Here, I seek to outline all of the major aspects of living and studying at NCCU. This is an evolving list, as I am sure perspectives will change throughout the year and I will always be learning new things. If you have any questions about life at NCCU or corrections about life at NCCU, please do not hesitate to contact me or comment on this post! I look forward to hearing from you!
• Campus: NCCU’s campus in located in the Wenshan District (文山區, Wénshān Qū), the southernmost point of Taipei City. This means you will not be living in the “downtown” region of the city characterized by large avenues and easy access from one area to another; rather, NCCU lies in a more natural setting. The university is located on the side of a mountain, two small rivers cross through the campus, and the neighborhood around it is entirely residential. Buses run frequently during the day from NCCU that can take you to nearly every part of the city you would need to go to, but the bus routes often take a long while and the campus is still an 8 minute bus ride away from the last stop of the MRT line. Basically, you always have to allot a certain chunk of travel time before you go anywhere.
Needless to say, however, the campus setting is beautiful. It is one of the few places in the city where the air is always clean and fresh and you can feel like you are really away from busy city life. The campus itself is arranged in two parts. The lower campus is where you will enter and most of the main buildings are located here. The administration building, computer lab, College of Commerce, College of General Studies, College of International Affairs, College of Education, cafeteria, gymnasium, library, girls’ dormitories, etc. are all located on the lower campus. Upper campus has the Chinese and Foreign Language Center, College of Communication, Art & Culture Center, and boys’ dormitories, as well as another 7-Eleven. There is a shuttle bus that runs about every 10 minutes all day to take you to the part of campus that is on the hill. It costs $1(NTD) one way. You can catch the bus on the left side of the Administration Building.
• Office of International Cooperation: This is your initial point of contact to NCCU. The Office of International Cooperation (OIC) handles all international student affairs, from admissions to course selection to counseling to setting up work-study to solving any random problems you have. The office is located on the 8th floor of the Administration Building in the center of campus. The people working here all speak Chinese and English fluently and they can provide contacts in nearly any other major language. I have found every person in the OIC to be extremely helpful and welcoming; e-mails or phone calls are always answered immediately and I can walk in any time (9am-5pm anyway). International student recruitment is still a relatively new phenomenon at NCCU and the program is forever evolving, but it is moving in an excellent direction. The school hired a counselor, Dira Berman, specifically for international students last year. Students can contact her any time any day for any random help they need with guaranteed confidentiality. A series of orientations and group discussions are also provided throughout the semester. More exciting developments to come!
• NCCU Buddy Program: You will be assigned a “buddy,” or local NCCU student, before you arrive to help you with your transition on campus and in Taiwan. It is a good idea to contact your buddy as soon as possible. Some are known to meet you at the airport to pick you up; mine was waiting for me at the front gate of the school with a cold carton of OJ and another friend to help move in. Go to lunch/dinner with your buddy the first day (they may treat you anyway) and pick their ear about the school and campus life. You’ll have a ton more questions when you arrive than you did before. This would also be a good time to exchange phone numbers and Facebook pages if you haven’t already. If they don’t mind, ask them to give you a tour of the campus. You will have the opportunity to go on a campus tour at orientation, but a private tour is definitely better.
• Airport Pick-up: I suggest you sign up for the airport pick-up service. You will need to fill out and submit a document at least 10 days in advance of your arrival to the OIC to arrange for a driver. It cost me $1000NTD (about $30USD). The driver will be waiting for you in the lobby pick-up area when you arrive. The car I traveled in was a cool black Benz…talk about arriving in style. Alternatively, you can take public transport. There is a bus that takes you to the nearest MRT stop, from which you can ride the subway and then take another bus to NCCU. With multiple bags and luggage, however, I believe the personal driver is more than worth it.
• International Student Orientation: This is usually scheduled about a week before classes start. It is chock full of useful information, but be warned – it is a full day event in lecture-style format and is quite boring. Bring extra snacks for lunchtime just in case you don’t like the food in the free boxed lunch they provide (mine consisted mostly of pastries, bread, and Taiwanese sweet sausage). This is also the perfect opportunity to meet other international students and the Student Ambassadors. The Student Ambassadors are NCCU students who facilitate events throughout the year for international students and are there to help international students with basically anything. During the orientation they will probably be very rah-rah-cheerleader-like. The campus tour is scheduled at the end of the orientation and lasts about an hour. I skipped this since my student buddy already showed me around; plus I didn’t feel like walking outside in 40°C heat.
• NCCU Mandarin Language Center: This is an interesting system, I think. The Mandarin Language Center at NCCU is not actually part of the university; it is a separate school solely for Chinese language learning and people who are not university students can go study there. Tuition for this school is also separate from the university. However, exchange and degree seeking students at NCCU can set up a special arrangement to take classes. Most exchange students will take the “Special Course,” which is broken up in to two three hour classes per week. At the beginning of the Language Center’s semester, all students will take a placement exam which includes a written section and an oral section. Don’t be nervous. The point is to place you at the level you are meant to be at, and for the most part the exam works. Still, if you feel like you were put in the wrong class (ie: put in the beginner level 1 class when you already know how to say “你好“) you can talk to your teacher and be switched.
The Language Center follows its own four-quarter term system, which is both different in the length and dates of the the two-term system used by the university. Thus, your Chinese class will most likely start at least a week later than all of your other university classes. The final exam for the Chinese class will also be at least a month earlier than all of your other final exams. Basically, the fall term for Chinese courses runs from September through end of November. The winter term starts at the beginning of December and ends at the beginning of February. This is important to note if you want to take Chinese classes during the winter, but only plan to stay at NCCU for one semester. NCCU (specifically, the OIC) offers a Mandarin Language Scholarship for exchange students who want to take the Chinese classes. An application will be sent out to everyone who is signed up to take language classes, and I believe they are pretty generous with the amount of awards they hand out each term.
In my personal experience, I have found that two classes per week is not enough if you really want to learn the language. Mandarin Chinese is something that needs to be diligently practiced and repeated every day to acquire better ability to communicate. Therefore, I have chosen to take the “regular” course during the spring term. This course meets every day in three hour increments and all of the students are better focused on truly learning the language; interest amongst students in the “special” course usually wanes because they are not learning fast enough. Of course, the Mandarin Language Scholarship offered by NCCU does not cover the entire cost of the “regular” course tuition, but it can cover approximately 1/3. The rest you will have to finance out of pocket or find a separate scholarship elsewhere.
For more information, check out the Center’s website.
• Club/Organization Fair: This is usually scheduled during the first week of classes. Most student organizations host a table on the main walk in campus to recruit members. Sign up for as many clubs/organizations as you can. In all likelihood you will not join more than half of them, but it’s good to be on their mailing list just in case you are ever interested. There are over 200 clubs on campus ranging from sports and fitness to art and performance to community service to debate and leadership. Students are very active on campus, so don’t be hesitant to participate.
• ID Number: You will be given your student ID number before you arrive to campus. Memorize it. ASAP. You will have to write it down on a million different documents within the first few weeks, so it’s better just to know it rather than have to fumble to find your ID card every time.
• Dorms: Dorms are single-sex at NCCU. Girls dorms are on the main campus and boys dorms are up on the mountain. There is no such thing as a co-ed dorm in Taiwan. The newest dormitory was renovated a decade ago—that’s the one I lived in. Local students think it’s good because there is a TV lounge and vending machine; however, in my opinion the inside looks like a US high school built in the 1970s. There are mostly four students to one dorm room, though I think you do have the option of being in a 2-person room (costs more) or a 6-person room. Each room is slightly longer than a typical dorm room at AU. In my dorm, the first floor only had international students housed in it. Dorms are air-conditioned, but you have to purchase an AC card at the student store (you can recharge it there too). There are two bunk beds, four desks, four three-tiered shelves, four closets, and four cabinets on top of the closets in every room. There are laundry facilities on every floor (including washers and a drier), showers, and toilets. There is one western-style toilet; the rest are Eastern-style – “squatty potties”(they’re not as bad as they seem, though they do take some getting used to). Make sure you purchase your own toilet paper/tissues and always take it with you. Toilet paper is not provided.
Laundry room
oThe school does not provide mattresses/bedding. You can purchase one at the student store, the 7-11 on campus, or other small bedding stores on the main street by campus for about $12USD. These are all very flat and do not provide much padding. If this is a big problem for you, ask your student buddy to take you to IKEA.
o International students also have the option of living in the Taipei International House. Avoid this at all costs. I have many friends that lived there initially, but the commute took more than 40 minutes and it is in a very isolated area of Taipei. Buses stop running there at 11pm. Moreover, internet connection is very shoddy.
UPDATE: There is a new International House opening for NCCU students this fall (2010). For a little more info go here: http://oic.nccu.edu.tw/data/ihouse.pdf and check the comments at the bottom of this page for my opinion.
o You have the final option of finding your own housing off campus. You can try to arrange this beforehand (talk to your student buddy and the OIC for help). I found the website tealit.com especially helpful. I ended up doing this after I arrived and discovered I wasn’t too happy in the dorms.
• Food: There is no meal plan, nor is cooking allowed in the dorms. There is a ‘cafeteria’ on campus set up much like a small food court. There are also three 7-11s on campus, two across the street from campus, a Hi-Life (same thing), and the student store that all have quick to-go food. I often bought the onigiri (rice balls), yogurt, or noodle-meals for lunch/snack.
The street in front of NCCU is filled with numerous restaurants, street food shops, and bubble tea shops. One meal on average is $2USD or about $50-90NTD. Most people in Taiwan eat out rather than cook at home because it is so cheap. There is a Starbucks across from campus, as well as a McDonald’s and Subway if you need some good-ole corporate American cuisine. Try the dumpling shops and the shaved ice at the dessert restaurant “Meet Fresh”.
• Computers and Printers: Go to the computer center. There are many computer labs throughout this building with free computers to use anytime. When you go to a lab you need to use your student ID card to swipe in and choose a computer. When you are done, simply swipe the card again and choose the seat you were out to log off. There are also printers, scanners, and copiers in the computer center. You can put money on your ID card on the 5th floor of the computer lab to use for printing. That way, you can print from any computer in the building. Otherwise, you can also pay by coin, but then you are relegated to one specific computer and there is usually a line. One tip: don’t wait for the elevator in this building. It is notorious for being the slowest on campus…you can probably run up and down all of the stairs faster. If you have a laptop I suggest you visit the 4th floor of the computer center on your first day and have them set up your network access to NCCU’s internet service. It is much less hassle than trying to figure out the complicated process by yourself. You can also get help here with any computer issues. You will need a network cable for the dorms. Everywhere else on campus (except the cafeteria) is completely wireless and has great connection.
EDIT: Some places on the upper campus (such as the Language Center) don’t also have great wireless connection.
• Library: The library is very big, spacious, and filled with natural light. The furniture is comfortable and quite modern. There is a great wealth of resources. The first floor has many large flat-screened computers used for viewing DVDs. You cannot check out DVDs, but must watch them there. Hard copies of international newspapers are also available on the first floor. The library has a pretty good collection. There are English books on the fourth floor, but this isn’t as extensive. You can borrow books for up to four weeks with your student ID. I was also very impressed by the comprehensive library website. It is quite user-friendly for English speakers. NCCU also has a separate library for international affairs, a music library, a commerce library, and a communications library.
• Gym & Recreation Facilities: The gymnasium looks much like a high school gymnasium. There is a basketball court in the main area. Students can sign out smaller side rooms to play ping pong, badminton, etc. but you need to provide your own equipment. There is a well-kept track located beside the gymnasium. Many students and locals crowd the track in the evenings during the hotter months. There are also outdoor soccer fields, basketball courts, badminton courts, tennis courts, and a baseball diamond behind the gym. You also need your own equipment to play. Across campus and opposite my dorm there is a separate facility that houses a weight/fitness room and a pool. Students have the option of buying a “season pass” or can pay per day-use. The pool is very large and clean, but is only used for laps. For other exercise, I recommend hiking the mountain NCCU is located on—it’s about 45-60 minutes walking round trip on the road depending on the heat; however there are also separate trails that lead off the road and into more wooded areas eventually leading to an old temple. In addition, there are biking and jogging paths along the river.
• Professors: Many/most have studied in the United States or at other western universities. NCCU offers a growing list of English-taught courses each semester. The other day I met a professor who studied at George Washington University and another at Georgetown University (for all my DC companions). I currently have an American professor who has taught at UC Berkeley and UCLA. Some are better than others, as with any university.
EDIT: I hate to name names, but if you happen to be placed in the Department of Diplomacy, avoid Professor J. K. T. Chao at all costs. He teaches International Law, International Etiquette, and Cases of the ICJ, and Cases on Armed Conflict. Why in the world they continue to allow this man to teach is beyond my knowledge, but he is persistently complained about by students–and for good reason. Arriving to class more than 30 minutes late, never providing a syllabus or course outline, assigning mountains of homework and then forgetting about it, talking on the phone during class when he should be teaching, lecturing in Chinese when it is scheduled to be an English-taught class, conducting a surprise mid term exam…orally: these are just a few of the many situations you will enjoy if you enroll in one of his classes. I promise I am not bitter.
· Hillside Learning Lounge: I think I found the best spot on campus. Up on the hill on the first floor of the Boys’ No. 9 dormitory is a wonderful place to study, get a cheap cup of coffee, ask for homework help, and perhaps meditate a while. There is a computer lab, copy and print machine and some great learning resources material (though most of it is in Chinese). I’m not sure how new this place is, but it is quite modern and it’s spotlessly clean. For $8NTD (they do this by the honor code; just drop your $8 in the piggy bank on the counter) you can fix yourself up your own cup of coffee or tea at the bar. Giant mugs and utensils are provided, but don’t forget to clean up your things in the sink afterward. Across from the bar is a raised wooden floor area with ultra-comfy couches, sleek black coffee tables, and plenty of space to spread out. There are also many outlets on the walls if you want to use your laptop. There are never many students here (I can’t fathom why not, except that perhaps it’s a bit of a haul to get here being on top of a mountain and all) so it very quiet. I highly recommend!
Cracking the Egg 
Great information Danielle! This will be great for the next batch of international students @NCCU–I wish we had this before coming!
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Hi! I’m a student from Spain and I will go to NCCU the next fall semester, thanks for all the info it helped me a lot. Although I’ve still some doubts regarding to housing, I won’t like to stay in the dorms, and I though the international house was going to be opened for the first time the semester I arrive, that´s what it seems from the info gived by the university in its web, however it´s not many. could you give me some advice about it?and also about what clothes you think i should take to stay from september to december? I would thank you a lot, anyway thanks for the post.
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Hi Carmen,
Great question. I will keep this in the comments section because I think others could benefit from it too.
Like you said, the new I-House will not open until Fall semester, so I don’t know too much about it. After looking up some info on the OIC website, I was able to track down an address and it seems like the building might be located in Xindian, which is actually outside of the city in Taipei County. Because the address is written in a strange Anglicized version of Chinese Google maps won’t pull up the location for me, so I unfortunately cannot give you a good estimate of how convenient it would be for you for the commute to and from campus and the rest of the city.
–I will say this, however: The rooms should be nice since they are brand new, but besides that my guess would be that most college students wanting to experience the most of what Taipei has to offer will not be too happy there. Xindian is at the end of the MRT line, meaning that a metro ride from Xindian station to Taipei Main Station (the heart of Taipei) will take roughly 30 minutes or more. I don’t know what sort of transportation NCCU is providing between the I-House and campus; there are city buses that go directly between. You can easily find housing for the same price or less in the center of Taipei, which would give you easy access to both campus and the rest of the city. I found that tealit.com offers the best resources for foreigners trying to find a place in Taipei.
BUT, it’s really up to you. Think about your preferences and what your goals are during your stay in Taiwan.
–As far as clothes go, know that temperatures in Taipei will stay between 25-38 degree Celsius through the end of October, so light summer clothes are best. November was generally comfortable, though fairly rainy. I would highly recommend rain boots. It can get cold in December (of course, there were some days I could still wear flip-flops and be happy) and there is no such thing as heating systems in houses in Taiwan. Make sure you have some sweaters or long-sleeved shirts, pants, and a jacket. Keep in mind, too, that clothes can be super super cheap in Taipei. My friends and I like to go shopping especially at one shopping-mecca called Wufenpu. There is a mind-blowing amount of clothing there–and all for really cheap, plus you can bargain! Of course, Taiwanese fashion style might not be your style…to each his own, I suppose…
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me again! Good luck!
-Danielle
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I was kind of shocked when I read your text about where the I-House is situated, because in my application I put it on top of my preference list. Then I asked Mrs. Chang and she said that the I-House is actually on campus, so it will probably be the best option for exchange students. I´m so happy, got my single suite and it’s about 240 €, which is perfectly ok for me.
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Hi Marinus,
Thanks for your reply. I’m no expert on this now; I simply detailed what my (as well as my friends’) experience has been prior to the new I-House. I am curious to know exactly where this new I-House is to be located as well, especially if Melody says it is on campus–really, it must be some magically appearing building, since I have yet to see any construction being done. To be sure, the I-House certainly is a decent option price-wise and it is secure; you will be set before you get here, which is great! I will do a little more digging for info next time I am on campus…
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Hey new update! After checking with the OIC, I was informed the new I-House is located on XingLong Road–about a 10 minute walk from campus. Assuming everything is in working order, this sounds like a great option. I just wish they would put more information about the place online.
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Hi Danielle,
I am a newly admitted student from Thailand. I’ll start my first semester in fall 2010. Thank you very much for your helpful review.
I know some Mandarin so I tried to find where the International House located from the Chinese address and I’ve finally found it! It is at No. 102, XīnPō 1st St, Sindian City, Taipei County, Taiwan 231.
I agree with you that this place is too isolated and hard for daily transportation between there and the NCCU. Another reason for avoiding this place is its rent at NTD9,600 (single/month) or NTD12,800 (double/month) which is very high comparing to the on-campus dorm.
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I just read the comment of ds8607a. If it is so, the address I’ve found might be the old one. Sorry.
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Hola Carmen! Soy Alberto de Madrid y buscando informacion sobre la Internacional House de Taipei he dado con esta web y he visto tu comentario. Yo tambien iré el año que viene a NCCU pero en el spring semester. Si quieres te doy mi msn y compartimos información y detalles sobre Taipei que supongo que estarás un poco perdida como yo jeje. teto…bermejo@hotm ail.com (sin los tres puntos de en medio). un saludo
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Hola de nuevo! No había seguido leyendo después del comentario de Carmen. Acabo de leer el resto de comentarios. Soy Davinia de Asturias y iré a estudiar el 3º año de Ade a NCCU, osea tanto Fall como spring, asi que me imagino que coincida con ambos. He elegido la I-house como opción para quedarme y tengo mil y una dudas acerca de Taipei etc. y que sorpresa al encontrar esta página y a dos españoles más que se van a Taipei.
Me encantaría tener noticias vuestras 😉 Mi email es davinia_152@ hotmail.com
Un saludo.
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Hi! First of all , thanks u Danielle for all the info. I found it very usefull.
I’m also a university student from Asturias (Spain) and I will go to NCCU the next fall semester to do my 3rd course of university.
I also applyied for I-house, hope it will be good. That’s for the web site for appartments, just in cause I’m not happy at the I-house as the rent is per month I can always change 😉
Carmen, where are you from in Spain ? I’m arriving at Taipei in September.
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hey, Danielle,
I am more than glad that I found your blog! While reading it, I feel like I am already studying in Taiwan :)) The thing is that actually I am planning to do that, so could you pls give me your email address, cause I’d love to ask you some questions before the real trip .
Thanks in advance, Juste
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Very informative. Thanks so much for this!
I’m planning on studying abroad at NCCU this fall, and though the websites are great and informative I really wanted the view from someone who did an exchange there!!
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Justin@Thanks for kind words! Feel free to contact me at danielleslpr@gmail.com
Nicole@Happy to be of service 🙂 Let me know if there is anything else you are curious about.
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Danielle,
I’ll be going to NCCU in the fall as a grad student. When did you actually have to arrive at NCCU and what was the time window that you could arrive? Also, do you know anything about the grad dorms?
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Hey Derek,
I arrived at NCCU about a week before classes started, which I thought was a good amount of time to begin familiarize myself with Taipei and the city’s culture, as well as get a lot of administrative stuff out of the way. I think the dormitories actually opened up for students beginning on September 1, but classes didn’t start until the 14th.
Grad students are generally housed in the same dorm buildings as undergraduates, but the rooms are a bit more expensive as you will live with only one other roommate or by yourself. But that’s about it–same amenities and such.
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Hello! Thank you so much for posting this, even though it’s a long while after you did post it. I’m doing NCCU’s summer school this summer, and this was so helpful!! Are you still studying there? It was great hearing from an actual international student of the university. Thanks again!
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Hi Katie!
Thanks for the compliment! It’s great to know people find this information useful. Incidentally, I will be participating in the summer school at NCCU this year as well–just the language program though for the month of July. Maybe we can meet up! Please let me know if there’s anything else you would like to know more about 🙂
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Oh whoa! I’ll be doing the language program in July as well! I’m sure you’re at a higher level than I am, though–I think I’m doing low-intermediate. Meeting up sounds fun 🙂 I vaguely know a guy from one of my classes who’s doing the program as well, but that’s all.
I guess the only question I really have is–the only flight I could get is scheduled to arrive at 8pm move-in day, which I’m pretty sure is too late for the pick-up service. Would it be safe/doable to take a taxi or public transportation to the school at that time? I emailed someone at the school, but he hasn’t gotten back to me yet. Sorry it’s such a specific question! Thank you again 🙂 this info is definitely really useful.
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If I were you, I would try e-mailing Johnny again at nccusummerschool@gmail.com. Sometimes the e-mails just get backed up or lost for whatever reason. Since you are arriving after the complimentary free pick-up time, you probably will have to pay for the driver service. If the OIC can arrange this for you, then you shouldn’t have to pay more than $1300NT (that’s on the high end). However, if you simply catch a taxi from the airport without arranging ahead of time, they will tack on an extra 15% charge for toll fees and other crap I can’t figure out. The buses are also fairly simple and easy, however since you will be coming off a long flight and arriving in a strange country, I would really recommend the taxi as a safer and more comfortable option.
Cool beans 🙂 Keep in touch and I look forward to meeting you sometime soon.
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Hello Danielle,
Thank you for taking the time to write all this helpful information.
I took the IMBA program for next fall and I have some questions, maybe you can help me.
I’m worried about the food because I’m vegetarian. Is it easy to find vegetables and food for vegetarian people?
I’m looking for a laptop but I’m not sure if it is better to get one there. Is it cheaper to buy a laptop in Taipei?
Thank you for you help.
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Hi David!
Happy to help as always 🙂 You have some great questions and I hope I can answer them ok.
@Finding vegetarian food in Taiwan is, while by no means impossible, not exactly easy all of the time. Meat seems to sneak into many foods you would never expect–vegetable stir-fries, sweet bread rolls from the bakery, those popular rice triangles from 7-11 (you’ll know what I mean once you get here)… That said, there is a large Buddhist population in Taiwan, many of whom are strict vegetarians so there are many vegetarian restaurants to be found (Buddhists also don’t eat anything spicy, so when a waiter asks you if you eat garlic or not, don’t be too surprised). There are two vegetarian restaurants around campus that are buffet style. One is called “Green Vegetarian Restaurant”…I forget the other one’s name. Most restaurants will accommodate you; just make sure you always ask if a dish has meat in it before ordering. Some dishes can be made without if you request. A helpful phrase to know: 我不能吃肉,因為我吃素 “wŏ bù néng chī ròu, yīnwèi wŏ chī sù” (I cannot eat meat because I am vegetarian). Always double-check that your order is correct too; I’ve heard plenty of stories from my vegetarian friends receiving meals with meat in them even after they specifically asked for none. Ham, bacon, fish, shellfish etc. are also sometimes not considered meat products here.
Also, you might want to join the new vegetarian club on campus for a meal: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=257091494570.
Finally, a friend forwarded me this link that has an awesome list of veggie restaurants throughout the city: http://www.happycow.net/asia/taiwan/taipei/
@Regarding buying a laptop: It is a lot cheaper here if you buy a Taiwanese brand laptop, such as Acer or Asus. Both are great companies and make decent basic laptops. If you are looking for something more flashy like Apple, HP, Sony, etc. those will generally be the same price as in your home country or more expensive.
Good luck!
Danielle
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Hey Danielle,
I really appreciate your help. I don´t know anything about their language but it seems that you speak and write the mandarin like them, hehehe. It is always difficult to find food I can eat even in my country so I thank you again for your help.
I’ll be in the University at the end of August, maybe you can send me your e-mail address because I know that I will have more questions and I hope you can kindly help me.
David
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Hi!
Thanks for all the information regarding NCCU. I will be in the IMBA program this Fall 2010 and I just have a few inquiries regarding the school. 😀
– Do you suggest getting an apartment/a room to rent outside the campus instead of living in the dorms? How much is the difference in rental fees?
– How long does it take to go from the university to Taipei 101 and Taipei Main Station via bus? Is there a direct bus that stops exactly in the school/nearby going to these areas?
Thank you!
Regards,
Kim
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Hey Kim-
-For me, living off campus was the better choice. Apartments are fairly easy to find if you use tealit.com. However, the rental price is significant compared to dormitory living (as they should be). An average room in an apartment in Taipei will run you anywhere from $5,000-$10,000NT per month (whereas the dormitory will be about that price, but for the entire semester) depending on which part of Taipei you’re looking. However, I have my own bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, balcony and washer, etc. As a grad student in the dorms you will either live by yourself or with one other roommate. No cooking is allowed in the dorms. I suggest you think about how comfortable you want to be, if you want to be on campus most of the time or have easier access to the rest of the city, and what amenities are important for you to have.
-Take the G1 bus from campus (the bus stop in front of Hi-Life) and you will arrive in front of Taipei 101 in about 15-20 minutes 🙂
Hope that helps!
Danielle
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Hi Danielle,
Sorry for the late reply, I didn’t know that you were able to post a reply to my questions already. Thanks for the tips! It’s been very helpful, really. I’ll be in NCCU for the Fall 2010 semester, so hope to see you!
Regards,
Kim
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Hi Danielle
Many thanks for useful tips.
I am going to study in Chinese language center at NCCU. But I am not included in list of new students who have guaranteed dormitory. Please advise me how I can find cheap rent rooms near campus. Thank you in advance.
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Hi Anu,
I have found that the best resource is tealit.com for housing rentals. Average monthly rent for a decent apartment should fall between $5,000-$9,000NT per month.
Hope that helps!
-Danielle
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Hi there!
My name is Laura and I’ll be studying at NCCU on spring 2011.
I’m from Italy and I’m going to be the only student from my country to actually live in Taipei by that time and I’m a bit worried about the dorms.
I’ve heard about the new I-House located on XingLong, but I can’t find any information about it (no cost, no location, nothing at all). I don’t mind sharing my room with someone, but I’ve seen those pictures of the campus dorm and I tought they where frightening! The campus really look as from the 70’s (specially for the restrooms).
What should I do in you opinion?
Chose the oncampus dorm than move? Chose the new I-House, which is actually unknown at all (and than move)?
Don’t know.
Thank you so much for your post (so useful). 😀
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Hi Laura,
From what I’ve heard, the new I-House should be pretty nice (well, new anyway) and is close to campus. The prices for monthly rent can be found on this pdf: http://oic.nccu.edu.tw/data/ihouse.pdf (does not include electricity fees). It is a little on the pricier end; my off-campus apartment was cheaper than what the I-House offers. On the other hand, you will have guaranteed decent housing before you arrive to Taipei, so move-in will be easier. If you decide you do not like it at the I-House, you can always look at other apartments and move out. You can also try to secure off-campus housing by using this site: http://www.tealit.com. If you have any questions about neighborhoods and other rental issues, feel free to send me a separate message.
Personally, a month living in the on-campus dormitories was more than enough for me and for most foreigners I know there. I-House or alternative housing would most definitely be a better bet.
Thanks for reading and I wish you a wonderful experience at NCCU next year!
-Danielle
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Hi Danielle! Thanks for this post! I´m currently applying for the Mandarin Center, and I´m so worried about housing.
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Hello there! Good information you have here. I’ll be attending NCCU on september and I’m kinda worried about the housing. I applied for the I-house but got no luck there :S I also applied for the “70’s style dorm” xD and I guess that’s where I’ll be staying. Do you know how many rooms are available? Is there any chance that I won’t be able to get a room? If so, will it be easy -and cheap of course- to get a room close by? Hope you can give me some advice here!
Thanks!
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Hey Sebastian,
Sorry to hear about I-House. I haven’t heard from anyone this year about the new one (which I assume you are referring to) and how it is, so I can’t comment too much on it anyway. The old I-House, on the other hand, is a bit nightmarish, so feel lucky you don’t have to go there. As an exchange student, you should most definitely be guaranteed a dormitory. I am not sure how many are available exactly, but they are usually pretty good about accommodating foreign students. The boys dorms are located a little further up the mountain from the language center–you’ll have the closest spot to class (means you can sleep in!). So, yes, definitely close by. The girls dorms are a little farther away on the main area of campus. You’ll be livin’ on the cheap, for sure! If you don’t like it much, check out tealit.com or have a Taiwanese friend help you find an apartment. Compared to US and European standards, apartments are still quite cheap. Good luck and I wish you a wonderful time!
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hello!
I found this blog by chance and its sooo useful!
I’ll be attending NCCU on September.
I applied for the i house but I couldn’t get it so I have to choose on campus dorm or apartment.
I really dont want to live in on campus dorm but my friends suggest me to live there for my first semester to improve my Chinese and make many friends.
What do you think?
And are there many available apartments near the NCCU?
hope you can give me some advice!
Thanks!
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This was incredibly informational and enlightening.
If you don’t mind me asking, what did you do for a cellphone? Are there any prospects for part-time jobs around the area?
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Hi Eric,
Glad you found it useful 🙂
For cellphones, you can either purchase one at any of the numerous phone stores around the city or bring one that you can get a SIM card for. SIM cards can be purchased at any 7-Eleven or other convenience store. I bought a cellphone in mainland China before I went to Taiwan and it worked once I got the SIM card.
If you are a student (especially if you are on scholarship), you likely will not be able to work. I did manage to work part time in the Office of International Cooperation on campus, though I did not make a lot of money. A more popular job is to work as a language tutor off the books.
Best,
Danielle
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I heard that outbound calls via the SIM card can be pricey. Have you found this to be the case? I have been admitted into a master’s program for 2 years this Fall 2012, and someone suggested I sign with a company for a plan instead of the SIM.
Regarding working, there is a section here about school-sponsored work permits. http://oic.nccu.edu.tw/international/en/index.php?mid=62 Any comments on this? If you don’t mind me asking, how did you get the job at the OIC? I don’t need to make a fortune but just enough to offset living expenses. (I have a weird student status that disqualifies me from international student scholarships)
Lastly, did you have to apply for an ARC? If at possible, could you briefly describe the process with that including any frustrations you’ve experience, things to look out for, etc.?
Again, thank you so much! (Are you still in Taiwan?)
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As I recall, international calls could be rather pricey, which is why I almost always used Skype to call home. Local calls, on the other hand, were quite cheap. It really just depends on how you plan to use your phone. I’m not a heavy phone user–my phone is still a flip phone and I only use it to make occasional calls and text message.
Good to see that link from the OIC on work permits. That definitely did not exist when I was there. I’m definitely not the best authority on the Taiwanese visa, so in this case I would suggest you contact the OIC directly if you have more specific questions.
I got the job at the OIC very informally when I went in one day to speak with the International Student Counselor. She was new at the time and was looking for an office assistant. If you are interested working there, arrange a meeting with Dira to discuss.
Gosh, I did get an ARC since I was there longer than 4 months. However, it has been about 2 1/2 years since I went through the process and sadly my memory is a bit fuzzy. I do remember the run-around paperwork I had to do, but that was par for the course in Taiwan. You also need to take the national health exam for required documentation. This happens on campus at the beginning of the school year in the campus gymnasium, or you can go to a hospital (I recommend just getting it over with on campus). You will then have to go to the Immigration Agency to get the card and expect the trip to take at least 2 hours (lots of waiting). Make sure you have passport sized photos with you along with the paperwork. If you don’t have the appropriate sized photo, there is a photo booth in the building which is actually fairly inexpensive. (My photos weren’t the right size, so I remember having to do that). My main suggestion is to review all documents and keep asking questions at the OIC for clarification.
Sorry if this isn’t super helpful. As I mentioned, it is has been a few years now since I had to go through all of that. Patience is definitely key. I am now back in the US and just finished up my MA. Hoping to get back to Taiwan soon!
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Hi Danielle, thanks so much again. You have been most helpful!! If I could bother you for one more thing: BANKS.
I was wondering on how you coordinated transferring funds for living and paying the school from your USA account to Taiwan? What was the process exactly?
I’ve been advised to bring enough safety cash on you when entering the country, but after that….what do I need to do? Or what should I do before I leave for USA?
I hear that POST OFFICES double as banks in Taiwan. However, I read that banks or post offices usually require your ARC before they open an account for you. Until you had obtained an ARC, how did you secure funds for living or paying the school? And once you opened a bank account, how did you transfer large sums of money overseas from the U.S. to Taiwan?
Much obliged!
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hallo Danielle, may we know Chengchi have international college for business in English taught program especially winter terms. or we need your suggestion..thanks
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Hi Devina,
I think you are looking for Chengchi’s College of Commerce. See this website: http://units.nccu.edu.tw/server/publichtmut/html/w300/ew300.html
They have an English taught IMBA program, which is quite popular. More here: http://imba.nccu.edu.tw/
I never participated in it, but I hope those links help!
Best,
Danielle
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Danielle, this blog has helped me enormously. I will be coming to NCCU’s CLC in February for an initial 6 months, and your blog has given me so much useful information. Thanks very much from England.
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David,
Thank you so much for the gracious comment! I am so happy to hear it! Now that it has been four years since I have been in Taipei, it almost feels a lifetime ago. Comments like these bring me back. I do hope to be able to return soon — cross your fingers that it may happen in 2014 🙂
Have the best time at NCCU and enjoy every minute!
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Great article ! I’m thinking of applying to NCCU next fall for a student exchange and i wanted to ask if you felt reluctant about being scammed when searching for roomates.
Thank you !!
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Hi Paul,
Thanks for reading my blog! I was lucky to have never had to search for roommates online; I found them when I got to NCCU after having lived in the dorms on campus for a couple of months. However, I would recommend taking extra caution when looking for a place to live online. I have heard one too many cases of foreigners getting jipped on the rent rate. If you can find a Taiwanese friend who is willing to do some negotiating for you, you’ll be in a better place.
Best of luck!
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Hey Danielle!
I’m so glad I found your blog.
I’ve been planning to take mandarin course in Taiwan,
but I’m torn between MTC NTNU and CLC NCCU.
What do you think about CLC’s teaching method,
I heard they focus on conversation but rather slow compared to MTC.
Please kindly advise your review/experience/sharing about CLC.
And, if I only spend 1 term to study in CLC, do you think it would enough for the student to be able to communicate daily in manadarin?
Thanks a lot, Danielle 🙂
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Hi Stefie,
I thought CLC’s training method was fairly standard, but it depended mostly on which teacher you got. I’ve always lacked confidence in speaking another language and I can’t say that my speaking skills improved significantly through the classes I attended. But I did obtain a great foundation in the language and though it has been a number of years since I left Taiwan, I still understand everything (speaking still doesn’t really happen…). But that is also just me. I watched other students’ language abilities really flourish and take off by attending the same classes.
Good luck!
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Since you said AU in the laundry comment, did you sign up for this program via American University? I am a current sophomore attending American and just applied for the NCCU program. I am planning to attend there this fall.
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Hi David,
Yes, I started the exchange with NCCU when I was at AU. I am thrilled to hear students are continuing to participate! Best of luck!
-Danielle
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I’m familiar with the Taipei area since I spent summers there visiting relatives. My favorite Stinky Tofu stand is located in the Gongguan District. (You know any good stands selling that near the campus?) It sucks there’s no MRT Station nearby. How far of a walking distance/time is the Taipei Zoo/Maokong Gondola station from campus? I also have the same question to the Jingmei District (by bus or cab).
In addition, I play Rugby at American and does the team at NCCU allow international students to join the team for the semester? Do international students compete with the team at games against other universities around Northern Taiwan or is limited to only practice with the team? Since I know Taipei very well and been to all of the hot attractions, I’ll probably ask my buddy if he knows anyone on the Rugby Team and has a few people I can get in contact with.
I puked on my last trip to Taiwan eating 7-11 and Family Mart food daily so I’ll be avoiding them as much as I can on this trip. You mentioned there is a street off campus filled with restaurants and food stands. What kind of dishes and Taiwanese street snacks they sell on that block?
If I get accepted to this program (and the Beijing Summer Language Immersion), I am planning on flying straight from the Mainland once the program there ends to spend time with family, meet up with friends who attend the American School, and probably take a brief internship since there’s a three week break before NCCU starts their Fall Semester. How do I notify the school that I’ll be arriving early and not from Washington or New York?
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David,
That’s great! You’ll have a head start.
I’m sorry I don’t have an answer about your stinky tofu question. Unfortunately “good” and “stinky tofu” never equated for me. Though there was a man who would sell it out of a traveling cart around the neighborhood and lived it and frequently parked it outside my door. I can assure you it was good and stinky 🙂
NCCU does allow international students to play intramural sports. Those are quite popular on campus, so you should have no problem getting involved. Not so sure about rugby specifically though…I know a few international students who played on the soccer teams.
That’s too bad about 7-11. I loved them there, but mostly stuck with the packaged food (mostly cold noodles and rice triangles). The food stalls near campus changed a couple of times just within the time period when I lived there and I am sure a lot has changed over since then as well, but I recall a da ji pai stall that also sold popcorn chicken, another one that sold those giant sushi roll-type snacks, plenty of noodle shops, dumpling shops, and of course bubble tea shops.
You would only need to let NCCU know you are arriving early if you plan to move into the dorms earlier (you’d have to check with the office to find out the earliest date). I went straight from Shanghai to Taipei and don’t recall having to tell NCCU that I was doing so.
Sounds like you have a fabulous year ahead!!
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Yeah, I know. I’ve always wanted to spend a college semester in Taiwan. Parents warned me about the A/C but I do not mind. I know the fall (or first semester) at NCCU ends after the New Year. Since AU said I need to be back before Spring Semester starts, how do I complete the courses at NCCU? Do I finish them online when I get back to the states or stop early in December and complete a modified final exam or paper?
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As I recall, the students who only stayed fall semester were all able to negotiate with their professors a way to either complete the work early or supplement an exam in some way. This is a pretty common issue, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble working it out.
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Hello there! I’m so glad I came around this blog… I’m from Spain and I’m applying for a 6 month stay at the NCCU next fall. I got so many questions I would like to ask you, but I’ll start with a basic one, and hope you have the time to answer it: I have to send them the Statement of Purpose, and I’m totally lost. No one at my uni is being very helpful, and I wonder wether they requiere a very formal and deep Statement or it is just a formality without further importance?
Thank you in advance, I’d really appreciate your help.
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For the fall semester, when is the earliest time for international students to arrive on campus? I’ll be flying in from Beijing on August 10th and will spend time with family in Taoyuan before the semester starts.
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Hi David,
You’ll have to ask the international office for that information; I am sure the date varies every year.
Best,
Danielle
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Hi Danielle,
For the last few days I’ve been reading many posts about living expenses in Taipei, accommodation options, NCCU’s academic level and so forth.
By far, your blog has been most helpful, even 4 years after you first posted here.
It seems I’ll begin my studies at NCCU this fall, for the coming two years.
I plan not to live on campus or in dorm-like 1 room accommodation, but in an apartment (I must have a kitchen!), with a roommate of two.
It seems it can be cheaper and more convenient.
From a first glance, it seems that Da’an district is a good place.
Can you share your experience on daily transportation to the campus?
How far of a walking distance/time is the Taipei Zoo station from campus?
According to Google maps, it’s a 1.5km walk (~20min).
Is it possible to take bicycle on the metro?
Did you have rainy days that you had to walk this distance, or you always took another bus to the campus from the MRT Zoo station?
Thanks!
Roi
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Hi Roi, Thank you for the kind thoughts. I am happy to hear that what I’ve contributed is still relevant.
I rode the MRT from the Linguang station, which was quite easy and is located in the Da’an district — central to everything. You’re right — it’s about a 15-20 minute walk from Taipei Zoo to campus. I often rode the bus, however, especially when it was very hot or rainy. Buses come pretty frequently, so you never have to wait too long. I don’t remember what the policy is on bikes on the MRT (I never tried) — this link might help: http://english.trtc.com.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1056555&ctNode=11766&mp=122032.
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Thanks Danielle, it seems that if all goes well with apartment finding, I’ll have a similar route to the one you had 🙂
Now, just need to find a good apartment! (and get to Taiwan first and a bunch of other things…)
Roi
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Best of luck, Roi!!
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Hi Danielle!
I just want thank you for your post, it’s been very helpful even on 2014!
I got an scholarship by Taiwan’s goverment for studying chinese at NCCU for 3 months and I have some questions that I hope you could answer.
At first, i’m not sure about where live, near nccu (Muzha or Wenshan) or near downtown (Da’an or Zhongzhen),because I don’t know the situation of traffic jam there, transportation’s expensives, distances, etc. So I hope you could help me with this…
Any cheap and good hostel that you could suggest?
Do you suggest shop electronic stuff (Cell phones, Cameras, etc) in taiwan? Are them cheaper than in US?
Thank you so so much!
Clau
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Not Danielle, but a previous poster here.
I’m currently studying at NCCU so can help answer a few of your questions.
I would personally live near NCCU, so that’s Muzha, Wenshan area. Saying that, Wenshan is a pretty big area, and stretches almost as far north as Gongguan. Muzha is a little cheaper, and maybe some people will say it’s boring but I love it. The scenery here, so close to the city centre is amazing. For exampleMaokong is a 15 minute bus ride away. It’s much more of a ‘local’ experience down here too, and regardless of what people say about it being far away. You don’t feel isolated with the MRT just around the corner. You can also get a bus to the 101 area for example in just under 15 minutes.
The housing stock in Muzha is not as good as the rest of the city, but a quick look on 591.com.tw will show a lot of options for places to live. You can use the map option to narrow down where you want to live and what’s available.
Living in Da’an has it’s benefits; closer to the city centre, more variety in places to eat, bars etc, but remember, it’s busy, noisy, more expensive etc. The bus to Gongguan takes anywhere from 25-35 minutes depending on traffic. Doesn’t sound too much but it does get a little boring doing it every day. The bus costs 15ntd per journey, although if you go further north than Gongguan, it counts as a double fair, so 30ntd.
In terms of Hostel, I strongly recommend this one:
http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/The-Q/Taipei/80974
Has a smaller, almost apartment feel to it which is nice.
Electronics – not an expert, but they are cheap here, especially laptops.
Hope that helps!
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Hi, I’m considering to apply to NCCU next year. Just asking how’s the school culture is like? Will it be easy to blend in? Is the school easily accessible to the city?
Thank you so much! Your post and the comments helped me know so much more about taiwan and NCCU. 🙂
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Hello!
Really glad I found your review! I’m going to NCCU in february and I was wondering if you have any tips on how to live there on a budget – cheap places to eat, things like that. I would really appreciate it 😉
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Hi, Ayumi! I am glad you found my blog. I haven’t been in Taiwan for quite some time now, but I had compiled a map of local restaurants/eateries nearby NCCU. Hopefully it is still relevant! https://crackingtheegg.wordpress.com/the-inside-guide-to-national-chengchi-university-nccu-%E5%9C%8B%E7%AB%8B%E6%94%BF%E6%B2%BB%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%B8/where-to-eat-at-nccu/
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