I’ve been living and studying for almost 4 years in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. I studied in Chinese for 3 years and finished my Diploma program and now still continuing my Bachelor degree in English at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology or in short, NUIST. NUIST is very famous for its metrology program in Jiangsu province, it is in the first place if I’m not mistaken. Though, I currently studying in major International Trade and Economy.

I remember when I first came and visited NUIST, it’s around autumn 2016. I was so mesmerized by how big and beautiful the campus was, yellowish leaves were falling as it was fall season at that time. Ever since then, I visited NUIST at least once a week.

Since I visited NUIST so often, I made few friends. These few friends grew bigger into a bunch and I knew almost all the Indonesians and some Laos friends. I loved the ambiance NUIST has back then and even love it even more since now I’m officially a student of NUIST.

But the real question I’ve been asking myself is, is it really that all?

No, it’s more than that.

Since last September 2019, I’ve been living in NUIST international student dormitory. The dorm is so comfortable, make me always feel I am home. The aunties in charge of the dorm are very friendly, they always treat me well and help me whenever I need it.

The classrooms are very clean, and the facilities are well-maintained. As long as I could remember, there were never problems whenever I have class.

The teachers are the best. My homeroom teacher is very patient, very friendly, and always helpful to me. I am always at ease whenever I need to do or ask something to all my teachers.

What about the people in there? All I can say is, unity in diversities. We all came from different states, different cultures and habits but we can get along very well. I have friends from Turkey, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, USA, Africa, and even Chinese friends.

And you can’t miss out on the foods here. The foods here are spectacular. Except for the 3 canteens NUIST has, there are plenty of restaurants and street vendors with wonderful foods. There is one big market near the campus dorm, and a bank not far from the market. I can get groceries very easy, it only took around 5 to 10 mins by walk.

Talking about food, my favorites are malaxiangguo (麻辣香锅, read: málà xiāngguō) and street vendors that sell egg-filled thin bread (鸡蛋灌饼, read: jīdàn guànbǐng), assorted Chinese BBQ (烧烤, read: shāokǎo), and this tasty and soft egg waffle (鸡蛋仔, read: jīdàn zǐ).

So in conclusion, studying in China has been one of my greatest opportunities ever given to me. Pursuing study in China, especially in NUIST opens a new path for a brighter future for me, and I can’t be any more grateful for that.