Student life in China: dorms and daily routine

Dorms and daily life

Most universities house international students in separate international-dorm buildings — usually single or double rooms with a private bathroom, more comfortable than a typical dorm room for Chinese students. Campuses usually have everything you need close by: several canteens with different cuisines, a gym, a clinic, laundry facilities, shops — in the early weeks you can get by almost without leaving campus at all.

Class schedule and workload

Attendance at Chinese universities tends to be stricter than at many Western schools — unexcused absences can affect your final grade. Almost all academic and administrative communication — schedules, announcements, homework — runs through WeChat, so registering on it and checking it daily becomes part of the academic routine from week one.

Student clubs and socializing

Most campuses run dozens of student clubs, from sports teams to hobby groups, and almost all have some form of language exchange — a language corner or language partner setup, where Chinese students learning a foreign language meet foreign students learning Chinese. It's one of the fastest, most natural ways to make friends and build conversational skills outside a classroom setting.

Apps and everyday life

China is a nearly fully cashless society: WeChat Pay and Alipay are accepted almost everywhere, from the campus canteen to a street market, and paying in cash can sometimes be harder than paying by app. In the first few weeks, it's worth getting a Chinese phone number and a local bank account — you'll need both to link your payment apps — plus food delivery apps (Meituan, Eleke) and a ride-hailing app (Didi), which make life off campus considerably easier.

What to prepare in advance

A few things are worth sorting out before you fly out, so you're not losing time to them in the first weeks on the ground.

• Download WeChat and Alipay ahead of time and get familiar with the basic interface
• Check with the university exactly what's provided in the dorm and what you need to bring or buy locally
• Pack plug adapters and understand which familiar apps may need a VPN to access
• Save the contacts of your university coordinator and your UNIPROFI advisor, in case questions come up in the first days after arrival