If you transferred to USC, then you remember how hectic the class selection process can be during your first semester. Well, be ready for a second round. For those who are not transfers, you will soon understand. Though hectic, you are granted a spot in any business class that’s offered. Just a tip, trying to add classes two minutes before it opens because that’s when the portal really opens. You will register and select your class during the first day of school. Classes REALLY do vary from semester to semester. To give you some perspective, I selected four classes from the course list that was offered the prior semester and not one of them was offered when I attended.
The difficulty and structure of classes at Fudan are nothing like USC. The classes are once a week for two and a half hours. There is usually a break every 45 minutes. I was able to stack my classes and had classes Wednesday through Friday. Some classes are project and presentation heavy while others will have a 50% final exam. I would not worry too much about this because the classes are SO much easier than USC. That is if you go over the material and study. Try making some friends during orientation week and try to set up a similar class schedule. This will come in handy when choosing teams and traveling. FYI, the majority of students in your classes will be exchange students.
You will have a ton of free time. If you would like to learn about the culture, there is a club rush during the third week, just like at USC. This gives you an opportunity to engage with some Chinese natives. There is a massive variety that ranges from scuba diving to fencing to Spanish clubs and Chinese geography clubs. It would be a plus if you speak Chinese.
You can also score an internship during the semester or for the summer if you put in the effort or have the proper connections. Fudan offers career services and has a website dedicated to helping with the recruitment process in China. They also have a small recruitment fair. I asked a few professors and they were also able to connect me with some companies. Some of my friends are interning, and it takes away from your free time; however, they are still able to enjoy their weekends.
If organizations and internships are not your thing, you can travel in China at a very low cost. I will cover this in my next blog post.