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HELP: Advice needed for an IUP-level program - other possibilities?
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venture160 -

enrolling at Renda does not require an HSK score, I enrolled in graduate classes and they didn't
seem to care about anything besides a check



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muirm -

Hmm, #8 doesn't seem like a sure bet (I think there are 50 students total in the program?). You
could ask the IUP director at Berkeley what she thinks, but I would guess she would also say you
should look at other options. Sorry if I got your hopes up










amandagmu -

No worries. I'll figure it out. I'm perpetually screwed as being relegated to "Team B" since I
don't go to Harvard, Yale, Berkeley, etc for a PhD program. I'm starting to get used to it,
although I'm frustrated by the lack of encouragement (and in some cases I would venture to say
discouragement) that I am receiving from various programs right now, not to mention:

"Yea its expensive. but isn't it the same price as IUP?"

Well, IUP is $13,000 for a full year (2 semesters), whereas CET is the same price for one
semester. IUP has the name and reputation for my field, while I've never heard much about CET.
Either way I'll have to take loans out, loans that will take forever to re-pay as a historian.

I worry about self-study in a field like history precisely because of the terms. And I do think I
would need an expert in Chinese history in China to actually sit with me or let me take a class
with him or her where I could learn the language of history. As for the specific terms I
mentioned, they were just examples. But certainly the terms have and will continue to change and,
for that matter, cannot always be easily translated. That's part of my concern: correct
translation of a highly charged word that has changed in meaning. A better example might be
nongmin. How would you translate this word? Who is a nongmin? How has the meaning of this word
changed in China in the 20th century?

Anyways, I am looking into the CET-Harbin program. The blogs are helpful. Thanks for letting me
know about them!

~Amanda










derekws -

Amanda-

Don't give up on IUP just yet. I've been offered an interview, but there's a good chance I'll
either fail that or be unable to afford the program. I have to imagine there are others in my
situation. Hopefully they number enough that you'll be able to attend.

But more importantly, even if IUP doesn't work out, you have other options. Whether it's through
CET or direct enrollment at a Chinese university, *someone* will be wiling to satisfy your
requirements. China's a very big country, and the 2007-08 school year isn't for months yet. For
now, I'd follow up all the connections you have in America and China, and see if you can't turn
something up. Don't be too shy to ask your professors for help and advice. Worst comes to worse,
you can enroll in a language program and pay a grad student on the side for help with historical
vocabulary.

Best,

Derek










venture160 -

I feel you on the elite school thing. If you go to a ivy league school for study you have tons of
oppurtunities, but if you don't, its impossible to get them.

Example, when yale kids study abroad everything is covered by the school including beer and
travel. Its essentially free.










Jamoldo -

Amanda, could you check your Private Messages?










doumeizhen -

Well, I think there are also other ways, other than school...

IUP is really good at rigorous training and teaching you how to use all the proper words together
(though improper is so much more fun!). It focuses on all areas of learning, reading, writing,
speaking, so your overall levels will see improvement.

I recently ran into an old teacher the other day who is teaching privately now. You get the same
kind of attention, and while not as intense and focused on rote memorization, it has the benefit
of you being able to talk about your own material, which in the end is very useful.

Plus, its cheaper. I did the math.

So, at IUP you have 4 quarters of 8 weeks, and everyday you have "two hours" of class (this is
their little system of calculation, ask me if you really want to know). So 4 quarters x 8 weeks x
5 days equals160. So, 160 hours of 1 on 1 classtime (though its usually more time because you have
classmates, if you were only taking 1 on 1 classes, which are the advanced classes, then it would
be a flat 160 hours). So, a private teacher will cost you about 100 RMB per hour for a good,
really educated one: 160X100=16,000RMB, divided by 8 for the conversion makes 2,000 American
buckaroos. When I did this math I wanted to cry....

But anyways, I think while IUP is a nice thing on a resume, and plus its very, very good training.
However, it's not the only option. The mot important thing is really how bad you want to learn and
how much you are willing to put into it emotionally.










Jamoldo -

Problem with private teaching is that you need to be very disciplined to do it. Ie make sure you
just don't randomly cancel on the teacher and what not, which I know I would do. Then I know I
would get into a negative cycle and not have class for days. In a program though I would go to
class since it would be something tangible and fixed, something that I could not just cancel on my
own... But that's just me.

Plus I've heard some not so good things about IUP from some current students. I was very surprised.










gato -



Quote:

Plus I've heard some not so good things about IUP from some current students. I was very surprised.

Can you tell us?










imron -



Quote:

In a program though I would go to class since it would be something tangible and fixed,

There are plenty of private lessons available through a program, with fixed timetables and the
like.












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