life in China

Sulaiman Bayoh was determined to study Chinese even though he didn't complete his studies in Sierra Leone. Source: Sulaiman Bayoh12,623 kilometres. That is how far Sulaiman Bayoh travelled to study Chinese in China. What sets his story apart is that he was born in Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa that is only slightly larger than Ireland. His parents separated when he was three, leaving him and his older brother with their father. After a few years, his father moved them to the city, where he worked as a government servant. While Bayoh and his brother were initially placed in a public school, his father had other plans.“ Education was an important factor in my family. But our father wanted us to have a better education and experience, so we moved to a private school, Modern High School,” he told Study International.After finishing high school in 2010, the Sierra Leone native was clueless about what he wanted to do. At that time, the University of Sierra Leone offered a Certificate in Business and Finance, which Sulaiman thought was a good idea. In this, Bayoh felt conflicted.“I didn’t want to continue this further; while it was related to business, it…

I remember getting my acceptance letter to do my Masters in one of the best universities in Sichuan province and in China while I was still in Europe. Saying I jumped around for joy may perhaps be an understatement. I remember telling my family the big news and getting congratulations since they all knew how much I loved Chinese food, culture, and language. In my case, I was returning to China on my own without family after 5 years away from the country. Returning into a far advanced China compared to the China I left still presented several challenges despite how much I was ready to face it all. Perhaps you are going to China for the very first time to study, returning to China for another degree (because you couldn’t get enough and have acclimated), or are already an international student in one of the esteemed institutions. Here are some challenges you can expect to experience when living and studying in China. 1. Food, Food, Food Challenge If you are lucky like me and wind up in Sichuan province and perhaps have African or Mexican roots, getting used to the spices used in the area will be a breeze.…