Fall of 2025, a few months after my first trip, I was figuring out a way to go back to China. Not for a week long visit, but to spend significant time there. Enough to really learn what life is like beyond the lens of a tourist. From what I could find, there are two main paths people take. The first is to teach English. Work visas for foreigners are difficult to obtain because you need to have a skill that’s not met by the local workforce. Teaching English has fairly low requirements, you need a BA degree, a TEFL certification and be from an English speaking country. It helps to be white and “look the part.” While this was one possibility, I didn’t feel it would be the most productive use of my time.
The other option was to study in a university program and this sounded more interesting. I wasn’t a straight-A student when I graduated in 2017. I was middle of the pack, doing enough to get by, and valued the extracurriculars of college more than the academics. I switched majors a couple times and left with a BA in Media Arts, a degree I’ve never used 10 years later. But this time, I have a renewed sense of purpose. I’m not going to school because it’s the next thing to do, I’m going because I have a desire to learn.
The first step was to find a program of study that met my needs and that I was qualified for. Many universities offer English taught programs that last 2 years and that sound perfect. As for field of study, I decided that International Relations was a good fit. The curriculum would prioritize learning mandarin and give me the Chinese perspective on the world that I was looking for.
The application process was a lot. I had to dig up many different documents, transcripts, submit a background check. I had to call professors I haven’t spoken to in a decade and ask for letters of recommendation. I wrote a detailed plan of study stating why I wanted to study in China and what I was going to do with my time. I spent $400 for a comprehensive health exam that needed to be included. The entire process took me about 2 months but by early December I was ready to submit everything.
I applied to a couple mid range universities that had IR programs, and one stretch university that I didn’t expect to be accepted to. It had been 10 years since my last class and my degree wasn’t exactly IR related, so it came as quite the shock when I received an email saying I had been pre admitted to Nanjing University.
Nanjing University is a C9 school in China which in American terms would be an “Ivy League” institution. It’s not as highly ranked as the prestigious Tsinghua and Peking Universities, but still is one of the top ranked in China. It receives a lot of funding and produces graduates that go on to do impactful things.
I hope that I can be one of those students. Apart from my personal interests in China, I think the world needs more people to bridge these cultures. The United States and China are the most consequential nations in the world and mutual understanding of each other is good for us all.
I’m due in Nanjing in less than 3 months and doing everything I can to prepare. I’m taking mandarin lessons, studying Chinese history, and practicing my writing. It will be hard to leave my family for so long, but knowing that it’s temporary and we can plan some visits will make it bearable. This is a big move for my future but I know it’s the right decision. I’m a little nervous. I’m very excited. Let’s see how this goes.