CHINESE STUDENT'S LIVING CONDITION REPORT: Over 70% international students from China struggle to live independently overloading with psychological pressure
By Eliza HuangPhil Yang Published: 00:04, 20 May 2014 Edit By Cindy ChenArt Editor Lisi Liu
14:00 in the Greenwich Time , Dita from northeast China wakes up, and starts her day. In fact, she has already missed all the morning classes
As for catching the habit of getting up in the afternoon , she explained that " only to fit with the slow pace life in the UK , which is more like a British thing."
On bed, she struggls to get up for about 20 minutes, during which she looked at the class table , realized there will be a core module in 15:00. Then she had a little chat with her friend on the phone about whether go to the class or not?
Speaking of her friends, those shared same habits with her. and they come from similar family background , that their parents are mostly businessmen and high level government officers , who are the direct beneficiaries of China 's Reform and Opening up in the 80s along with existing authoritarian regime. Those families provides a powerful economic support for their children, like Dita and her friends . Meanwhile, the friendship between Dita and her friends can also provide a platform for networking their relationship of those families.
Finally, around half an hour before the start of the course , she and her friends decide to rush to class. The only reason She decide to get up for class is since school began a thorough investigation to follow up with recent student attendance . Last week, the school announced the fact of a large number of students cheating on attendance record, without specifying the nationality. To this end , the school introduced a system of bank to verify signature of the record. This initiative makes her really worried, since her attendance record is not perfect , " a potential risk of dropping out."
Although attendance records got her a butterfly in her stomach, her performance was not bad, she has received pass score in almost every module. In the courses, she acts more impressive than her performance. She quipped : " Chinese students always have upper hands with street smart, in fact we grew out of a variety of exams ."
Not to be surprised, she arrived in the classroom 30 minutes late as the start, and she takes the rear aside seat and sat down. opens the pouch, takes out the phone and starts talking with friends . 2-hour course is soon over , after school , she and a few friends meet outside the classroom to discuss the following arrangement of the day. Shopping , singing, clubbing, dinner , playing mahjong... is what they have listed out. Day to day, they chose from the nesting list in their UK life .
Tonight's activity is hanging in a popular Karaoke in Chinatown. KTV is a very popular form of entertainment for young people in China , they gather in a room to sing songs, drink and party. For Dita , this is the only entertainment activity she has both in Newcastle and China . However, inside those Chinese KTV in the UK , it seems to be more socializing via drinking. She got to know a large number of compatriots from the frequent KTV parties, including her friend now , young people from Taiwan and some entrepreneurs in Newcastle . Most of the parties would last till 3 next morning with all- night drinking and revealing. Drunk and exhausted , she returned to her flat near the China Town in the dawn, then falling asleep until noon. Because she frequently attend those gatherings , for safety and convenience , she canceled the Leazes Parade accommodation ahead of the deadline in contract, and rented an expensive flat near Chinatown.
Underneath the bustling social life , she feel like to sigh as well.
" all those partying from day after day is just a way out for my lonely life here" Dita said. This kind of loneliness, coming from the social circle , and from the lifestyle, and also from deep down in her heart.
She rent an expensive flat next to Chinatown, which costs 700 pounds per month
Although I have experienced this life before, but in the UK, the loneliness is particularly intensive than ever
10 years old , dita was sent to Beijing to learn Peking Opera performances by her parents. Later on, she started her life in Beijing alone for 9 years . Over 9 years, unlike other parents, hers never obey her or correct her, guard her, even to take care of her. The 9 years long of independent living, made her and her family feel confident to deal with the oversea living.
Still the utterly cultural and social environment had shocked her bring unprecedented depression and anxiety in her life. In the new world, she needs to rebuild almost everything, including networking and social circles . Finally, she formed a lifestyle now combining with her habits from the old time.
Every year, over ten thousand Chinese students chose to live and study in Newcastle , Newcastle. They are the main components of the Chinese community there, but also the the largest group of mobile people.
Those Chinese students in the 80s were born in the era of "family planning" applying with the birth control principle . Since they are the only child , they were under the spotlight to receive attention and control from their parents. The journey in Britain , for many of them, is a first time in their life. They desolated from their parental protection and familiar cultural environment , seeking their ways of transition roughly in Britain .
According to the questionnaire show that among Chinese students in 2013 to studying in Newcastle , 73 % of students indicated that they have mental anxieties that come from academic life, language and gender .
"living in my own style, following my inner thought from my heart, and enjoy the exotoxic cultural environment , is what I want to do now mostly. " Dita said.
Two weeks ago , Dita started to waitress in a Chinese restaurant as a part-time, and she would be about to begin her new romance.
the previous stage picture of Peking Opera performances
Once there was a period of time, I thought this is my whole life here. Even though is an effective way to resist loneliness, but I found it was unpossible for me to enrich happiness