Знакомство с Иннополисом

My name is Sofia and I participated in an exchange programme in China. It was an unexpected and quite inconvenient decision, but it turned out a very successful, valuable and exciting journey. 



The BIT campus is huge, you might even get lost, and many people move inside of it on bicycles. In general education is different from Innopolis - there are only lectures and assignments like tests, projects and exams. Especially memorable was the canteen - 3 buildings of 3 floors with both Chinese and foreign cuisine. The most difficult part of the trip was probably finding a place to eat outside the campus - often the food is spicy or unknown.



The dormitory for foreigners was small, but there was a lot of students from Russia, so the adaptation was not so painful. Moreover, all Chinese people are extremely friendly and will try to help, even if they don't know what to do. However, few people speak English, and even fewer speak Russian; I had to use a translator and it was convenient enough. In order to use some well-known applications like google, you will need a VPN, preferably a paid one, but Vk and Yandex worked without it. 



Since I was a 4th year exchange student, I chose my subjects just for the interest – I only need to close practice online. So, in September-October I explored Beijing and did my subjects at the university, and in November I travelled around China:
- Loyuang, including Shaolin temple and Longmen grottoes 
- Xi'an with its terracotta army and evening bell towers in the centre 
- Chengdu, including a panda reserve, an opera with changing faces and fire
- Jiuzhai, including Jiuzhaigou valley, Huanglong valley and the ancient city of Songpan 
- Chongqing metro ride with a stop at a living building
- Zhangjiajie, including the national reserve, glass bridge and Tianmen Mountain
- Shanghai with Disneyland, free walks beneath skyscrapers, and the water city Suzhou



Finally, the exchange programme widened my worldview, strengthened my relationships, enhanced my CV and gave a good holiday. I want to thank Mezenova Veronika, who helped throughout all stages - from expressing my wish to the last document after homecoming. 



Best wishes for you to make a big decision and go for an exciting adventure!