Chinese Bureaucracy

So it happened that after one week I realised that studying only Chinese language is not my case for few reasons. Firstly even that I was in beginners group, the level was way higher than mine so I could not handle the classes in longer run. Secondly my major is education so studying Chinese language is not beneficial for me if thinking on my degree (none of the credits would not count). Thirdly, I don't feel interested in to start learning how to write Chinese. If you wonder why I started Chinese studies here in first place, it was just the automatic process where they signed me up for Chinese College Language and Culture (CCLC) so it wasn’t my goal in first place anyway…

I found out that there is an English taught master degree program in education so I asked from international office (ISO) if I could change there to study courses that would count on my degree in English. They told that it should be possible but I have to go through “some” paperwork, printed me a form and told about what I have to do with it and to bring four copies with when the form is filled. So that is how the story got started:

Friday morning at 8am I walked to the Faculty of Education and ask from them do would they agree me to change to study there instead of in CCLC, got a positive answer. Then went to the CCLC office and asked from then that do they agree that I can leave from CCLC to change the major from language to education. I got first stamp on my form as they agreed. Then back to the Faculty of Education to collect second stamp on the form that they officially accept me to study in their faculty. Third address was called graduate school office to get the third stamp which probably symbolizes that the university in general accept me to transfer my major on the top of approval from the faculties. From graduate school they sent me to other place called teaching affairs office and from there they sent me back to the graduate school office but to the different room where I was first. Still didn't have my third stamp and they sent me to the the center of global education, and from there they took me to the international office where I finally got third stamp on my form. Then I needed to take one copy with me to the Faculty of Education and then I was allowed to study in there and choose courses.

This process wasn’t not just walking from one place to another since in every place it included some kind of activity like typing something on computer, making phone calls or asking colleague before each step was solved. In total it took 2,5 hours to complete this process which I now call "stamp hunting", but it was worth it. 

Now I am an exchange student at the Faculty of Education doing three MA level courses: Educational Policy Analysis: International Perspectives, Globalization and Education and Educational Management and Leadership. Plus because I am an exchange student, I am allowed to take one Chinese language course so I can still have the conversation Chinese course. Perfect!