Day 7: First Day of Classes

 

Despite the hectic transport over, we all made it to Hsinchu alive and in one piece (for the most part). Our adjustment from the hostel rooms to National Tsing Hua University dorms has definitely been slow moving, however it feels great to be back on a college campus. Many people spent the beginning of the morning cleaning and unpacking their suitcases.

 

Along with our first full day on campus, we also began Mandarin classes today! Before we found our way to the classrooms, most of us instead found our way over to an arguably more important place – the cafeteria. Trying to blend into student life we stopped by 7/11 to grab a quick breakfast and wish each other well before the long day ahead. From there, it was time to separate into our different classes based on Chinese level. With a mix of native speakers, those who had learned before college, and those who began at Northeastern, our cohort has a very diverse spectrum of learners.

 

After a short 8-minute walk from the dorms, we all split off into the three classrooms located on the 6th floor of the Chinese Language Center. This week is focused on making sure everyone will get the most out of our month here, and so some individuals will move classes based on need and ability. In the second level class we dove right into our current unit on pop culture and trends with our professor Cheng Laoshi. The class’s inability to read many traditional characters has provided a bit of a learning curve for both us and Cheng Laoshi. Despite this, there is an excitement across the entire dialogue cohort at this language immersion.

 

After three and a half hours of class (with some breaks thrown in the middle) some of us met up to grab lunch with Dong Laoshi and buy the textbooks required for the class. I was finally able to try the waffle place on campus and ordered one with chocolate which Sam and I shared. While I feel a bit like an outsider on someone else’s campus (which I suppose I am) I’m sure NTHU will come to feel like home by the end.

 

Post-lunch a few of us walked to the library to work on the homework we’ve been assigned for Chinese class, and get a head start on learning the materials for our DAILY quizzes. The library is very quiet, which is sometimes a struggle for me as an incredibly loud American, but it’s the perfect place to get things finished before dinner.

 

Combining US culture with Taiwan culture, we went for Mos Burger which has a rice bun hamburger. We also stopped by a sports store to grab a basketball which will be used in an upcoming basketball game between some of us.

 

The day ended with everyone getting ready for bed and continuing to study for tomorrow’s Mandarin lessons. While it certainly was not the most interesting day we’ve had in Taiwan, it’s great to have some structure to the days. I can’t wait to continue exploring campus and getting better acquainted with the other students and the classes.