Life in XNU

Name: Eka Nusrat Rafsani

Nationality: Bangladesh

University: Xianyang Normal University

Location: Shaanxi

Back in 2019, when I decided to move abroad, it was mostly driven by my relish for freedom. A country where I can be free and also be safe? It was a really tough find. After researching for few weeks, China was in the top of my priority list and Xianyang Normal University gave me the chance to make it to this country and breath freely with no fear. That’s one of the reasons why my campus has a special place in my heart.

My name is Eka and I’m from Bangladesh. I moved to China to enroll in Xianyang Normal University, Shaanxi to study my bachelor degree back in October, 2019. Since the day I arrived till now, this campus has given me so many memories. I made hundreds of friends from here and different countries. Honestly speaking, I haven’t missed home that much after coming here, this felt like my second home.

About two-three months after I came here, the pandemic started and so did the lockdown. I haven’t really been anywhere other than my campus, this might be one of the reasons why I’m so attached it. My favorite place in my campus is the lake-side, it’s so peaceful and full of life at the same time. During the lockdown whenever I felt depressed I would go there just to sit down and calm my soul. For an old-school person like me, reading a book by the lake and enjoying the sunset is the best feeling on earth.

If you could see me, you would know that I’m a foodie. I live to try different food. Though due to the outbreak I couldn’t travel much, I still got to taste a variety of delicious food here in the school canteen. From Chinese traditional food like dumplings, zongzi, malatang or hotpot to western food like burgers, fries etc. everything is right here. Also I have tasted one of the cappuccinos of my life from a small coffee-shop of my school’s campus. It’s heavenly.

The teachers here are extremely friendly and helpful. They helped me not only with my studies but also with my mental health. Few months ago, I was struggling a bit with my depression, and my teachers made a platform ‘XNU-talk’ for helping students like me where you can talk your heart out, share any ideas and have fun. They are like my parents here in China who takes care of me like their own child.

This school also offers a variety of extra-curricular activities, like sports meeting, annual cultural day, Chinese activity days like (mask painting, paper cutting, knot making, Chinese character drawing), volunteering etc. I think it’s a very good way of cultural exchange as well as improving one’s knowledge about Chinese language and culture.

There are also opportunities for blood donation, cloth donation for the poor, tree planting and other social volunteering scopes to improve yourself to be a better person. Few days ago there was an activity where you pick up the trashes from the campus environment and for every bag full of trash, you get a small plant. It was a really fun and innovative idea, I really enjoyed participating in it and also got two cactuses in return.