Hey 同学们! This booklet has been produced by undergraduates in the year above to tell you about what will happen when you go to Beijing to study. This period is, for most people, their only opportunity (during the degree) to spend a long time in China and to gain some fluency in Chinese. From third year onwards, the Oxford course places more focus on history and Classical Chinese, so take advantage of the opportunity to get your modern Chinese up to scratch and gain a decent speaking ability in Chinese to take away with you. But don’t forget to make the most of the experience and have fun! This booklet should tell you most of what you need to know before you leave and what to do when you arrive, and it will hopefully help you make the most of living in Beijing. You’ll find the “Step-By-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Life” section has particularly useful information before you go and when you first arrive. Some things can’t be covered by the booklet, so if you find yourself in a bizarre situation in China, or have any other kind of question, feel free to contact any of us by email or WeChat (see usernames in parentheses): Samuel Wejchert, St Anne’s: [email protected] (weishumo1997) Jonah Kaplan, St Anne’s: [email protected] (jonahkaplan) Alishiya Tanna, St Anne’s: [email protected] (alishiya_tanna) Lydia Dowden, Christ Church: [email protected] (lydiadowden) Humphrey Paton, Pembroke: [email protected] (humphreypku) Islah Wallace, Pembroke: [email protected] (islah_wallace) Andrew Scanlon, Pembroke: [email protected] (aitkenas) Nabeela Zaman, Univ: [email protected] (nabeela7) Niamh Calway, St Hilda’s: [email protected] (niamhcalway) Isabel Galwey, St Hilda’s: [email protected] (isabelgalwey) Sasha Burnet, Queen’s: [email protected] (sashaburnet) Eloise McAllister, Queen’s: [email protected] (elmcallister) Isabelle Wilson, Wadham: [email protected] (isabeabod) William Gardner, Wadham: [email protected] (willgardner9) Roseanna Mundell Perkins, Hertford: [email protected] (rmundellperkins) We each have our own areas of expertise: Will is the food expert; Rosie knows all about accommodation; Samuel will inform you about the role of class representative; Niamh can point you in the right direction for finding teaching jobs, etc. We each worked on different parts of the guide, but we’ve all had experience with everything you’ll be going through next year, and we’re all happy to help. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact any of us and we’ll pass your query on to someone more knowledgeable if necessary. But the most important thing to remember by far is just to have fun. Make the most of your year abroad and don’t be afraid to try new things. The only thing left to say is: good luck and enjoy! 1 | P a g e Contents Before you go ................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Flights ........................................................................................................................................................................ 5 Airlines ................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Insurance ................................................................................................................................................................... 7 A Step-By-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Life ...................................................................................................... 8 Money ....................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Packing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 16 Hand Luggage ..................................................................................................................................................... 16 Clothes................................................................................................................................................................. 16 Household ........................................................................................................................................................... 17 Other ................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Vaccinations ........................................................................................................................................................... 20 Medicines ................................................................................................................................................................. 21 Mosquitoes ...............................................................................................................................................................22 Sanitary Products ....................................................................................................................................................22 Drinking water ........................................................................................................................................................22 Sunburn and heat stroke ........................................................................................................................................ 23 Toilets ....................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Food hygiene ........................................................................................................................................................... 23 Smog ........................................................................................................................................................................ 24 Pre-existing Conditions .......................................................................................................................................... 25 Insurance Contact Details .................................................................................................................................27 Hospital Contact Details & Locations ............................................................................................................. 28 Student Finance Reimbursement ............................................................................................................................... 31 Arriving ......................................................................................................................................................................... 33 Methods of transport .............................................................................................................................................. 33 Where to stay .......................................................................................................................................................... 34 Beida ................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Alternatives ........................................................................................................................................................ 34 The Beida Course ........................................................................................................................................................ 36 Classes ..................................................................................................................................................................... 36 Holidays .................................................................................................................................................................. 38 International Language Competitions ................................................................................................................. 38 Class Representative（班长） .............................................................................................................................. 39 Extracurricular Activities ............................................................................................................................................ 40 Beida ........................................................................................................................................................................ 40 2 | P a g e Jobs and Internships ............................................................................................................................................... 41 Earning Money ................................................................................................................................................... 41 Internships ......................................................................................................................................................... 42 Beijing