Orientation

In your first few days you’ll attend a student orientation that will help you get a sense of your new and what might be a very different lifestyle in Shanghai. The NYU in Shanghai staff provide you with a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of the academic program and life in China to assure you make the most of your experience. You’ll try the local cuisine, learn how to observe local customs and begin to navigate the city’s public transportation network. Orientation also includes a set of local trips that introduce you to just a few of the local wonders you’ll discover in Shanghai such as the Maglev train, the Yu Gardens and City God Temple. On-site staff will share Shanghai life with you through cultural activities like cooking lessons, visits to the homes of some of the city’s Old Town residents, and a Chinese Acrobatic show. During orientation you’ll also be able to sign up for community service activities and meet with local business leaders about internship opportunities in a variety of industries that you can participate in over the semester.

Housing and Meals

By the time you arrive in Shanghai, you'll have already selected your housing and be ready to move into your new home. Housing is arranged by the program and both required and guaranteed for all students studying at NYU in Shanghai. You'll be able to choose from two different housing locations for your time in China. In all of the housing arrangements students enjoy the benefit of single rooms and high-speed internet access. On the ECNU campus you'll be able to live in international student housing, in close proximity to the NYU center and with immediate access to the facilities and vibrant student life of our partner institution. This is a dorm-style living arrangement in which each room has its own private bathroom, AC/heating unit, Ethernet jack, and phone line. If you choose the on-campus housing option you can easily enjoy meals with students on the program, other international students studying at ECNU, and many local students in one of the campus dining facilities or one of the many restaurants located just outside the back gate of ECNU.

You also have the option of living in furnished apartments located in the Zhongshan Park neighborhood and just a short commute to the NYU Shanghai Center. This is a more independent living situation for students who prefer to prepare food at home. You'll have your own bedroom in an apartment share with two to three other students on the program. A Shanghai local, fluent in English, will act as a resident assistant in each housing location and provide guidance as you live and study in this new city.

Since there are no meal plans, expect to have most of your meals at local eateries and on-campus cafeterias. Each off-campus apartment has a fully-equipped kitchen and on-campus students may use the common kitchen facilities available within the international dorm building. Please keep in mind, however, that restaurants on and around campus are very cheap and offer tremendous variety. You can even find western-style cuisine, though you should expect it to be significantly more expensive than local fare.

Trips and Activities

Several weekend trips are scheduled throughout the semester to bring you to regions of China you might not normally explore and are open to all NYU in Shanghai students as a part of the program cost. Past trips have included a visit to the Yellow Mountains in the southern part of the Anhui Province, excursions to southwest China to visit scenic hill towns, and the extraordinary geological rock formations in Guilin. NYU in Shanghai groups have also traveled to the city of Chengdu into the Sichuan province to try some of the spiciest food in the world. The trips that you take with the program will introduce you to air and rail travel in China, and on long weekends and during fall or spring break you’ll have the opportunity to explore the major cities and less traveled regions of this expansive country.

Health and Safety

The NYU Student Health Center and the Department of Public Safety work closely with program staff to plan for safe, healthy, and enriching opportunities long before you arrive. You will be introduced to many of these services in the months leading up to your program abroad while others will be explained in detail during the mandatory on-site orientation such as meetings with local health care providers, presentations of local laws and crime prevention techniques, and examples of cultural differences.

While an issue is unlikely to surface, should an emergency situation arise, there is a contact person designated for wellness issues on call 24 hours a day located locally; as well, the Department of Public Safety in New York will assist with international emergencies (212-998-2222). For medical situations, the University provides coverage by HTH Worldwide, an international insurance company, to ensure that treatment is available to you by qualified professionals when needed with no out of pocket expense. Students are also required to maintain insurance with their home policy. For assistance in extremely rare situations, the University has contracted with International SOS, the world's leading provider of international customer care, which includes evacuation services.

The Department of Public Safety in conjunction with the Office of Global Programs works to create a safe and secure environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors to pursue their educational and professional goals and aspirations. The annual security report for NYU in Shanghai contains useful and relevant information.

Before you depart for the semester you will be instructed on how to use NYU Traveler, a Web-based information collection tool where flight and travel details, local and U.S. telephone numbers, and emergency contact information can be stored so that NYU staff can assist you if needed.

Student Life Services

An exciting—and challenging—part of the study abroad experience is daily life outside the academic realm. Students are encouraged to integrate into the local community, explore their interests, and immerse themselves as deeply as possible into the local culture.

A knowledgeable student life staff assists students with their adjustment to Chinese life. The staff plans activities and sees to the general well-being of the student body. The objective of these activities is to help students become an active part of the NYU in Shanghai community and experience Chinese life in interesting, fun, and profound ways. To find out exactly what is going on during the semester, keep an eye on the calendar of events and speak with local staff.

Being away from home and familiar surroundings can sometimes be disorienting, and the student life staff is prepared to respond to any questions or concerns that may arise throughout the semester. In addition to full-time professional staff, a group of Community Resource Assistants, who provide both formal and informal links into local peer networks, live among students and is always available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on an emergency cell phone to respond to any unexpected events that may present themselves.