First few days of classes

So classes started. It's pretty intense; none of the teachers use english very much, if at all. They divide all the classes up by levels, 1-8, and descending level gets more difficult. Level 1 is the easiest, it's for people who don't know chinese, and level 8 is the hardest, designed for people who are very proficient in the language. I was placed in level 4, which is actually pretty good, and I could have gotten by and learned a lot, but I dropped down to level 3. Level 3 is pretty much where I left off in BG, but moves quicker. I'm much more comfortable because, although I could have learned more in level 4 than 3, I feel I wouldn't have gotten as much out of my time here. I doubt I would have retained the things I would learn in level 4, and I would need to dedicate a large amount of time to studying, which means I might lose out on travel experiences and opportunities to meet locals and native speakers, where the majority of learning occurs.

So my decision to drop to level 3 was smart because I am learning at a similar pace and at a similar level that I left off at and I'll have more free time to explore and meet people. The classes are tough, but satisfying. The majority of people are kind and intent on learning, with the exception of students who get free tuition for the rest of their college career if they study abroad, those students are disrespectful, disruptive, and unfocused, which inhibits everyone else. I really feel like my time here will be well spent, both in and out of school hours.