Study study study

The day after the registration all new students took a placement test. In Beijing, the test consisted of one listening comprehension test and one reading and writing test. Depending on your test score you were divided into a group that suited your Chinese level. At Fudan University however, the test was individual, one-on-one with a teacher. There are ten different levels at the school, and there were tests in ten classrooms, one test for each level. They just told you to take the test for the level you think suited you best. How do you measure your own Chinese skills on a scale one to ten?

 I first tried level 5, which seemed like a safe number somewhere in the middle. The teacher told me I could be in level five, but if I wanted to I could do the test for the 6th level as well. When I had lined up a second time to do the test, the teacher conducting that test told me that level 6 was "way to easy" for me. "Go to room seven." "Now?" "NOW!!"

After a third test I ended up in level seven. "Way to easy" might have been a little bit exaggerated... I have now had my first two days of class, and I have decided to stick with this level, although I yesterday was debating going down a level.  Every day we do one chapter with 50 characters to learn. Many of them are new to me, maybe 80 % , which means that every day I have 40 new words to learn. If my goal had been to get a great score on the final test, it might have been smarter to step down a level, but now I'm focusing on learning as much as possible during the short period of time I'm here. I have a lot to study, but now I have reached a level where I learn "cool" and useful words that enrich my vocabulary, so it's quite fun and motivating to study. I'm no longer only learning the names of colours and fruit (maybe I should though, just realised I don't know what pink or grapes are called any more...).

Speaking of fruit, today I found a great fruit store close to where I live. Now my mum doesn't have to worry so much about me not eating any fruit in China!