I am trying to decide between Yunnan University versus Yunnan Normal to study Mandarin this September. (I have been studying Mandarin for four years in high school and was in Kunming last summer.) Can someone tell me the positives and negatives of each - quality of teaching, class size, dormitories, general feeling of the campus, numbers of foreign students, location in Kunming?
Also - any advice on type of computer to bring, connecting to the internet, and cell phone?
Cannot comment on Unis.
Computer? Depends on what you will use it for. Internet speeds here are very slow. I am outside the city centre and the fastest service I can get is 2MB/s. Connecting to the internet is via modem, we buy a service from the phone company, there is no choice in our suburb.
Cell phone, you can 'buy' a SIM here, but you need to get local to help you as all mobiles require real name registration. You can get pay as you go or contracts. Some local contracts allow you to phone any other phone with the same phone company, in the same locale, free.
I generally buy cheap phones, they are less attractive to thieves. Smart phones are available here, but from what I can gather they don't work to full capacity/functionality because of local connection/services are poor.
I'm a student in YNU . In my view, YNU is the most famous university in Kunming. Maybe YNU have a great comprehensive strenth in Yunnan but I'm not sure it will be well at Mandarin teaching . I think YNU and YNNU is different kinds of campus, which one is the better totally depends on your own feeling . These two campus are very close, so the key is not the colleges but your coming to China to study Chinese .
If you still have some questions, be free to contact me by the following info. so that we can have a deep discussion.
Skype:bohr86
Email: bohr86@gmail.com
why not expand your search to the private schools? lower
price, smaller class size, better instruction, more class
options. i was happy with KCELC. others not so happy.
bring whatever computer you want.
internet is fast and cheap. fast compared to the blisteringly
slow speeds in the usa. (unless you live on campus, and the
lines are clogged with students playing vid....i mean, 'studying')
cell phone cheap. cell phone service cheap. no need contract.
you can pick up an el cheapo phone for a couple hundred rmb.
no games, no camera, no shiatsu massage. just talk and/or
send text messages. get a china mobile plan for 25 rmb per
month that includes free incoming, and 300 free text per month.
and no, you don't need a local. you have four years of mandarin.
walk into any china mobile shop, but a sim card. name registration?
since when? buy a card. plug into phone. talk. (ok, the sales
dude/dudette 'may' ask for id - mine dinna - show a passport or
just write some random chinese characters on the form you sign.)
I'm studying at YNNU - have really enjoyed it so far and am looking to do another semester. My number one reason for choosing YNNU was because of small class sizes - generally 10 students or less. We currently have 9 in my class. Makes a huge difference for practicing speaking.
The schedules aren't every day x to x either - I've got Fridays off right now and only have one 8:30am start - other days I begin at mid-morning and 1pm. Works really well for weekend trips!
Teachers are really good - I think YNNU is known for having excellent Chinese language teachers anyway.
The Chinese studies building is on the campus which is great - you really get a sense of the uni, student life.. whereas I've heard the YNU Chinese studies area isn't on the YNU campus (correct me if I'm wrong). The YNNU campus is pretty nice - located a 15 min walk to Green Lake and about 5 min from all the great restaurants and shops on Wenhua Xiang/Wenlin Jie.
I'd say the only problem is the dorms - I've got a few classmates in the 4-bed dorms and they're awful. The 2 bed seems a bit better but for the money you pay, you can easily find a shared apartment nearby.
Not sure how many foreign students at YNNU right now but I would venture to say several hundred.. big mix of nationalities.
ooo
Yunnan University is much better than Yunnan Normal. if you are already get your addmision, you can connect to the internet in the school.
AuroraCultural
I'm at Yunnan University at the moment - good mix of nationalities and good, motivated teachers. Previously, I studied at Yunnan University of Nationalities (Yunnan Minzu Daxue) and there's definately a contrast with Yunnan University - at Yunnan Minzu there's basically only students from Thailand and Laos along with a few Burmese and Vietnamese nationals - teachers aren't as good, many are either recent graduates or sometimes Master's students teaching for some experience.
I am a student in YNU, The life is superb here . Otherwise, You know YNU is the best one in Yunnan .It has more famous teachers and the environment can be better. Welcome!
