teachers and so on. I think it’s very important to make sure you’re up to speed on anything because when you’re studying abroad, in-person or virtually, things can become lost in translation and quite confusing. I also strongly advise making sure you have enough translating apps.

From my experience of travelling to China, Beijing and Xiamen specifically, with my lecturer and classmates in 2019, I learned that it is very important to work together as a team especially before departure or before beginning classes virtually, because you can then all be on the same page, and you know you have people that you’re familiar with and that you can rely on. Something that is also important is to always be as prepared for new things because you will be entering different countries and therefore different traditions and cultures, so make sure to familiarize yourself with these customs in order to gain knowledge on them and also respect. I always tried to be as prepared as possible as it wasn’t always known what our class schedule will entail because of the different in schooling culture. What I did notice is that countries appreciate when you know and respect their culture and way of doing things, so it is very important to be mindful of your actions and be respectful.

Charissa with the Hons class in China

Experience at the Host University:

I really wish we could have been able to go to China, as I believe it would have improved our Chinese-speaking ability greatly and we also would have been able to do the SAGL short course more in-depth. This is because we would physically be able to experience things abroad and therefore be able to apply it to our journals in a much better manner. However, we were lucky enough to virtually attend Xiamen University’s classes and this was still a unique experience because it was very different to our normal classes with Stellenbosch University. China has a much different way of doing things, as their schooling schedule and work pace is much faster and is propped with much more work. It was therefore very difficult to keep up at first, and it very intimidating. However, once we got into a routine, though, things gradually became easier, and I felt more comfortable communicating with our lecturers. This was especially because of the teamwork with my classmates, we would always help each other out when one was confused or unsure of what we should do. I honestly am so grateful for their support, and I believe it is very important to try and establish a support system for yourself it your host university so that if you have any questions or problems, you can ask that person for help, and this will also develop your relationship and also your position as a global citizen.

Charissa with her classmates.

We had classes three times as long and three times more often than what we had at Stellenbosch, it was from 6:50 to 12:00 in the afternoon most days, one of my classmates even had class at 2am due to the 6-hour time difference between China and South Africa, as we did 5 lessons in one week. It was hard to keep help, especially with it being 99% in Chinese but eventually we became comfortable. Writing mid-terms and finals was also stressful because the test format and instructions were completely different from what we were used to but, in the end, we overcame our obstacles and got through it. What helped me through the experience was trying not to be afraid of asking questions because things can get very confusing with a study abroad, especially if you are physically in another country. However, it all pays off in the end because you’ve gained an experience that many others have not.

Return to Stellenbosch:

We of course did not get to go to China, our host country so this will not be a long section. When our Xiamen University classes ended, it was a big shift from every day 4-6 hour classes to no classes. This of course can be seen as a very good thing but because we were so fully focused on our host university’s busy class and exam schedule, we were not able to fully focus on what we had to do for our own university, which was to complete our thesis. Of course, we completed it and handed it in by now, but to shift from busy virtual study abroad to focusing on our thesis, was a bit difficult but I think I speak for all of us in saying that we benefited from our study abroad as it helped us complete a big part of our degree – our thesis. It also helped us grow, along with all the knowledge about being a global citizen, our position in the world, SDGs, inter-cultural competence etc. that we learned in our SAGL sessions.

Us not going to China definitely changed my future plans because I relied heavily on the fact that being in a constant Chinese-speaking environment and attending classes every day would increase my Chinese-speaking ability and also listening comprehension. As hard as I’ve have worked so far, it is difficult to become fluent in language when you are not always in that speaking environment. I definitely want to go abroad, whether to work or study, as I believe Stellenbosch University, Xiamen University and this SAGL course specially helped me gain the skills and knowledge to do so.

September 12, 2023
Masego at Xiamen University, China

China is an amazing country! It is very different to South Africa, so you should expect to be pushed out of your comfort zone (a lot!). The exchange to Xiamen University was truly life-changing. After seeing a different side of the world, my way of thinking and the pre-judgments I often make about people, have completely changed.

Preparations for the Trip:

Once we received acceptance letters from the University, we planned our trip to the Visa Centre in Cape Town. The Visa Centre requires quite a few documents for the X2 student visa, so we had to make a second trip before the visa application was sent through.

I would advise anyone to first look at the requirements for an X2 visa on the Chinese Visa Centre’s website (we apply for it here, not at the Embassy) and to ensure that you arrive at the Centre at least 20 minutes before they open, to avoid long queues.

It is of course also important to book the flights as early as possible to get the best deals! Take your time to compare as many airlines as you can. For flights to China Ethiopian Airlines has the cheapest fares, and they go direct from Addis Ababa to quite a number of Chinese cities like Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing etc. However, their airport is not very good so I wouldn’t advise a long layover. We flew Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong and then flew to Xiamen and I found that it was a comfortable and enjoyable experience (although the flight was loooong). Another disadvantage was that we could only pack 30kg max. for an international flight. Other airline options that are worth exploring are Emirates, SAA, Qatar, and Turkish Airlines. I would recommend that you set aside at least two days for this.

Depending on the Chinese city you are going to, you need to pack in advance for the different seasons. Xiamen is in southern China so it has a warm climate. We flew to Xiamen during Autumn, but it was boiling hot and humid! Temperatures ranged between 30 and 35 degrees for the first few weeks after our arrival (imagine how hot their Summer must have been!). So I packed light clothing and sandals (I would also advise packing caps/hats and lots of sunscreen). Xiamen’s winters are just about as cold as Stellenbosch’s except that it gets very windy. You won’t ever need a long winter coat, but I would advise packing a couple of jackets, warm jerseys, scarves and gloves.

Travelling with cash is a must for China, especially if you are going to Xiamen University. Firstly, you will need money (Chinese Renminbi Yuan) for a taxi ride to the University from the airport (although the University provides a free shuttle service usually a day before or on the day of registration). You will also need cash for residence registration and for food for the first few days. After you open a Chinese bank account, there is no need to carry cash. Your bank account is linked to your student card so you just swipe your student card at the canteen and other facilities on campus. Also once you have set up a bank account you can use Alipay or Wechat Pay (mobile payment apps) to pay for everything from supermarket items, vending machines, medicine, train and flight tickets, bike repairs and even informal food stalls along the road! This applies to the whole of mainland China so paying for things is super easy!

It’s China Time:

Arriving in China was an overwhelming experience. We arrived on a hot, rainy day at Xiamen Gaoqi Airport. I travelled with a fellow classmate from Stellenbosch which made things a lot easier and made me feel less stressed. Once we went through customs, our China experience began!

We quickly learnt that English is not a thing in China so we had to mentally change gears and use Mandarin to communicate.

We had to stand in a long queue (with all our baggage) for a taxi but luckily we were shielded from the rain. We chose to arrive two days before registration in order to settle into Xiamen. We stayed at a hotel near our university and bought necessities like food, electrical plugs etc. We also found ATMs where we could withdraw money (Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China accepted our South African cards).

I highly recommend arriving early because registration day was extremely exhausting and very hot and I can’t imagine how we would have felt if we had to go through that after stepping off a long international flight.

We arrived on campus bright and early two days later. I would suggest familiarizing yourself with the map of the campus, it makes finding buildings so much easier. After we handed in forms, signed documents, took pictures, paid registration fees, got our Orientation Week schedules etc. we finally made it into our dorm room and literally fell onto our beds (a big mistake, because the beds were rock hard!). In the days to follow we did our required medical examinations for foreigners (it’s best to do this in China and not before at home), opened bank accounts, attended information sessions and when the opportunity presented itself, we went and bought mattress softeners! The overall experience of Orientation week was a good one. University staff and old students were friendly and always willing to help. We stayed at the Xiang’an campus which is new and so many of the facilities like the library, gym, swimming pool and canteen were of a high standard.

Dumplings from the Canteen

Classes at Xiamen University were amazing! The standard of education is really good and my Chinese improved tremendously during my time there. The lecturers are dedicated and class sizes are small 23 students max. The curriculum is fixed so there are no sudden changes in course material and the tests are always based on work done in class. During class you learn new vocabulary and grammar that you can put to use as soon as you leave class. I enjoyed practicing my Chinese with workers in the canteen; security guards at the residences; and shop attendants. This did wonders for my confidence in speaking Mandarin with native speakers. It also helped me to understand people who speak with different regional accents and to improve my tones (although there is still big room for improvement in that department).

Eating Hotspot in Guangzhou

During public holidays we had the opportunity to travel to Guangzhou. We used the sleeper train which was surprisingly good! On the train we made a couple of friends and got many surprised stares from people who realized we could speak Chinese. Guangzhou is a huge city and their transport system is far more developed than Xiamen’s. I enjoyed exploring the city using the subway, and buses. Although I must admit that when it was time to go, I was happy to return to quiet and peaceful Xiamen.

Peaceful Xiamen

Return to South Africa:

As the days drew nearer and nearer for out return back home, I became more and more excited. China is truly amazing, eye-opening and a feast for the senses, but home is where the heart is, right? I missed little things like hearing people speak my mother tongue, eating biltong and braaivleis. I especially missed seeing people who look like me, and not feeling like I stand out. I missed the familiarity of home.

When I was in China I realized how safe it is there. You can walk down a busy street with your cellphone out, or get on a bus at 9pm without any fear. Car accidents are also quite rare and in the four months that I was there I only spotted one car with dents and a broken bumper, all other cars were in perfect condition. This is quite different to South Africa and it opened my eyes to the fact that it is possible to have safer roads and to implement firmer measures against those who break the rules of the road. It is also possible to decrease crime. It’s not impossible, other countries have done it and if we dedicate ourselves to the task it is achievable.

Tears flowed down my cheeks when the automatic glass doors at the international arrivals section of the O.R. Tambo airport slid open and I caught sight of my family waiting for me. I waved a small South African flag in my right hand and pushed my baggage trolley with my left hand. There is truly nothing like home. There is truly nothing like the warm embrace of a family member and the taste of Steers ribs (my first meal). It is funny how it took me going to another country to truly appreciate mine.

Adjusting back was not easy. Jetlag was definitely the toughest challenge as I found myself wide awake at 3am in the morning and dozing off at noon. My mind and body were very confused. I returned home a week after writing our end-of-term exams in China and so I was happy to have the chance to relax and recuperate. I had a lot to share with people after the trip and I found it frustrating not being able to relay some experiences in a way that would make people fully understand, but that is completely normal I suppose. After a week or so I was back in sync with the environment around me and everything felt normal. I am very grateful for the experience of going on exchange and it has taught me so much about myself and about the world. Stellenbosch University was very supportive throughout the whole process. If the opportunity presents itself again to go on exchange, I wouldn’t think twice before grabbing it with both hands!

The world’s highest Post Office at Canton Tower, Guangzhou

March 7, 2019