Hello, guys. Want to know, how to learn Chinese language in a Chinese university for 2 years, a year or a half a year absolutely for free and even get money for expenses?
I have studied Chinese in Russia for 2 years. In 2015 I decided to win the scholarship given by the Hanban and the Confucius Institute. In September I'm going to China to learn Chinese in a stunning city Chongqing. I would like to share my experience of getting the scholarship, so, read it to the end, if you're interested! :)
Well, if you decided that you desperately need Chinese language for something, follow these steps:
1. Find the nearest Confucius Institute
You can't just win the scholarship without taking Chinese courses provided by Confucius Institute. Don't be afraid, they are all over the world, their purpose is to spread the word about Chinese language and Chinese culture. For example, there are 157 units in Americas, 169 are in Europe, 46 are in Africa. The price is comparatively small, but I can't speak only for Russia. You can check the full list of the Institutes here.
2. Study 120 hours and then take the HSK exam
The major criterion in scholarship contest is the HSK exam. It's like TOEFL or IELTS or whatever people take when they want to prove their language skills. You should take HSK 3 and HSKK beginner (it's the oral exam). The exam will be easy if you spend some time learning 600 basic Chinese words and getting used to the Chinese speech. The further information about the exams you can get on this weird website.
3. Apply for the scholarship
Okay, you studied hard and took your exams and you wrapped up the package with the results, found out GOOD numbers and got absolutely wild! There you are, just apply for the scholarship! Yup, it's pretty complicated, you should deal with an enormous amount of questions, documents, quests and all this stuff, but in the end, the scholarship deserves it. The website for the applications is this site, you don't need it now, but, nevertheless, check this out.
4. Throw a farewell party
Because if you're lucky, you win the scholarship and leave for China at least for a half a year, as in my case. You pay only for the tickets and textbooks. The accomodation and the education is not your problem. Moreover, every month you get 2500￥(about 380 bucks) just because you're cool and can be hungry and longing for the entertainment. And be careful, you can accidentally run into a girl like those above or like these :)
P.S. If you have any questions connected with the scholarship or the exam, just ask in the comment section. And vote, if you liked the post(or, at least, the pictures) Thank you for reading me! :)
All the photos and GIFs were taken here