Last year I spent quite a bit of time trying to find out information about NCKU but after scouring the internet there didn’t seem to be a ton of information related to peoples experiences so since I’ve been here for about 5 months and maybe you too are wondering what is at Tainan’s NCKU…
Transportation around Tainan
If you arrive in September, it’ll be blazing sweaty hot. You’ll probably want a bike.
Purchasing a bike can cost you anywhere from 70-240USD (2000-8000NTD). But! NCKU has free bikes that you can check out. They tend to be really crappy bikes but if you’re not here for a long time then it’s pretty reasonable. People check out and return bikes all the time so if they don’t have a bike just check back a day or two later.
NCKU is about a 45 minute bike ride from the ocean. It’s possible to take the bus there too. Nobody I know rides the bus.
You also have convenient access to anywhere in Taiwan from the train station.
Gym
It costs 10USD (300NTD) to buy a 10-punch pass for the gym. The gym is small, very crowded and if you go in the evenings there will be a line waiting to go inside. The gym has unusual hours … open from 8-10am then 5:30-10pm. To buy the 10-punch pass you have to give your CLC ID to the CLC office and they will go buy it for you (might take a day)… or, get a student of the university to go buy them for you so you can get it immediately rather then waiting for the CLC office to do it. If you want to do squats or deadlifts, you will likely have to wait in line too (sadly…). If you think you’ll be here for awhile you might want to get a gym membership at a place called Deep Breathing Spa Fitness Institute – I haven’t been there but I took a photo of a friend’s membership card and that’s what it says on there… he said it was the cheapest he could find in the area.
Food
I usually spend anywhere from 5-10USD (150-300NTD) a day on food.
Housing
Dorm
I think they’re from 3500-5000NTD. I haven’t heard any complaints about them except that the cheaper option means you might have to share a room with someone you may or may not get along with. If you’re looking to meet a lot of people, the dorm is a great place.
Off-campus living
After you make some friends at the dorm maybe it’s time to take your friends and find a cheaper place to live. Get a Taiwanese friend to help you find a place and possibly spend as low as 2000NTD (plus utilities). Right now I pay 2000NTD plus whatever the bimonthly utility bill is (500-1000NTD).
Alternatively, arrive 2-3 weeks before school starts and you should probably be able to find a cheaper place. Ask someone at the CLC office, or maybe go up to the third floor of the CLC building and make a new friend.
Language Center
Teachers - all female and generally upbeat and friendly.
They use the Practical Audio-Visual Chinese book and follow it fairly strictly.
They have levels A - I (the letter “i”).
They have 220 students registered this semester from all over the world and probably places you’ve never heard of.
You are not technically a student of the university because you are not degree seeking. This means you can’t use the campus wifi. This also means you have to pay to use the library (100NTD per month).
You have the choice between a group class and 1-on-1 classes.
Group classes:
I know 2 people who find the group classes to be boring although others I know find it adequate. About 10 people per class. I heard of one person who switched to doing 1-on-1 classes in the middle of the semester (for the Fall semester) although that was not as easily possible for the winter semester since so many people switched to doing 1-on-1. English is used as the common language when something isn’t understood but personally I didn’t always find the explanations to be very clear.
1-on-1 (you sit next to a teacher):
They follow the book but if you want to focus on something else entirely they’re cool with that. You can also request to not have homework. I prefer the 1-on-1 classes over the group classes largely because it’s more flexible. Although, I’d suggest first doing the group class then deciding whether it’s worth your money to do the 1-on-1.
I know a gal who does some translation work as job and with her 1-on-1 teacher they just read over/review Chinese literature, news, etc.
Elective classes:
I think the grammar and pronunciation classes are somewhat useful but the other ones are less useful. I’m fairly certain that if you are NOT on a student visa that you do not necessarily need to do the elective classes and could maybe save a couple bucks or perhaps sign up for a 1-on-1 instruction.
Accelerated class:
There is an accelerated class that starts two weeks before the start of the Fall semester. If you have a scholarship, you are eligible for this. If you are not on a scholarship, I don’t know if you can take it but I’m sure if you email and ask about it you probably can. Although, don’t email them… it’s much better and more efficient to call them (I used Skype while in the USA and it helped me quite a bit).
Scholarship
If you have a scholarship, the CLC office will take you to a place to get you an identification number you need to create a bank account. You will receive your first scholarship money about a month after you do this (in October). Because the semesters at NCKU are actually shorter, you will have to make up the ‘missing’ hours to fulfill the scholarship requirement. I take 19 hours of class a week instead of minimum 15 hours needed. Let the NCKU office know you have a scholarship early on because they can put you in the accelerated class which starts two weeks early. I didn’t know about the accelerated class until it was too late and wasn’t going to change my plane ticket and other plans so I wasn’t able to get in on it.
Visa
If you are on a student visa, you can do the first visa extension in Tainan. The first extension will extend the visa from the date of expiration on your student visa and not on the day that you are getting it extended. If you are doing the next extension, you go to the hospital, perhaps get a rubella booster shot (have a copy of any medical/vaccination records if you have them), they take your blood then you may also have to provide a stool sample (enema optional…). My friend from Thailand had to provide a stool sample but Americans don’t. You will have to return to the hospital after a week to receive your test results (bring a photo if you didn’t already give them one) then use that to plus the other related documentation to go to Kaohsiung (I’m planning to go this or next week).
General comments on learning Chinese:
If you want to get good at Chinese though you will need to other more dynamic ways of learning by using outside sources (talking to Taiwanese, buy a Chinese kids book from the used bookstore and translate it, Anki, Chinese graded readers, Glossika, Pimsleur, etc, etc.). The classroom will only get you so far so be prepared, if you choose, to spend time outside of class improving your skills.
Am I missing anything?