This is part 2 of my "Why I'm Moving to China" Series. You can watch the first video here if you'd like: ruclips.net/video/wRooPhxMm2w/видео.html Thanks for stopping by and please feel free to share any thoughts you have in the comments :)) I will read and reply to all of them!
I'm a non-Chinese American who has spent quite a lot of time in China. About 6 months out of every year for many years now (not counting during Covid). Most of my experience is with central-eastern and northeastern China, from Zhejiang to Liaoning, Beijing to Shandong. I also own a business there in addition to another in the States so I have that perspective as well. I enjoy the many cultures, and foods and peoples of China. It's a huge country that you could easily spend a lifetime exploring. Fun fact: Beijing, Haidian, Wudaokou has (or at least had) the second highest density of college students in the world. Second only to Boston, Massachusetts. I want to say around a quarter million students within a fairly small portion of the city. So, so so many places to eat and things to do, especially prior to Covid. Although many have closed during the economic downturn, there's still no shortage of things to do now. I've got plenty that I could write, both pro and con, about the education system, government, food safety, social interactions, etc. I would not want to bias you one way or another. This is something you'll experience soon, and you'll form your own opinions. Make sure you have installed VPNs on all of your devices *before* you fly there. Technically speaking, VPNs are illegal to use there, but unless you are prepared to give up access to many of your favorite western apps, VPN is your only option. I have 3 different VPNs installed for redundancy. When one is inevitably having issues connecting, one of the others will usually work. You will not be able to easily find/download/install a VPN once you are there. Make sure you have Wechat and Alipay installed and connected to your accounts, before you go there. You can use cash there, and withdraw cash from most ATMs, but I am sure your relatives already told you that paying with your phone is much easier. ATMs usually dispense 100rmb banknotes which is not convenient to use at most small businesses. Oftentimes they will not have enough change in their cash registers. Look into getting yourself a local bank account at a major bank like Bank of China. As a student that may be allowed. Chinese bank accounts are much much easier to connect to apps like Wechat. Also, personally, I recommend a dual-sim phone, and get yourself a Chinese SIM while you're there. I have both China and U.S. mobile numbers and I can send/receive using both. For example, when Bank of China sends important reminders to my China #, I can receive those while I'm here in the States. Or when my kids text me on my U.S. # when I'm in China. Yeah, it means paying for two plans, but mobile plans in China are cheap and it's nice to have stable numbers that you can rely on as you travel back and forth between the countries. Once your role as a student in China ends, you will not be able to remain in China unless you a) pursue higher education there, b) find employment with a firm that can sponsor your Z-visa, or c) marry a national. Technically, there are other options. For example, there's a special visa for a "high level talent" individual who is beneficial to China (e.g., NBA stars and Olympians). Or you can start your own business in China and sponsor your own Z-visa, as I have done. Wishing you the best on your educational adventure, Eve. 师父领进门，修行在个人
Wow! It sounds like you've had the chance to explore various parts of China. What a great experience! It's awesome that you get to see both spectrums with respect to your businesses and life! That's a lot of students, but I imagine there's a lot of unique perspective and people because of that! And yes there are tons of fun places and delicious foods in china haha Thank you so much for all the tips and advice! I'll likely want a VPN because there are some things I'd still like to be able to access 😅 and I'll definitely be using wechat to pay (it's so much more convenient!) that's an interesting suggestion about the SIM card, I'll look into that for sure! Staying in china may require some extra work and more research into what option is best for me, and I appreciate your insight! 非常感谢您的支持，鼓励，和意见！祝你好运：）
Wether it was your parents or your grandparents or even your ancesters who moves to USA, all of them moved in hope of getting a better life for their family, and for over 150 years China is finally back on track. China is winning in the Olympic, China is dominating the EV market, China made game becomes the best seller of the year on steam, every headlines indicates there is no doubt China is raising to the top and everything you're doing now is no different from what your lineage did, it is to find a better future for youself and perhaps your future family.
Thank you for your kind words and insight! I do think that China has a lot of potential, and I look forward to having the opportunity to experience the culture, language, and lifestyle there!
Very nice to hear your journey! I am also a Chinese American relocating to China. What you said about cultural connection and also being able to make sure your future children are fluent in the language is very true. These kind of concepts are super important to stay connected with your heritage. Wish you the best in your studies! Beijing is a really fun city, especially if you're associated with a school there. China is quite different from the USA, and similar in many other ways, as long as someone has an open mind, humble attitude, and eagerness to learn, one can do very well.
As a Chinese live in the U.S., I believe there are at least two pros you may neglected. 1. if you want to get married with an Asian in the future, you are more likely to find your Mr. Right in China compared to US. Especially in Peking University. 2, There are some amazing cities in Asia which speak mandarin and the doctors get paid very well, such as Hong Kong and Singapore, If you like the culture and the identity but dislike the restrictions, these cities are good options. If you do not want to live in Asia in the future, just take usmle and you will get matched to an US residency program after 6 years.(which is faster than bsmd)
Im also chinese american and moved to china to teach english for a year. Its pretty amazing but hyper competitive. My chinese is crap but i am slowly learning. US education is much worse to compared to Chinas imo
@BigJoe-g3o wrong actually. The reason they send rich chinese their kids overseas is because those kids arent competitive enough to get into top Chinese universities so its a way for rich families to buy an international education for their kids. And after they graduate, they 100% will return to China after witnessing and experiencing that life in the west is really crap compared to china (dangerous, dirty, racist, lack of infrastructure ect.)
Oh wow, that sounds like such a cool experience! Chinese can be pretty difficult to learn haha, but I hope you get the hang of it. Both education systems have their pros and cons, and I think it's just important to look at it with an open mind :)
Have a good time in China! China is just as huge as America, so you can spend some time exploring different regions as well as cultures within China. As someone who is born and raised in China, I studied 4 years in an American University for my bachelor's degree. I can tell you its literally so beneficial for your future (career-wise and life-wise) to be open-minded. There are many differences between the US and China, in some aspects, China is more advanced than the US now, such as mobile payment, online shopping (including supply chain management), green energy vehicles, high speed rail and etc. However, there are still a lot of things China lags behind the US, for example, the rule of law, regulations in different industries, high-technology(artificial intelligence) development and etc. As someone like you who knows how to speak both English and Chinese, it's a huge bless and advantage to your future, as China and US are the two biggest economy in the world. You will have immense opportunities if you get yourself familiar with how both side of the system works. Girl, you are blessed and be sure to take a good advantage of your stay in China, learn as much as possible and you will benefit from your choice when you look back and grow older.
Thank you so much! Yes, there are definitely lots of places in China that are worth visiting, and I'm excited to see the variety of culture within the country. That's so cool that you got to experience both sides of the spectrum in terms of education and life! I completely agree that both nations are unique and have their benefits and drawbacks. It's definitely great that we can speak both languages, which will help in communicating and understanding both perspectives! It also does open up certain opportunities that would otherwise not have been as accessible for sure. Thank you so much for your insight and support! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and wish you the best of luck for whatever comes your way next! :))
I also go to college in China! I'm not 华人/华裔 (which I'm guessing you are?), but it still always has felt warm, fun, and just like an adventure. You'll really like it here if college life in Beijing is anything like Suzhou. :)
That's awesome! Yep, I am :) I'm glad you've enjoyed your experiences so far, and I hope that college life in beijing is great too haha. Good luck in this coming school year!
I totally get not feeling truly American. It's such a weird feeling because even though people are nice and I don't usually face racism, there's a feeling of "otherness". I'm a rising hs senior and wanted to apply to a couple schools in China but was discouraged by my grandma who said that the job market in China is really bad rn, that many people can't finds jobs, and that companies will prioritize hiring Chinese citizens over foreigners. While making your decision, has this topic come up in your family? I'd love you hear your family's thoughts on this.
One solution to this is to complete university here in the US, and then look for opportunities to work in China. You can also do graduate programs in China after completing undergrad in the US. There are also some opportunities to study abroad in China while going to school here in the US. But yes, I also understand the feeling of "otherness". Maybe you should try taking vacations in China for a few weeks at a time, and see how much you enjoy the food and daily life there compared to your home city in the US.
@caroline-u4l That's a great way to describe it! Congrats on being a high school senior, and to answer your question, yes, this is a topic that has come up. I would say that even in the US the job market isn't the best right now, and the global economy isn't at its highest point imo. All in all, my family and I thought that it would be nice to have the option of staying in China OR going back to the US depending on which option provided the most opportunity. China continues to advance in various industries, and it's hard to say where the opportunity will be 5-10 years from now. Hope this helps!
@@zhaoqilu She can just easily do it the other way around - complete undergrad in China and do a one-year masters in the US in case she needs that bridge if she decides to come back and look for a job in the US. She would be able to save more money and have enough time (graduate programs tend to be short until they are PhD programs) to experience and evaluate China while having the US to fall back to.
That's a harsh perspective. Many people thrive and have positive experiences in China! It's important to focus on growth and opportunity rather than fear. Wishing Eve the best on her journey! 🌟
WOW! I never knew higher education in China was so affordable! Yeah, I could definitely see how that would be a factor. Hope you have a great experience there! I'd definitely be interested in following your journey throughout college!
Yes, it definitely is more affordable than the US in most cases! Thank you so much for your support, and I'll be sure to share my college experiences soon:)
I had an Chinese-American professor explain his view of lifestyle in China and USA. Even though he said that it is hard to get job and make money in China (because of the inhumane competition), he regularly visits his homeland with his Chinese family. I guess nothing is strictly black or white, even in China. Sure, CCP sucks, but the places, the culture, people and nature may not. When I graduated from school I also had a feeling of being alone in a wilderness. I instantly went to University because that was what others did and that was what I knew what to do at that time - to study and study. It was a good decision for me. The knowledge the university gave me helped me find a decent job. However, this is not the universal satisfaction. What gave me the feeling of piece was the discovery of objective worldview: how everything came to be, who made me, why was I made and etc. This is basically the end goal of everyone. It answers the questions about morality, death, purpose, love, beauty and so on. The ones that can't be answered otherwise - with subjective and materialistic worldviews. Hope you'll eventually end up in the same place as most of us do. By the way, I'm not talking about spirituality or some mushroom-eating enlightenment. I am strictly talking about the most realistic worldview out there - Christianity (Orthodox Christianity in particular).
Wow, thank you for sharing your professor's experiences! I'm glad that you enjoyed your experience at university and were able to find a job afterwards! Your insights are really interesting, and I appreciate your perspective!
Feeling connected to roots and wanting to experience life abroad have to be among the best reasons to move somewhere. Looks like you are in for great adventures.... Good luck!
@@eveyang362 Of course. Last thing I have to say: Give yourself time to meet people and build community. I've personally fallen into the trap of thinking that just because I have roots somewhere I'm supposed to immediately "fit in" and feel like I "belong." But the truth is that the idea of "belonging" is strange, especially for us transplants/first-gen American kids. We just have to embrace that our identity and belonging is messy 🙂 But that's what makes us who we are so just go with it and have faith and self love in who you are 🙂
@@michaelkraemerman2009 That's so insightful, thank you! I agree that it can sometimes be difficult figuring out where we "belong," but it definitely becomes more clear with time and patience :) Self love is SO important, and I wish more people took the time to focus on their own well-being rather than what they think society wants for them. I really appreciate your perspective!
ok just some thoughts as an ABC who was raised in china for a large part of my childhood, these are some things you can expect. 1. you will be treated extremely well by the government. the government has many policies to attract foreigners to study in china. as long as you dont stick your nose into dirty business, international students are treated like first class citizens while natives are treated as second class citizens. you will get many benefits. 2. however, due to the fact that youre taking all these benefits, chinese people will not look kindly to international students. there are huge controversies about abuse by international students and the bad blood between them goes back around 40 years when chinese girls were raped by international students. if all they know is that youre an international student, they will distain you by default. 3. on the value of the degree, qinghua and beida are no where near the prestige of ivy league, but i am not a huge proponent of colleges anyway, as long as you get a degree, you will do fine IN AMERICA at least. in china, qinghua and beida are oversaturated and will only slightly advance your career compared to some other top tier universities. however, if you came from an ivy league universities, you can be expected to be paid AMERICAN salaries in china, ranging form 70- 200 k dollars a year, whereas beida and qinghua will land you 20k to 60k RMB a month. 4. on the stress of university, the gaokao is the most stressful, once you get in, it is hard than american college but easier than chinese highschool in terms of rigor. you as an international student can expect an easy way through as you will be assigned benefits that native students wont have access to, such as tutoring, study partners, and many services. If its too late then its whatever, but if you want this as a culture vacation, i do not recommend. as you will be very sheltered in the university bubble, and it is very difficult to access the daily life of other chinese people. unless you have family or friends in china already, fitting in will be hard because many chinese will not engage with you if you dont speak the language fluently, and dont already fit into social circles. But if you still have a chance i recommend you to take the ivy league school then try to find work in china. you will get to experience the authenic chinese culture without the meddling of the government and the university. and on top of that, your ivy degree is worth its weight in gold with chinese companies, whereas chinese degree is the same as any other american degree in china or the US
It's great that you were able to see what life is like in both China and the US. I appreciate you taking the time to share your opinions on this subject, and I completely understand where you're coming from. I do think that international students may be perceived differently in the eyes of mainland students, but I don't anticipate that there will be any serious conflict or disdain between me and them (at the very least I definitely won't be the one to start the fight haha.) As for the difference between an ivy league and beida, I get your point, but the reason I'm going to beida isn't for the prestige, it's for the international experience and getting the opportunity to explore the culture, language, and people (which would not be possible going to an ivy league). And my chinese probably wouldn't be as functional if I studied at Cornell, so the job options would probably be more limited if I were to go and work in china. I do speak the language fairly fluently, and I'll try to keep an open mind and perspective so that I can hopefully find my own group within the university. Regardless of what happens next, I'm just going to try and look on the bright side of things and take everything in stride :) I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions!
@@eveyang362 if you have a good command of mandarin, then you will be able to avoid many cultural conflicts. then i think your plans are alright as long as you fit in with the chinese youth culture. remember to not flaunt your status as an american. when i was a child i first learned that i was american i flaunted it across the school. and people shamed me and humiliated me because i was an american citizen, and made crude jokes such as i am a traitor or things of that nature. my main reason to advocate against going into china was that if you dont speak the language, the xenophobia is extremely strong. but if you do, you will do perfectly fine, and never bring up politics, religion, or the so called "dirty business". that could land you in quick trouble in china. i have many mainlander friends who escaped china because they were persecuted by the government. other than that, youd do perfectly fine. edit: also, for work opportunity, cornell is 10x beida or qinghua. if you participated in the job market in china, its all about the degree. trust me that the difference between a cornell graduate and a beida graduate is at least 3x. i have friends in china who makes 2k USD a month (15k rmb) with a local degree (a top tier university in hangzhou). for reference, an english teacher with any american bachelors degree earns 60k RMB a month as a base salary, with many experienced teachers earning 100k+ RMB a month. if you work in the tech industry with an ivy degree, you can expect around 100k - 150k monthy salary easily in china. the difference is that huge. thats why so many chinese people send their kids overseas to try to get into the top universities, because the job market is just different from the US where experience matters above all. edit edit : THIS IS A MUST READ. this wikipedia article will tell you the atmosphere of international students in china. 中华人民共和国外国留学生特权问题 go search this on wikipedia and go to the 影响及回应 section. or if you can find the english version do that. this will give you a gist of my concerns.
@@AsiandOOd Thank you for sharing your story! I'm sorry that you were humiliated as a kid, but I'm sure that made you a stronger person in the long run. I understand your concerns and appreciate your thoughts. I'm not entirely sure about the salary difference you mentioned, but I do think that's something to consider! Thank you for the resource and for providing your insights and perspective. Much appreciated!
Stay safe and plz don't speak out on "stuff" when you see it. Act like you didn't notice or see it and your life will be fine. Stick to tier 1 & 2 cities and go with the crowd, not against.
Great perspective and love your thoughts. I recommend Keeping your identity and language. Hold on to it. Deepen it. Ofc there’s great stuff about being part of the giant pseudo pluralistic family of Americans, but too many shed the heritage instead of keeping it AND adding to it by some level of assimilation. My family immigrated to the Us 4-8 generations ago depending on the line and they all abandoned their cultures and languages within one generation. I’m American but I grew up in Italy and lived in Montreal for two years during college and somewhat struggle feeling ‘American’ like most people here. I would hold on to your identity and explore china and live your best. 🎉🎉🎉
Thank you, I'm glad! And yes, I think it's really important to preserve our culture and the identity and language that come with it. I love your point on keeping ones cultural heritage while simultaneously combining it with new culture rather than completely forgetting about our origins. Thank you so much for sharing your family heritage and experiences. I'm sorry that your culture was not preserved, and I totally understand the struggle of not feeling "American." It can definitely be difficult to understand who we are and what culture we identify with, but I hope that you're able to, or have already, had the chance to better understand yourself and culture! I appreciate your support!
I have some casual Chinese friends and get invited to their New Year's celebrations, so I became interested in China for that reason. I think their cities are amazing and enjoy hearing about life there. I can see why you would want to stay grounded in your cultural roots. Best wishes and good luck in the next part of your life long journey!
New Year's celebrations are always the best (although I haven't had the chance to experience it in china yet haha) yes, I agree! There are beautiful cities in china, and the lifestyle can definitely be great! Thank you so much for your support! 😊
I'm sorry that COVID prevented him from studying abroad, but I'm sure he's having a great time at UCLA! I wish him the best of luck in college and his future career!
I applied to Yuanpei, but I may consider to transfer to the medical school next year. I'm hesitant to do so this year because I'm not one hundred percent sure I want to be a doctor. That's so cool that you went to Shanghai Jiaotong University school of Medicine! Good luck with your USMLE exams! You can do it!
It’s impossible. If you ever tried to escape from lockdown and you ran out of long term prescriptions. That was my experience. Luckily I escaped from Wuhan to Hong Kong to safe my life. Otherwise I was dead. Politics could be life or death in some cases. I knew that if I was in a democracy country, I would not suffer from that kind of thing.
Eve I can add some insight 1) china is much safer and has much better infrastructure compared to the us 2) chinese students are much smarter and harder working compared to americans 3) unfortunately in china you will not be considered as pretty as you are in the us. Also, in America, men are more s-xually aggressive. The top tier men in China have like harems of 1000s of women so its very competitive. China is extremely competitive. 4) China's social life and general way of life is way better compared to US. It is easier to hang out with friends and cheaper to go out to restaurants
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and providing insight! There are definitely a lot of things in China that are different than in the US, and I'd say both have pros and cons :)
Well when you still have an accent and claiming moving to China ... just sounds like you got no choice but to move back and not you are rejecting ivy league. If you really grow up in TX then you at least sound like it but your video does not. This story just does not add up.
This is part 2 of my "Why I'm Moving to China" Series. You can watch the first video here if you'd like: ruclips.net/video/wRooPhxMm2w/видео.html
Thanks for stopping by and please feel free to share any thoughts you have in the comments :)) I will read and reply to all of them!
You sound smart, and you have done your research. This is a good decision, and a new chapter in your life. Do what makes you happy!!
@@zhaoqilu Thank you so much for your encouragement!
I made a similar decision. I'm a freshman at Tsinghua as an international student :)
@@vincentlau2535That's awesome! I hope you have fun and good luck with this coming semester!
I'm a non-Chinese American who has spent quite a lot of time in China. About 6 months out of every year for many years now (not counting during Covid). Most of my experience is with central-eastern and northeastern China, from Zhejiang to Liaoning, Beijing to Shandong. I also own a business there in addition to another in the States so I have that perspective as well. I enjoy the many cultures, and foods and peoples of China. It's a huge country that you could easily spend a lifetime exploring.
Fun fact: Beijing, Haidian, Wudaokou has (or at least had) the second highest density of college students in the world. Second only to Boston, Massachusetts. I want to say around a quarter million students within a fairly small portion of the city. So, so so many places to eat and things to do, especially prior to Covid. Although many have closed during the economic downturn, there's still no shortage of things to do now.
I've got plenty that I could write, both pro and con, about the education system, government, food safety, social interactions, etc. I would not want to bias you one way or another. This is something you'll experience soon, and you'll form your own opinions.
Make sure you have installed VPNs on all of your devices *before* you fly there. Technically speaking, VPNs are illegal to use there, but unless you are prepared to give up access to many of your favorite western apps, VPN is your only option. I have 3 different VPNs installed for redundancy. When one is inevitably having issues connecting, one of the others will usually work. You will not be able to easily find/download/install a VPN once you are there.
Make sure you have Wechat and Alipay installed and connected to your accounts, before you go there. You can use cash there, and withdraw cash from most ATMs, but I am sure your relatives already told you that paying with your phone is much easier. ATMs usually dispense 100rmb banknotes which is not convenient to use at most small businesses. Oftentimes they will not have enough change in their cash registers. Look into getting yourself a local bank account at a major bank like Bank of China. As a student that may be allowed. Chinese bank accounts are much much easier to connect to apps like Wechat.
Also, personally, I recommend a dual-sim phone, and get yourself a Chinese SIM while you're there. I have both China and U.S. mobile numbers and I can send/receive using both. For example, when Bank of China sends important reminders to my China #, I can receive those while I'm here in the States. Or when my kids text me on my U.S. # when I'm in China. Yeah, it means paying for two plans, but mobile plans in China are cheap and it's nice to have stable numbers that you can rely on as you travel back and forth between the countries.
Once your role as a student in China ends, you will not be able to remain in China unless you a) pursue higher education there, b) find employment with a firm that can sponsor your Z-visa, or c) marry a national. Technically, there are other options. For example, there's a special visa for a "high level talent" individual who is beneficial to China (e.g., NBA stars and Olympians). Or you can start your own business in China and sponsor your own Z-visa, as I have done.
Wishing you the best on your educational adventure, Eve.
师父领进门，修行在个人
Wow! It sounds like you've had the chance to explore various parts of China. What a great experience! It's awesome that you get to see both spectrums with respect to your businesses and life!
That's a lot of students, but I imagine there's a lot of unique perspective and people because of that! And yes there are tons of fun places and delicious foods in china haha
Thank you so much for all the tips and advice! I'll likely want a VPN because there are some things I'd still like to be able to access 😅 and I'll definitely be using wechat to pay (it's so much more convenient!) that's an interesting suggestion about the SIM card, I'll look into that for sure!
Staying in china may require some extra work and more research into what option is best for me, and I appreciate your insight!
非常感谢您的支持，鼓励，和意见！祝你好运：）
Wether it was your parents or your grandparents or even your ancesters who moves to USA, all of them moved in hope of getting a better life for their family, and for over 150 years China is finally back on track. China is winning in the Olympic, China is dominating the EV market, China made game becomes the best seller of the year on steam, every headlines indicates there is no doubt China is raising to the top and everything you're doing now is no different from what your lineage did, it is to find a better future for youself and perhaps your future family.
Thank you for your kind words and insight! I do think that China has a lot of potential, and I look forward to having the opportunity to experience the culture, language, and lifestyle there!
@@eveyang362come and settle in china, the Chinese talent returning to motherland will be a blessing
Very nice to hear your journey! I am also a Chinese American relocating to China. What you said about cultural connection and also being able to make sure your future children are fluent in the language is very true. These kind of concepts are super important to stay connected with your heritage. Wish you the best in your studies! Beijing is a really fun city, especially if you're associated with a school there. China is quite different from the USA, and similar in many other ways, as long as someone has an open mind, humble attitude, and eagerness to learn, one can do very well.
As a Chinese live in the U.S., I believe there are at least two pros you may neglected. 1. if you want to get married with an Asian in the future, you are more likely to find your Mr. Right in China compared to US. Especially in Peking University. 2, There are some amazing cities in Asia which speak mandarin and the doctors get paid very well, such as Hong Kong and Singapore, If you like the culture and the identity but dislike the restrictions, these cities are good options. If you do not want to live in Asia in the future, just take usmle and you will get matched to an US residency program after 6 years.(which is faster than bsmd)
Im also chinese american and moved to china to teach english for a year. Its pretty amazing but hyper competitive. My chinese is crap but i am slowly learning. US education is much worse to compared to Chinas imo
@BigJoe-g3o wrong actually. The reason they send rich chinese their kids overseas is because those kids arent competitive enough to get into top Chinese universities so its a way for rich families to buy an international education for their kids. And after they graduate, they 100% will return to China after witnessing and experiencing that life in the west is really crap compared to china (dangerous, dirty, racist, lack of infrastructure ect.)
Oh wow, that sounds like such a cool experience! Chinese can be pretty difficult to learn haha, but I hope you get the hang of it. Both education systems have their pros and cons, and I think it's just important to look at it with an open mind :)
Totally get your choice! Embracing your roots and saving money while experiencing a new culture is so empowering. Go for it! 🌍✈
Thank you for your encouragement! I appreciate it:)
Have a good time in China! China is just as huge as America, so you can spend some time exploring different regions as well as cultures within China.
As someone who is born and raised in China, I studied 4 years in an American University for my bachelor's degree. I can tell you its literally so beneficial for your future (career-wise and life-wise) to be open-minded. There are many differences between the US and China, in some aspects, China is more advanced than the US now, such as mobile payment, online shopping (including supply chain management), green energy vehicles, high speed rail and etc. However, there are still a lot of things China lags behind the US, for example, the rule of law, regulations in different industries, high-technology(artificial intelligence) development and etc. As someone like you who knows how to speak both English and Chinese, it's a huge bless and advantage to your future, as China and US are the two biggest economy in the world. You will have immense opportunities if you get yourself familiar with how both side of the system works.
Girl, you are blessed and be sure to take a good advantage of your stay in China, learn as much as possible and you will benefit from your choice when you look back and grow older.
Thank you so much! Yes, there are definitely lots of places in China that are worth visiting, and I'm excited to see the variety of culture within the country.
That's so cool that you got to experience both sides of the spectrum in terms of education and life! I completely agree that both nations are unique and have their benefits and drawbacks. It's definitely great that we can speak both languages, which will help in communicating and understanding both perspectives! It also does open up certain opportunities that would otherwise not have been as accessible for sure.
Thank you so much for your insight and support! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and wish you the best of luck for whatever comes your way next! :))
@@eveyang362 It's so sweet of you! :)
Did you get US citizenship or plan to return to motherland?
I also go to college in China! I'm not 华人/华裔 (which I'm guessing you are?), but it still always has felt warm, fun, and just like an adventure. You'll really like it here if college life in Beijing is anything like Suzhou. :)
That's awesome! Yep, I am :) I'm glad you've enjoyed your experiences so far, and I hope that college life in beijing is great too haha. Good luck in this coming school year!
I totally get not feeling truly American. It's such a weird feeling because even though people are nice and I don't usually face racism, there's a feeling of "otherness". I'm a rising hs senior and wanted to apply to a couple schools in China but was discouraged by my grandma who said that the job market in China is really bad rn, that many people can't finds jobs, and that companies will prioritize hiring Chinese citizens over foreigners. While making your decision, has this topic come up in your family? I'd love you hear your family's thoughts on this.
One solution to this is to complete university here in the US, and then look for opportunities to work in China.
You can also do graduate programs in China after completing undergrad in the US.
There are also some opportunities to study abroad in China while going to school here in the US.
But yes, I also understand the feeling of "otherness". Maybe you should try taking vacations in China for a few weeks at a time, and see how much you enjoy the food and daily life there compared to your home city in the US.
@caroline-u4l That's a great way to describe it! Congrats on being a high school senior, and to answer your question, yes, this is a topic that has come up. I would say that even in the US the job market isn't the best right now, and the global economy isn't at its highest point imo. All in all, my family and I thought that it would be nice to have the option of staying in China OR going back to the US depending on which option provided the most opportunity. China continues to advance in various industries, and it's hard to say where the opportunity will be 5-10 years from now. Hope this helps!
@@zhaoqilu these are insightful suggestions. Thank you for sharing :)
@@zhaoqilu She can just easily do it the other way around - complete undergrad in China and do a one-year masters in the US in case she needs that bridge if she decides to come back and look for a job in the US. She would be able to save more money and have enough time (graduate programs tend to be short until they are PhD programs) to experience and evaluate China while having the US to fall back to.
@@eveyang362 Thank you! That totally makes sense. I hope you have a fun time studying in China and I can't wait to follow your journey!
Don't expect us to rescue you when they grab you under one false accusation or other.
As chinese, we are so good at lying that we say and agree on things we dont want 😂
She is well paid by the CCP.
That's a harsh perspective. Many people thrive and have positive experiences in China! It's important to focus on growth and opportunity rather than fear. Wishing Eve the best on her journey! 🌟
thats racist
I’m gonna show this to my son!
:)
WOW! I never knew higher education in China was so affordable! Yeah, I could definitely see how that would be a factor. Hope you have a great experience there! I'd definitely be interested in following your journey throughout college!
Yes, it definitely is more affordable than the US in most cases! Thank you so much for your support, and I'll be sure to share my college experiences soon:)
@@eveyang362it's more affordable cuz we are communist, and while Westoids may shit on us, we can shit in their college debt
I had an Chinese-American professor explain his view of lifestyle in China and USA. Even though he said that it is hard to get job and make money in China (because of the inhumane competition), he regularly visits his homeland with his Chinese family. I guess nothing is strictly black or white, even in China. Sure, CCP sucks, but the places, the culture, people and nature may not.
When I graduated from school I also had a feeling of being alone in a wilderness. I instantly went to University because that was what others did and that was what I knew what to do at that time - to study and study. It was a good decision for me. The knowledge the university gave me helped me find a decent job.
However, this is not the universal satisfaction. What gave me the feeling of piece was the discovery of objective worldview: how everything came to be, who made me, why was I made and etc. This is basically the end goal of everyone. It answers the questions about morality, death, purpose, love, beauty and so on. The ones that can't be answered otherwise - with subjective and materialistic worldviews.
Hope you'll eventually end up in the same place as most of us do. By the way, I'm not talking about spirituality or some mushroom-eating enlightenment. I am strictly talking about the most realistic worldview out there - Christianity (Orthodox Christianity in particular).
competition or corruption ?
@@BigJoe-g3o You could say both, but my professor specifically said - "competition".
Wow, thank you for sharing your professor's experiences!
I'm glad that you enjoyed your experience at university and were able to find a job afterwards! Your insights are really interesting, and I appreciate your perspective!
all the best to you girl. China is AMAZING 😍😍😍😍
Feeling connected to roots and wanting to experience life abroad have to be among the best reasons to move somewhere. Looks like you are in for great adventures.... Good luck!
I totally agree! Thank you for your support. I appreciate you!
@@eveyang362 Of course. Last thing I have to say: Give yourself time to meet people and build community. I've personally fallen into the trap of thinking that just because I have roots somewhere I'm supposed to immediately "fit in" and feel like I "belong." But the truth is that the idea of "belonging" is strange, especially for us transplants/first-gen American kids. We just have to embrace that our identity and belonging is messy 🙂 But that's what makes us who we are so just go with it and have faith and self love in who you are 🙂
@@michaelkraemerman2009 That's so insightful, thank you! I agree that it can sometimes be difficult figuring out where we "belong," but it definitely becomes more clear with time and patience :) Self love is SO important, and I wish more people took the time to focus on their own well-being rather than what they think society wants for them. I really appreciate your perspective!
ok just some thoughts as an ABC who was raised in china for a large part of my childhood, these are some things you can expect.
1. you will be treated extremely well by the government. the government has many policies to attract foreigners to study in china. as long as you dont stick your nose into dirty business, international students are treated like first class citizens while natives are treated as second class citizens. you will get many benefits.
2. however, due to the fact that youre taking all these benefits, chinese people will not look kindly to international students. there are huge controversies about abuse by international students and the bad blood between them goes back around 40 years when chinese girls were raped by international students. if all they know is that youre an international student, they will distain you by default.
3. on the value of the degree, qinghua and beida are no where near the prestige of ivy league, but i am not a huge proponent of colleges anyway, as long as you get a degree, you will do fine IN AMERICA at least. in china, qinghua and beida are oversaturated and will only slightly advance your career compared to some other top tier universities. however, if you came from an ivy league universities, you can be expected to be paid AMERICAN salaries in china, ranging form 70- 200 k dollars a year, whereas beida and qinghua will land you 20k to 60k RMB a month.
4. on the stress of university, the gaokao is the most stressful, once you get in, it is hard than american college but easier than chinese highschool in terms of rigor. you as an international student can expect an easy way through as you will be assigned benefits that native students wont have access to, such as tutoring, study partners, and many services.
If its too late then its whatever, but if you want this as a culture vacation, i do not recommend. as you will be very sheltered in the university bubble, and it is very difficult to access the daily life of other chinese people. unless you have family or friends in china already, fitting in will be hard because many chinese will not engage with you if you dont speak the language fluently, and dont already fit into social circles. But if you still have a chance i recommend you to take the ivy league school then try to find work in china. you will get to experience the authenic chinese culture without the meddling of the government and the university. and on top of that, your ivy degree is worth its weight in gold with chinese companies, whereas chinese degree is the same as any other american degree in china or the US
It's great that you were able to see what life is like in both China and the US. I appreciate you taking the time to share your opinions on this subject, and I completely understand where you're coming from. I do think that international students may be perceived differently in the eyes of mainland students, but I don't anticipate that there will be any serious conflict or disdain between me and them (at the very least I definitely won't be the one to start the fight haha.) As for the difference between an ivy league and beida, I get your point, but the reason I'm going to beida isn't for the prestige, it's for the international experience and getting the opportunity to explore the culture, language, and people (which would not be possible going to an ivy league). And my chinese probably wouldn't be as functional if I studied at Cornell, so the job options would probably be more limited if I were to go and work in china.
I do speak the language fairly fluently, and I'll try to keep an open mind and perspective so that I can hopefully find my own group within the university. Regardless of what happens next, I'm just going to try and look on the bright side of things and take everything in stride :) I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions!
@@eveyang362 if you have a good command of mandarin, then you will be able to avoid many cultural conflicts. then i think your plans are alright as long as you fit in with the chinese youth culture. remember to not flaunt your status as an american. when i was a child i first learned that i was american i flaunted it across the school. and people shamed me and humiliated me because i was an american citizen, and made crude jokes such as i am a traitor or things of that nature. my main reason to advocate against going into china was that if you dont speak the language, the xenophobia is extremely strong. but if you do, you will do perfectly fine, and never bring up politics, religion, or the so called "dirty business". that could land you in quick trouble in china. i have many mainlander friends who escaped china because they were persecuted by the government. other than that, youd do perfectly fine.
edit: also, for work opportunity, cornell is 10x beida or qinghua. if you participated in the job market in china, its all about the degree. trust me that the difference between a cornell graduate and a beida graduate is at least 3x. i have friends in china who makes 2k USD a month (15k rmb) with a local degree (a top tier university in hangzhou). for reference, an english teacher with any american bachelors degree earns 60k RMB a month as a base salary, with many experienced teachers earning 100k+ RMB a month. if you work in the tech industry with an ivy degree, you can expect around 100k - 150k monthy salary easily in china. the difference is that huge. thats why so many chinese people send their kids overseas to try to get into the top universities, because the job market is just different from the US where experience matters above all.
edit edit : THIS IS A MUST READ. this wikipedia article will tell you the atmosphere of international students in china. 中华人民共和国外国留学生特权问题 go search this on wikipedia and go to the 影响及回应 section. or if you can find the english version do that. this will give you a gist of my concerns.
@@AsiandOOd Thank you for sharing your story! I'm sorry that you were humiliated as a kid, but I'm sure that made you a stronger person in the long run. I understand your concerns and appreciate your thoughts.
I'm not entirely sure about the salary difference you mentioned, but I do think that's something to consider!
Thank you for the resource and for providing your insights and perspective. Much appreciated!
Stay safe and plz don't speak out on "stuff" when you see it. Act like you didn't notice or see it and your life will be fine. Stick to tier 1 & 2 cities and go with the crowd, not against.
I appreciate your suggestions and thoughts:)
also there are cameras everywhere I think
加油 go for it !!!!! what a nice experience. You will never regret it! best to you! After all the Western world is in chaos!
谢谢！I appreciate your encouragement!
Great perspective and love your thoughts. I recommend Keeping your identity and language. Hold on to it. Deepen it. Ofc there’s great stuff about being part of the giant pseudo pluralistic family of Americans, but too many shed the heritage instead of keeping it AND adding to it by some level of assimilation. My family immigrated to the Us 4-8 generations ago depending on the line and they all abandoned their cultures and languages within one generation. I’m American but I grew up in Italy and lived in Montreal for two years during college and somewhat struggle feeling ‘American’ like most people here. I would hold on to your identity and explore china and live your best. 🎉🎉🎉
Thank you, I'm glad! And yes, I think it's really important to preserve our culture and the identity and language that come with it. I love your point on keeping ones cultural heritage while simultaneously combining it with new culture rather than completely forgetting about our origins.
Thank you so much for sharing your family heritage and experiences. I'm sorry that your culture was not preserved, and I totally understand the struggle of not feeling "American." It can definitely be difficult to understand who we are and what culture we identify with, but I hope that you're able to, or have already, had the chance to better understand yourself and culture! I appreciate your support!
from what i gather, you chose north of China? If so, probably good choice because in the South it rains indoors and mosquito.
Haha yes! That's good to know :) I'm not a huge fan of mosquitos
this is agent -- reporting to mosquito intelligence. target’s guard against mosquito is lowered.
I have some casual Chinese friends and get invited to their New Year's celebrations, so I became interested in China for that reason. I think their cities are amazing and enjoy hearing about life there. I can see why you would want to stay grounded in your cultural roots. Best wishes and good luck in the next part of your life long journey!
New Year's celebrations are always the best (although I haven't had the chance to experience it in china yet haha) yes, I agree! There are beautiful cities in china, and the lifestyle can definitely be great! Thank you so much for your support! 😊
I wanted my son to do to the same as you, unfortunately, Covid happened and he is studying in UCLA right now.
I'm sorry that COVID prevented him from studying abroad, but I'm sure he's having a great time at UCLA! I wish him the best of luck in college and his future career!
Did you apply for the medical school for 北大？I went back to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, graduated last year and taking USMLE now
I applied to Yuanpei, but I may consider to transfer to the medical school next year. I'm hesitant to do so this year because I'm not one hundred percent sure I want to be a doctor. That's so cool that you went to Shanghai Jiaotong University school of Medicine! Good luck with your USMLE exams! You can do it!
Thanks for sharing ✌️sounds like you’ve thought your decision through very well. There is much to love about life in China
Of course! Thank you!
@@eveyang362 you’re welcome
you can't comeback once uncle Donald back as president 😏
If you put the political take away. China is a decent place to live in. Especially if you can speak the language and look like them.
haha I appreciate your perspective!
It’s impossible. If you ever tried to escape from lockdown and you ran out of long term prescriptions. That was my experience. Luckily I escaped from Wuhan to Hong Kong to safe my life. Otherwise I was dead. Politics could be life or death in some cases. I knew that if I was in a democracy country, I would not suffer from that kind of thing.
e-duh-catching is not so important make sure make more friends - close friends
thanks for your suggestion!
I would Love for my child to attend Duke Kunshan University.
That'd be cool! I wish him the best of luck on his high school and college journey!
you shouldn't even say there is stuff about the government that could be improved. look what happened to Jack Ma ! lol
Jack Ma thought he could make government regulations. The rich don't control China like they do in the west
China x3 a great nation to be.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Best of luck - I would never want to live under such a brutal dictatorship.
Mark Kitto agrees with you
A stable dictatorship is better than having beggars, criminals and crackheads roaming your streets
Go pay off your college debt to capalists
start ur own biz
thanks for the suggestion!
Good for you!!!!
Thank you!
Eve I can add some insight
1) china is much safer and has much better infrastructure compared to the us
2) chinese students are much smarter and harder working compared to americans
3) unfortunately in china you will not be considered as pretty as you are in the us. Also, in America, men are more s-xually aggressive. The top tier men in China have like harems of 1000s of women so its very competitive. China is extremely competitive.
4) China's social life and general way of life is way better compared to US. It is easier to hang out with friends and cheaper to go out to restaurants
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and providing insight! There are definitely a lot of things in China that are different than in the US, and I'd say both have pros and cons :)
Well when you still have an accent and claiming moving to China ... just sounds like you got no choice but to move back and not you are rejecting ivy league. If you really grow up in TX then you at least sound like it but your video does not. This story just does not add up.
Not sure what you expect me to sound like but thanks for sharing your opinion!