Robert Wavell shares his study in China experience

Studying abroad is simultaneously an exciting and scary prospect and the prospect of studying in Shanghai was no different.  When an opportunity to travel to China and study for 3 weeks was offered, I was immediately attracted.  The Study China programme is a government-funded three-week study programme in China which provides the opportunity to learn about China, its language and its culture.  The programme is open to undergraduates in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  Having gone through the simple application process, I was slightly surprised to find I had been accepted and was on my way along with 120 other like-minded students.  It was a big shock when arrived and not what I first expected Shanghai to be, but once settled in the hotel and having met a lot of the people on the trip I began to feel comfortable. 

The first big difference I experienced was my eating habits, which I found exciting at the start...trying new foods (intestine, frog, tongue)...but after the 3 weeks I have to admit, I really missed western food.  The culture change was also a big shock and something that took a while to get used to.  The Chinese have some habits which seemed unusual to me as a British visitor, but they are just part of their everyday culture.  The Chinese traditional culture was very interesting, and I particularly enjoyed watching and participating in Tai Chi, learning the fine art of calligraphy, learning about Chinese business practices, and visiting traditional Chinese areas within Shanghai.

Shanghai has many tourist attractions that allowed us to explore the various areas of the city.  The highlight of the trip was experiencing the 'new' Shanghai - the growing business and international city it is fast becoming.  Being able to claim I have been up the tallest building in the world; drank a beer in the highest bar in the world; and having travelled on the fastest train in the world is an amazing thing.  For me, the down side of the trip was experiencing the controlling communist side of the country which still remains a dominant force in Chinese business, culture and politics. 

Unlike some students at university in the UK, Shanghai students are extremely hard working and strive to impress.  Whilst there, we were up every morning to do three and a half hours of Chinese lessons -  from 8.30 am to 12noon, which was hard work.  After the three weeks we all did an exam which, thankfully, I passed with an overall score of 79 out of 100. Although studying was quite different to the UK and the study hours were intense, the social life still continued as we experienced some of the best bars and clubs Shanghai could offer.

I achieved the majority of what I set out to do, attending all classes and participating as much as I could in learning the complex Chinese language.  In addition I was able to experience Chinese culture, and witness the impact of the transformation of Shanghai from small Chinese city to one of the largest financial centres in the world, competing with New York, London and Hong Kong.  I was also able to visit Chinese businesses, such as a BP petrochemical plant, and the state owned Boa Steel plant, which was an exciting experience.  I was also given opportunity to attend lectures on the Chinese economy and the city's future business plans which was another very interesting side of the trip.  I feel I achieved everything I set out to and more.

Studying abroad is the single best experience I have ever done, the opportunities available to those who travel and study in new countries are incredible.  Having travelled and studied in Shanghai for three weeks, I have gained new contacts within Chinese business & government and made friends with like-minded university students from across the UK.  Although I struggled to pick up the Chinese language, the other benefits of studying in the country are worthwhile taking advantage of.

The study trip I attended was not the usual trip of one or two semesters.  The trip being only three weeks long I feel benefited me more, since I was able to get an introduction to the city and language; allowing me come back and study for a longer period of time in the future if I wish.  With current study trips to India and China available to university students,  I highly recommend those interested in studying abroad to consider these options as studying abroad is the most exciting, challenging and interesting experiences I have ever done.

Robert Wavell is studying BA (Hons) Management with Economics at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland