Life in China as a student

by **Admin** Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:17 pm

Every college and University (listed here) in China offer course of MBBS for foreign students from all parts of the world, who can understand English. The medium of instruction is English. Course is at par in quality offered by medical colleges in other countries, especially in Pakistan & India. A standard course approved by Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC), Medical Council of India (MCI) and GMC England is followed.

Semester system is followed with every term of four and a half month duration with 45 days break in between two semesters.

A medical student has to secure 50% or 60% marks to clear a subject. If he/she fails to pass the exam, he/she will be given one more chance to clear the remaining subject(s). To get into the clinical clerkship, a student has to clear all the subjects before he/she can enter the 5th year.

Study Timings

Winter 8:00 A.M to 12:00 P.M and 2:00 P.M to 4:00 P.M
Summer 7:30 A.M to 11:30 P.M and 2:00 P.M to 4:00 P.M

Hostel Facility (Generally similar in all universities)
· 16’ x 12’ room for two students, sometimes 4 students, then the fee will be less
· Wall to wall Carpet
· Full size closet
· Bedroom refrigerator (some universities offer one big common refrigerator)
· Television set with 35 channels cable
· Telephone line (incoming only)
· Internet point
· Six drawer study table with a chair for each
· Book shelf for each student
· Two table lights
· Single bed for each student along with the bedding and blanket
· Attached bathroom (6’ x 5’) with toilet (if there is no attached bath then the fee will be less)
· Big mirror
· Electricity will be paid by the student
· Hot water available on charges
· Room central heating system free of cost

There is always a separate building for foreign students for the hostels. The boys live on separate floor and the girls are on separate floor. Boys are not allowed to intermingle freely with girls. Universities put greater concern about the security of the residents of the hostel, especially of Pakistani & Indian girls, therefore, a 24 hours warden is on duty all the time, reporting matters directly to the controller of hostels, if need arises.

Class Room Facility

· Big ventilated and centrally heated room
· Desks + Chairs
· White board with markers
· Overhead Projector with screen plus the facility of multimedia projector with lots of audio-visual aids in the class.
· Laboratories, fully equipped and every resource can be used by students
· Any other facility like the teacher can request diagrams, charts, models, TV projection etc will be provided.

Residencies for students as well as for employees of the university and school are located inside the respective campuses, although, they are separately located. Foreign students are catered like special guests. They are given all types of facilities like hot running water, attached baths, and fully furnished rooms. Students have to get up at least 1 hour before classes timings and, after taking their breakfast, they should reach the classes. Four hours non-stop classes with 10 minutes break and 2 classes in the morning. Morning classes break up at 12:00 p.m. for 2 hours. Afternoon classes for only 2 hours from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Usually all the departments finish their classes at the most till 7:00 p.m., although certain evening and/or night classes occur occasionally. Attendance and punctuality is taken as very serious matter in China, so the students have to abide by this regulation of the University very strictly.

Evening time is very charming at the campus. Students have a lot of activities to enjoy their evenings. Some just go out to enjoy the colorful life of this beautiful city. Some students, who are crazy about their physique, join different games played in a lot of playing areas available for the students, like grounds, courts, clubs, tables etc. Even some students only want to make new friends and chat with them while walking along the mall of university. As the availability of internet is very cheap and easy, so some students also want to make a visit to a nearby internet cafe and enjoy the fast speed of surfing and chatting.

Night time is regarded as somewhat serious hours, because most of the time is dedicated towards studies. Students know that regular study in a semester system is a hallmark in successfully clearing the exams. No body dares to waste the time.

If someone visits the dormitory of foreign students, they will find it very amusing with a lot of songs heard from every room. Some students also love to watch movies. Even Pakistani and Indian movies are easily available here. In short, we can say that, along with the curriculum, students are provided every opportunity to enjoy their stay in China and co-curricular activities are given the same importance as the studies.

As far food is concerned, cities in China have lots to offer. Muslim food is also available in plenty over here. Even the "nan" (bread) can be found in some cities. Meat is sold separately for Muslims and non-Muslims. Even you have a choice to buy live animal and make it slaughter. A lot of animals are available in the market. To name a few, lamb, cow, chicken, rabbit etc. Vegetables and fruits are presented at very cheap rates and superb quality. All seasonal vegetables and fruits can be found here or should we say, even more. These can be found easily in local green grocery markets or from hawkers. If you eat out, it will not be expensive. All cities are full of small restaurants and cafes. Any time one can go out and have anything one want from "Seekh tikka", "Chapain", fried fish to all sort of Chinese dishes. And you will not believe it that eating out is not as expensive as we think, although the choice of restaurants does matter.

Shopping in the city is charming, amusing and worth your money. A whole range of shops from very small, community based one, to a lot of super stores and super markets. You can buy anything you think of from these stores and surprisingly at very meager amount. All sort of clothing, for girls and boys, can be found with ease and in good rates.

Foreign students particularly Pakistanis and Indians are very fond of "black tea" and here lies a bad news for tea lovers. Chinese only drink green tea without any sweet and milk. Even the coffee is taken as black one. So two things happen due to this custom; black tea is either not available or available at very high price. The milk, as of buffalo, to which we are used to, is not available. Only cow's or goat's milk is available. It is advised to bring a stock of black tea while coming to China. If you are fond of pulses and good rice, here is another bad news for you. Pulses found elsewhere are not available or available in different styles and cannot be cooked as foreign style. What the students do is, they bring a lot of such things, if they can't live without these, along with them and store with them for rainy days. Although, imported rice from Thailand is obtainable, but are expensive and do not match, in any respect, with the superb quality of Punjabi rice available in Pakistan and India.

People of China are very friendly and kind to foreigners. They love to make foreign friends and they know how to keep friends.

Winter, in Northern Cities of China, is not so pleasant, but thanks to centrally heating system provided in each and every place of cities, that a -30 C seems like to be 30 C when you are inside. Summer is the time to enjoy over here. Walking along side the clean, flowered roads will give you such an amazing feeling that you will feel it as your second home town. Although spring comes in time, but there is still snow, when the spring festival is celebrated. Autumn season is sad as elsewhere in the world, but it is full of hopes for the next spring to come.

When someone is coming to China to live here as a student, a very important question is what important things to bring with for a comfortable life. As both weathers are at their extreme, so it is mandatory that students should have ample supply of warm and light clothes both for winter and summer respectively. It is also advisable here that if someone doesn't get the required clothes, he or she mustn't buy them from Pakistan or India. This is emphasized for two reasons; first, it will decrease the load a student is bringing and secondly, good quality clothes, adjusted to the extreme weather conditions prevailed over here, in a reasonable amount are available here. So one can easily buy suitable clothes from here. But for those who already have got the clothes, may bring on their own will. Black tea, Green tea, Daals, Good quality rice should be brought on will. Any type of English book or magazine which students find worth reading.

Anyhow this list is never exhaustive. It is advisable to ask for the things before hand, which one wants to bring with him or her. Please submit all of your queries directly to webmaster.