There is an old Chinese saying that, ‘it’s better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.’ This semester I have the good fortune to study at the Chinese Culture University (CCU) in Taiwan as an exchange student. Being a UM Reporter and an exchange student has allowed me to see everything with a fresh eye. Now let me share with you my experiences at CCU so far and how campus life there differs from that at UM.
Access by Shuttle Bus Located on Mt Yangming, CCU is literally a ‘higher’ education institution—higher than any other educational institution in Taiwan. Because there is only one direct bus to the campus, CCU provides shuttle service at one-hour intervals. On school days, students can take the shuttle bus to the metro station. The shuttle service is also open to the public, so there is often a long queue waiting at the shuttle bus stop. Maybe some of us take the free shuttle service here at UM for granted, but CCU charges a fare between TWD 15 and 30 depending on the destination.
‘Taxi Pool’ Culture
Another interesting thing I have noticed during my stay at CCU is the ‘taxi pool’ culture. Get enough people and each pay 65 dollars (about 16 patacas), and you can arrive at the metro station much faster. Because it saves a lot of time and is much more comfortable than taking the shuttle bus, students are willing to pay what is four times the shuttle fare.
Buffet Charged by Food Weight
At CCU, there are no residential colleges—only regular dormitories. So students at CCU have to take care of their daily meals (this made me realise how lucky we are at UM, with three meals provided by the RCs). There are quite a number of restaurants on CCU’s campus though, including buffet-style restaurants. But unlike the‘all-you-can-eat’ buffets in Macao, buffets at CCU are charged by the weight of the food you take. This is more environmentally friendly and helps to reduce kitchen waste. There is also a coffee shop at CCU for students from the Department of Tourism Management to work as interns.
‘2-in-1’ Student Card
Another thing that’s worth mentioning is the student card at CCU. In addition to serving as an access card, library card, and attendance registration card, it also has the function of the EasyCard, which is the equivalent of the Macau Pass. The ‘2-in-1’ student card is very convenient and practical. When I first learned of this card, I remember thinking, if we copy this idea at UM, it would certainly be very popular with the students!
