Although I have not participated in the summer camp in a Chinese university, with my many years of learning experience in China, I can also answer the question of how to apply for summer camps in Chinese universities.
Overview of Chinese University Summer Camps
The summer vacation in China is usually in July and August of each year. But June can also be seen as the summer vacation period as Chinese high school students finish their college entrance examination in earlier June and start the summer holiday from then on. Chinese summer camps for international students are usually held between June and August with the duration ranging from three weeks to eight weeks. According to the requirements of different universities, Chinese summer camp applicants can be between the ages of 16 and 60 usually.
What does a Chinese summer camp open to international college students look like? The most common content of Chinese university summer camps is of course Chinese learning. The content of Chinese class usually focuses on four aspects: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The school will have beginner’s class, elementary class, intermediate class and so on for you to choose according to your Chinese level. With the study of Chinese lessons, there are usually many Chinese cultural experience activities for you to join such as Chinese painting activity, Chinese calligraphy class, tea arts experience, Chinese drama event, and try traditional Chinese dress, experience Taijiquan and Chinese martial arts, etc. In addition to learning Chinese and experiencing Chinese cultural symbols in school, the teachers usually organize some sightseeing activities too. For example, you will have the chance to visit local museums and local tourist attractions, as well as famous scenic spots or traditional architecture in the city.
It should be noted that not all schools accept individual applications for summer camps. If you can’t find a way to sign up with a group, then change to another school that accepts an individual to sign up.
After the outbreak of COVID-19, China has stopped almost all international students from entering the country. Traditional Chinese university summer camps have had to shift from offline to online courses which may contain Chinese language courses only for international students who are not in China.
How to Apply for Summer Camps in Chinese Universities for College Students?
1. Method one: First of all, you can pay attention to whether your current high school/college has cooperated with Chinese universities in summer camp programs. If so, you can sign up directly this way.
2. Method two: Search Google for news about the Chinese summer camp for international college students. There are some other names associated with summer camps for you to reference: summer course in China, Chinese summer class (of short-term Chinese language training), a summer program in China, short-term study tour program, Chinese language summer program, summer Chinese training program, and preparatory program in China, etc.
3. Method three: If you already have a target college or already know some universities, then you can go directly to visit the school’s official website for the summer camps information. If you don't know much about Chinese universities, then you can refer to this article about China's top universities although not all of them have summer camps. Once you get the college name, you can type in the full name of the university on Google, and usually, you can find it in the first place or just enter the website like the format of https://www.abcd.edu.cn/ (abcd=key letter combination of the college English name; e.g. Peking University website=https://www.pku.edu.cn/) to find the university.
4. Method four: Find a reliable online platform to search and consult the information of summer camps for college students in China. One of my friends told me about a platform named CUCAS, which has the richest information on Chinese universities and programs. It is also the most time-saving and labor-saving and economical way I have found so far.
Why Apply for Summer Camps in Chinese Universities?
China is a country with a long history, vast territory, rich cultural heritage, openness and tolerance, security and peace, rapid economic development, and budget-friendly, which is one of the best places to explore. And below are the detailed reasons for joining summer camps in Chinese universities.
1. Learning Chinese in the Chinese environment can improve learning efficiency and interest
2. Visiting China's famous universities is helpful to understand China's education system and teaching mode and to prepare for studying in China in the future
3. Experience the local conditions and customs of China and feel the influence of Chinese culture
4. Understand the thinking and communication mode of students from different countries, experience the fun of cultural collision and blend, and establish international friendship
5. Improve the ability to adapt to a foreign environment and self-reliance
6. Visit the scenic spots in China and enjoy the beautiful scenery of China
Even it’s an online course in 2021, I still hope that you can learn some useful Chinese in your free summer vacation. Hope you can come to China soon! If you are already in China, then enjoy this good summer vacation that is not affected by the epidemic.