This was the week to welcome Freshmen-- 3000 of them. In China, Freshmen arrive a week later than other students and do not begin classes until October 9th. Almost all finish university in four years. The admission process is extremely competitive, and anyone accepted is an excellent student. Changes in major are discouraged.
Campus merchants spread tarps with items such as wastebaskets and study lamps. China Mobile has provided inflatable red arches and floating helium balloons. The People's Police are out in force. Parents help their children enroll. In one child families, a single offspring carries all the parental ambition.
I wondered why the Freshmen start so late. A faculty member explained, "They must enroll in classes. And they must be instructed in university discipline." She likened it to joining the military. This does not sound very appealing. But to be fair, American universities have their own set of problems. We, I think, sometimes err too much on the side of pleasing the students. Some people even call them "customers."
Above: A student leader wearing an official red sash andworks on student lists.
Below: In one of many shopping areas, students go back and forth under an inflatable arch.
3 comments:
It sounds more like school when I was a boy. I remember well that teachers had canes!!
Yes, and remember this is university.
But I am a customer :):) Just kidding. So what should you view students as?
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