Hello! My name is Itsuki Yamamoto and I have been an exchange student at Beihua University in Jilin City, Jilin Province, Northeast China, for about a year now. Jilin City is the second largest city in Jilin Province, and it is said that the people here speak the closest to standard Chinese.
 
The classes are held at the International Education and Exchange Institute on the east campus of the university, and are divided into three major levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. In addition to the four kinds of classes: Comprehensive Chinese, Speaking, Listening, and Preparation for the Chinese Language Proficiency Test, students can take extra classes in film, calligraphy, and Tai Chi if they wish. The classes start at 8:00 a.m. and each class lasts two hours with a 30-minute break. There are twelve classes a week. The teachers are enthusiastic and the classes are small, with only 10 to 15 students per class, so the learning environment is good. The study rooms are open to the public.
 
The dormitory is located in a remote area along the river, and the kitchen is a little bit dirty, but there is a cafeteria, high quality security equipment, washing machines, showers, and hot water heating, which makes life comfortable even in the cold winter. The dormitory room is spacious enough for two students. The student cafeteria and supermarket are about 1 km away, and a 30 to 50 minute bus ride will take you to the city center. Most of the international students are from India, South Korea, Russia and Somalia, but there are also students from other parts of the world. There are almost no Japanese people in the city, and the few Japanese people, less than 20, who are here are from Jilin, work for Japanese companies, Japanese restaurants, or are Japanese language teachers.
 
I was the first language student in my course and the first Akita University student to be welcomed by Beihua University, so I did not have much information. I was helped in my preparations by Prof. Du Wei, who is in charge of coordination at Akita University, and the staff members in the International Affairs Division of Akita University, and I was supported by the International Affairs Division of Beihua University, my friends, and local people who had studied in Japan thanks to whom I was able to gain a valuable experience. I would like to express my gratitude to all of them. In particular, my experience of traveling all over the country from north to south, overcoming troubles, and interacting with a wide variety of people living in China is an asset that will last a lifetime. Chinese people seem to be similar to Japanese people, but their sense of values is slightly different, and they are very particular about virtue and politeness. They also love to talk. I am not a person of many words even to begin with, so I experienced a lot in terms of communication during my study in China, but if you face Chinese people head on with respect and try to communicate clearly without hesitation, they will listen to you. The cost of living is inexpensive, so I encourage everyone to try coming here. Cheers!
 
Click here for the study abroad experience reports of the Akita University ‘Miraisozo Fund’ overseas student study support program.