Tsinghua Uni- 1 year Language Program

Having never studied in China before, I was incredibly anxious about going to a new place for such a long time.

CSA put me at ease right away with someone picking me up from the airport and taking me to my new home for the next year! The staff are incredibly friendly and the support network is great since you get to meet all the other CSA-ers (some may be studying at different universities in Beijing) during the weekend trips.

Tsinghua Life

The first week normally consists of registration and doing placement tests so you can be placed into the relevant language class in accordance with your level of Chinese (naturally if you are a beginner this wouldn't apply!). The classes range from elementary- advanced. Tsinghua have their own building for Chinese language students and all your classes will take place in the same room so you don't have to worry about rushing around! The campus is also HUGE so I would advise getting a bike.

You'll have an option to pick morning classes from 8.00-1.00pm or afternoon (off the top of my head, I think they start at 2.00pm...). CSA also provide the option to have a personal tutor on top of that should you feel the need to recap everything you learnt that day. Most of these lessons can either take place in your flat, or in the CSA Beijing office...or even in a nearby coffee shop!

Tsinghua also have their own canteen which is where I went with my classmates to eat after class- I highly recommend their version of the bi bim bap!

The teachers at Tsinghua are also very good and the structure of the classes are well planned out. All the course materials are provided to you and you'll get homework most days (be prepare for dictation tests when it comes to character learning!). There are exams after each semester (they are quite long semesters- think 20 weeks).

Everyone is so friendly and you'll have the opportunity to bond with your classmates as well as the other CSA-ers who may be studying at Peking Uni, or BLCU etc.

Housing

I stayed in a one person flat in Wudaokou which was very close to the subway- so very convenient. Most other CSA-ers and your classmates are likely to be around the same area which makes meeting up at local bars/coffee shops/restaurants etc incredibly easy. I personally liked being in the middle of everything, having said that, it can get quite noisy, so I would suggest maybe living slightly further away if you like some peace and quiet!

Social

The CSA weekend trips are fantastic, and they'll give you a chance to see all the beautiful historic sites. I would definitely recommend the Great Wall camping/hiking trip since the views are spectacular.

The staff are also brilliant with suggestions for interesting things to do in the city...alternatively you can always ask them for advice on travelling to other places outside of Beijing since there are trains which go pretty much anywhere.

There's always somewhere to go to in terms of nightlife whether it be trendy bars in Sanlitun, local hangouts or KTV places.

Conclusion

I would definitely recommend this program to anyone wishing to study Chinese. Beijing is a brilliant place and I thought the Tsinghua program was very well taught. Most importantly, the CSA support network was something which I really valued since I had the security of knowing that there was always someone who I could contact should I need to.