Upon arrival we were all well informed about the dates, deadlines and activities that would take place in the first week at NJU. Whenever writing an Email to the international affairs team I got answer within a couple of days, always friendly and helpful. The registration procedure had its length but was very well organized and even the complicated process of obtaining a Chinese student visa and finally ending up in the right class solved itself within days. This well-structured administration had a great impact on my well-being at NJU and made me feel home and safe immediately.

The courses at NJU are highly diversified and offer a good choice to every student. The number of courses taught in English is limited but I still had a busy time table. Since I speak Chinese already I did not take the normal Chinese classes but only focused on my majors Economics and Philosophy. The four classes I took had a reasonable workload and the content fit with my education up to that point. I probably had the best Philosophy class so far at NJU, and I strongly recommend attending Professor Xingming Hu’s Philosophy class about Chinese Philosophy. This class gave me a great insight in Chinese Philosophy and Professor Hu was always supportive and kind. The English level of the Professors was satisfactory, communication was never a problem. Over all, I was surprised about the interest  and kindness with which the Professors treated us foreign exchange students. 

NJU has two campuses, one in the city center called Gulou and one in the suburbs called Xianlin. Of course, both have ups and downs. I lived in both campuses at times and can compare quite well. Gulou is a blast because it is right in the center of the wonderful lively city Nanjing, sights and nice places are only a hop away and the atmosphere is just unique. Having said that, it is pretty clear that studying with focus is hard at Gulou campus. The expat community makes it hard to speak Chinese on a daily basis and the wide range of distraction leads to more nights at the pub and not on your desk. However, Xianlin is the best place to study and get things done. Students are joking that a PhD does not take more than one semester here at Xianlin because it is so far away from any interesting sight and off the beaten track, that focus should not be your problem there. Xianlin is filled with eager Chinese students and finding a language partner is not hard, the library is open seven days a week, the canteen offers food supply at any time of the day. Though, I have to admit that the food at the canteens is not very good, even if you love Chinese food and normally eat everything. The campus has many sport facilities, something you look for a long time in Gulou, and the few nice coffee shops make your stay at Xianlin worth its while. The dorms are practical, cold in winter but also cold in summer and easy to clean. Most likely you will not have much say when choosing your campus, it depends on the courses you take and the general logistic. All in all, with a little luck and self-initiative both campuses are decent places to live and the excellent courses and administration make up for it. 

Nanjing University is one of the best in China and even Asia and a stay there is definitely worth it, from an academic perspective, from a personal perspective and from a perspective of sightseeing and fun!