Shanda : Home away from Home

"University's like this little world, a bubble of time separate from everything before and everything after."

―Mhairi McFarlane

Since one starts on the endeavor of getting education you start taking baby steps and most often we partake the university life or going to college as one of the main goals. A goal we work towards all our young lives, dreaming of the opportunity the college will open you upto, the friends you will get, the new people you will meet, the exposure you will get and dream of the day when you finally take off the graduation cap and throw it off in the air and happily rejoice in the moment.

For me most of my expectations and aspirations transformed into reality when I got my acceptance letter to Shandong University, honestly the random assignment of colleges made me a little mad because well I didn't get to the university which was my target but even then I chose to look at the brighter side. Shandong University I would repeat to myself over and over again to get used to the feeling that I'd be telling that name as the college I went to. There was this storm of anticipation and eagerness going on inside me trying to figure everything about the college. I'd google about the university trying to get more information and all the details I'd get to see would make me more excited. I'd look at the pictures of the campus buildings and it was then that I had already fallen a little in love with the university.

I remember how I had saved pictures of the tall building with clock and the fountain, the traditional Chinese buildings of the medical campus and show it off to my friends saying look at the university I'm going to be in. And I'd be giggling like a little girl when they would agree. Although I was excited to be in China and looking forward to the opportunity and the experience, I was petrified when the actual day to leave home came. I had heard a lot about the university but nothing speaks as much as the first hand experience.

I remember very vividly entering the university and being awestruck at the sight. I remember I just stared at the sight, what I had seen in pictures didn't do justice to that experience, that moment. Shanda was and is beautiful. By all means Shanda is not just my college it is my home. I have found a place I'm comfortable calling my home and jinan my second hometown. I remember my Chinese language teacher would tell all of us that we couldn't have found a better place to be in the first year of your China experience, and that would make me happy.

It's my third year now in this place and I've honestly spend some of the best moments. It's a thrill being a part of the legacy. Getting lost in the cafeteria, looking for my friends, strolling around at night, having picnics by the fountain, having parties, dancing, participating in events, feeling like somebody important during excursions taken by Shanda are just few of the small things that I'll definitely reminisce for many years to come.

Don't they say no home is free of problems? I won't say life in Shanda is always sunshine and rainbows, there have been instances where we had to face problems, felt like leaving everything and going back, there have been times where I'd miss home a little too much but as they say where there is a problem there is a solution. Fortunately for me being a liuxuesheng has been relatively easy because up until now I have found help when I needed, good friends, good management and friends from all over the world that just make my life happier and easier.

I've reached to that point where I feel like I'm very defensive towards this university. I might complain about the little things that aren't right about the university but dare anyone else from any other place dare say anything bad about my university I'm always all ready to argue about it and defend Shanda.

Shanda has given me the opportunity to achieve my dreams, provide me a unique experience away from home, give me the exposure I needed while still making me feel home. Ranking wise Shanda might not be the number 1 university of China I still don't know the reason for that but Shanda is definitely my home, my winner. I can't wait to see all the good and bad sides of Shanda in the years to come being a part of Shanda.

Written by: Anshuka Rani Das (Nepali) from the School of Basic Medical Sciences