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handbook
School of Chinese Studies ( SCS )Xi’an International Studies University
Dear International Student,
We extend a warm welcome to you on behalf of School of Chinese Studies, Xi’an International Studies University.
This handbook for international students has been prepared for you as a summary of Some essential information and we hope this handbook can make all the necessary Arrangement and gives you the information needed to prepare yourself on your study and stay at School of Chinese studies and the university.
Though the handbook contains some basic information, it is not complete yet in itself.
We sincerely hope that this handbook can offer your an better service and you will have a pleasant, enriching and successful life in our university.
A. Your arrival in Xi’an
You may be arriving by airport or by train. You will find information on:
1.1 Xi’an Airport:
Xi’an airport is about 40 kilometers far from downtown and is about 50 kilometers far from Xi’an International Studies University.
1.2 Transportation to downtown, to university:
a. Shuttle bus will leave airport for downtown each half an hour and it will take you to the city about one hour. The bus fair is 25 yuan each and then you may take taxi to the university. It will charge you about 20 yuan or less than that.
b. You will spend one hour or more to take taxi directly from airport to the university if you like to and the charge will be about 100 yuan.
1.3 Xi’an Railway Station:
Xi’an Railway Station is about 5 kilometers far from downtown and is about 15 kilometers far from the university. You can take double-decker bus No 603 from railway station to the university with one yuan fair only or you can pay 15 yuan or 20 yuan if you like to take taxi.
B. Your basic needs and attention:
1.1 A Place to live:
In this chapter you will find some more information on living in a student dormitory managed by Foreign Affairs Service Center. Whenrenting student accommodation, keep in mind to live up to the following rules:
1.2 All residents clean their own room and keep the room tidy.
1.3 If you happen to break something, you will have to replace at your own expense.
1.4 When you leave the house, to make sure that you’ve already turn off the lights, turn the plugs down and locks the doors. This will be more secure and can prevent fire happening.
1.5 Tap water can not be drunk directly. Please get boiled water from water heater room where locates on each floor.
1.6 The door of student dormitory will open at 6;30 A.M and close at 23: 30 P.M everyday.
1.7 Self-service laundry
International student dormitory provides laundry service. laundry room locates at first floor of the students dormitory and 3 yuan will be charged for one basket clothes each time.
1.8 All international students may share with one P. O. Box. It is: P. O. Box 70, School of Chinese Studies, Xi’an International Studies University, Xi’an China.
1.9 Exchange students and Project students will get subsidies in Foreign Teacher’s Café on the tenth of every month.
1.10 Please take very much care of your valuable stuff, such as: passport, credit card, cash, mobile phone, handle computer and so on or you can ask reception desk in lobby to keep your valuable stuff well. It is not necessary to have the valuable things with you if you go shopping or take bus in case the pickpockets may visit you.
1.11. Telephone:
The telephone system of international student dorm differs from the city telephone system. It is called “ Campus Telephone Card “. It is free of rental. But you have to buy the card from Reception Desk in the lobby if you would like to give the call to the local area or other countries. The value of telephone card is 50 yuan and 100 yuan.
1.12. Internet:
Internet is very popularly used both in campus and city itself. There is internet room locates at first floor in international student dorm and it can be used by paying 2 yuan for one hour each and there are many internet bars spread around the campus if you like to enjoy the internet.
1.13. Banking:
Bank of China is the only bank that people can exchange the foreign currency. There is a Bank of China where locates at Chang An Road which is about 500 hundred meters far away from the north gate of the university.
1.14. Dining Room:
There is a dining room for experts, teachers and international students in the yard of international student dorm and other four dining halls also can offer food service for about 10 thousand Chinese students in the campus.
1.15. Shopping:
There are two supermarkets locating nearby XISU. The smaller one “ Home Club “ is just beside the south gate of XISU and the bigger one “ Metro “ which is newly founded locates at south direction of XISU and it is about one mile far from the campus. It is a kind of market by using membership card.
1.14. Post:
There is a street called “ SHI DA LU “ beside the south gate of XISU. Post office is in the middle part of the street. letters, express letters and parcels can be mailed here.
1.15. Voltage:
The voltage in your room is 220 V, 50 HZ. Please do not use any electrical equipment that is more than 800 watts and turn off all the electric appliances before leaving your room in case unexpected thing happens.
1.16. In China, the bicycle is the cheapest and easiest way to get your around to every corner of the city. You can buy bright new one from supermarket or any big department store. Many types of bicycle can be chosen. Buying a second-hand bike rather cheap than a new one in any second-hand market around the city.
1.17. Train
In China, Frequent train connections are scheduled to lead you to all cities and they are the most ideal transportation for you to take a long-distance travel around China. At the railway station, you can buy a major-city train timetable or the complete timetable for all trains in China.
Chinese train has got three classes. They are: hard seat, hard sleeper and soft sleeper. Prices are definitely different. Many Chinese people and foreign visitors prefer to take hard sleeper which is economy and comfortable when they travel out.
Hard sleeper tickets are more pretty difficult to get rather than the other two ones especially in tourist season.
Travel agency is the way to get the train tickets if you urgently need and 30 or 50 yuan for each ticket will be charged.
1.18. Airplane:
In the city you may find out many booking office and travel agency selling plane tickets and they will be sent to your home if required.
As an international student you can enjoy the discount arrangement when you show your student ID to booking office people and there will be a change to the discount price in different season.
1.19. Other way of finding a place to live:
After sometime of staying as a freshman in the dorm provided by the university you may want to look for a proper place outside of campus for yourself. If you’ve got final decision that you will move out please pay attention to the following points:
a. Student who would like to move out need to get and fill up an application form from office of SCS in advance.
在填写校外居住登记表同时还需提交户主身份证复印件，房屋租赁合同复印件，房产证复印件。
b. Three documents are needed to hand over to the office of SCS.
+ Copy of house owner’s ID
+ Copy of agreement for renting house between student and house owner.
+ Copy of certificate of house property.
C. University Facilities:
1.1How to use library.
Students may apply for library card if you would like to use library. Please go to the office of School of Chinese Studies to hand over one piece of passport photo with 200 yuan deposit which will be returned to you before leaving and you should pay 10 yuan each month as management fee as well.
Students who wish to use materials have to show a valid library card and students may only borrow some materials. As the library is used by numerous people, it is absolutely necessary for users to put the books back.
The opening hours of the library are:
Monday to Friday: 9:00 – 11:00 Lunch break 14: - 22:00
Weekends and Holidays: closed
1.2University Hospital:
The university hospital locates at the campus. It offers a better service and pretty low medical cost to all students and working staff. Please show your student ID to hospital people if you would like to see doctor in university hospital.
We suggest that the necessary medical insurance need to be managed before leaving your own country in case that you need to see the doctors from the state-run hospitals in China. Please keep your medical invoice well and you will have your refund after you back home.
D. The Academic Calendar of School of Chinese Studies ( SCS )
In this chapter you will find out main information on the education matter and some activities relating to the travel and visit in order that students can have an better personal arrangement for the whole academic year study.
1.1Spring Semester:
a. Arrival week before March 1st: welcome new students, enrollment, registration, pay tuition fee.
b. The first week from March 1st on: Enrollment examination, Orientation for new students, health check for new students and classes starts.
c.The third and fourth weeks: New students will be organized to visit remarkable historic spots around Xi’an on each Saturdays.
d.The second or the third weeks on April: University students sports meeting will be on.
e. May 1st – 7th: Nation wide golden week holiday will be on.
f.The second week on May: “ HSK” examination will be on Saturday and Sunday. ( It is nation wide Chinese Language level examination for people who learn Chinese as a second language and run by State Education Committee.) ( Please see more information on HSK handbook )
g.The third or the fourteenth weeks: Students will be organized to travel somewhere around China for Language Training.
h. The fourth week on June: Spring semester final exam will be on.
i. The first week on July: Summer holiday starts.
j. The second Sunday on July: HSK examination will be on.
k.The fourth week on July: Summer course starts
l.The third week on August: Summer course ends
1.2Autumn Semester:
a. Arrival week before September 1st: Welcome new students, enrollment, registration and pay tuition fee.
b. The first week from September 1st on: Enrollment exam, Orientation for new students, health check for new students and classes starts.
c. The third and fourth weeks: New students will be organized to visit remarkable historic spots around Xi’an on each Saturdays.