. In what country and University are you studying?
We are studying at the Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Shanghai, China.
In what Study program are you studying at Centria?
Our study program is nursing.
What are the courses like at the host University?
We have three different courses on every Friday: Chinese herbs, spoken Chinese and Taiji. During other weekdays we are training at Renji Hospital.
Describe the study culture / nursing culture?
We haven't noticed any major differences in the study culture in China, because the main reason for us to be here is internship, so we haven't really paid attention to that. We know that the Chinese students usually do long days at school and also invest in self-learning.
Nursing culture in China is very different to Finnish one. There are lots of patients staying in the same room (even up to 10) so all the nurses, doctors and family members crowd the rooms even more. We have paid attention, that usually nurses or doctors do everything in groups. Aseptics is not as high as in European countries.
What is your study group like?
We don't have a study group. We usually stay in a group of 4 at the hospital when following the nurses at the wards. Sometimes they ask us to divide ourselves in pairs.
Please describe what the everyday life is like in your host country? What do you like in particular?
China is a very beautiful country and there is lots of things to see and experience in Shanghai. Food is great, especially when you are brave enough to try new tastes and cuisines. The weather is quite warm already (+28C). It is a shame that our SUMHS campus is so far away from the city centre, because it usually takes about an hour to get from campus to Renji hospital. It is very important to have enough time to travel around because the metro is packed full everyday, especially during the rush hours. Chinese people have no sense or personal space, so they push you into the metro car with force.
What has been challenging? Why?
It's challenging to go to grocery store, because most of the time there is no English translation for the products and food and all the stuff is very different and unknown to us. In the beginning, it took some time to get used to using squatting toilets because in many places they don't have normal sitting toilets. Also the internet is extremely slow and keeps cutting out.
What has been the highlight of your exchange so far?
The highlights of our trips were a hike in the Yellow Mountains in Huangshan and visiting the chocolate factory in Shanghai.
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