Chapter 3, Arrival at Alma Mater

Among the international student community, there is a consensus that if one were to speak of "study abroad trash," then New Zealand ranks first, followed by Australia

However, the intermediary has also communicated with the school and will allow them to enter the "accelerated class," requiring only six months of preparatory study before they can enroll in university.

Some classmates wearing glasses found their lenses instantly turned opaque, rendering everything invisible.

Generally, students who go to those two places are not truly there for the purpose of studying, but rather to obtain visas for immigration

The climate is cold, with temperatures dropping to as low as minus thirty degrees, making heating extremely important

Due to the cold weather, the main entrance of the dormitory building here is designed with a double-layer structure

Because studying abroad in the United States requires either significant financial resources from your family or exceptional personal academic achievements

The preparatory course primarily focuses on learning Russian, as once entering university, one will have to attend classes alongside Russian students. If the language proficiency is inadequate, it will be impossible to understand the lectures.

Wow, why is it so hot! I'm about to start sweating. Next to me, Liu Xiaojie unzipped the zipper of his down jacket, took off his glasses from the bridge of his nose, lifted the hem of his thermal shirt, wiped the lenses, and put his glasses back on.

When Wang Ye and the others just got off the car, even though they were wrapped in thick down jackets and wearing thermal clothing and thick woolen pants, they were still instantly frozen through, feeling the cold deep in their bones

At most, it is just a matter of not studying diligently and wasting time playing on the computer; as for extravagance and wastefulness, the family does not have the means for that

This, in an intangible way, also compels you to improve your language proficiency as soon as possible

Some students can still be seen passing through the lobby, wearing short sleeves and large shorts

The group of high school graduates studying abroad can be described as a mix of the good and the bad, with varying qualities.

The heating is sufficient, with the indoor temperature exceeding 25 degrees Celsius, so wearing short sleeves and shorts is indeed quite normal

... ...

There is also a glass-structured doorway outside the main entrance

After surveying the surrounding environment, I found that although so many years have passed, there are still faint memories lingering, as I had lived here for more than half a year.

Domestic university students may not be familiar with the concept of "foundation courses," but foreign students studying here must complete one year of foundation courses and pass the foundation examination, along with submitting relevant materials, before they can officially enroll in university

However, if living with foreigners, even if they are not Russians, everyone will try to communicate in Russian as much as possible

The true "elite among elites" among international students are those who go to the United States, whether they are high school graduates pursuing university studies or university graduates seeking a doctoral degree.

Wang Ye also knew that once inside the room, the temperature would be even higher, sometimes reaching around 30 degrees, making it impossible to cover oneself while sleeping at night

Indeed, if one wishes to quickly integrate into a new environment, it is advisable not to cluster with familiar individuals

Liu Xiaojie and Wang Ye are both eighteen years old, but Liu is half a head shorter than Wang.

As soon as I entered the lobby, I felt a warmth on my face, a wave of hot air rushing towards me

The floor has been around for quite some time, and it has become rather loose, creaking with a "creak, creak" sound when stepped on

This has caused them, who were originally supposed to come for preparatory studies in September of last year, to be delayed until now, wasting nearly half a year.

Moreover, this is not the end; sometimes in May or June, and even into July, it may occasionally snow!

In this regard, the intermediary can be considered responsible, as their intentions are ultimately for the benefit of the students

In comparison, studying in Russia is somewhat better, as those who come here generally come from families with some financial means, but not enough to be considered wealthy.

As for whether a year is sufficient for a language to truly reach that level, this is something that everyone is well aware of.

He is relatively simple and honest, and can be considered to have a good relationship with Wang Ye.

Building 6 is entirely occupied by preparatory students

Lifting the curtain, I passed through the glass doorway and arrived at the front entrance of the dormitory building

Similarly, due to climatic reasons, the city of Moscow experiences snowfall for seven to eight months each year

Here, the indoors and outdoors are entirely two different worlds

Wang Ye and his group all came to study at university right after graduating from high school, and of course, they also need to take preparatory courses

Wang Ye smiled but did not speak; however, he did take off his down jacket.

In just a short while, he was already slightly sweating.

"Brother Ye, the environment here is quite nice. I wonder which dormitory I will be assigned to later. It would be great if we could be placed together," said Liu Xiaojie beside him.

The outermost layer is a thick green canvas curtain, which effectively isolates the cold air from the outside

"It seems unlikely with the books. Didn't the teacher just say on the bus that in order to help us integrate into the environment more quickly, they would try to arrange us separately?" Wang Ye said with a smile

However, the wooden floor here is quite distinctive, consisting entirely of rectangular wooden strips of palm-sized lengths, densely laid out on the ground

There are those who genuinely come to learn, and there are those who come to pass the time; this depends on each individual's choice

Only those international students who truly study hard can say that their language skills are basically up to standard by their third or fourth year

A typical Soviet-style large door, featuring a solid wood frame, robust door handles, and inlaid with double-layered strip-shaped thick glass

The two of them are also fellow townsmen, and prior to their arrival, they had also undergone Russian language training together

Standing outside, one cannot help but tremble...

The dormitory lobby is quite spacious, with a small shop located in the inner corner that mainly sells food, beverages, and daily necessities, while the other areas are rather empty

During the first and second years of university, I barely managed to attend my major courses; my primary focus was still on learning the language

If Chinese international students continue to live and study together after arriving here, their language proficiency will undoubtedly improve at a slower pace, as daily communication is primarily conducted in Mandarin, resulting in fewer opportunities to practice the language and engage with diverse materials.

As for the majority of students who do not put in effort in their studies, they may just muddle through to graduation and will not even be able to communicate with the Russians in daily life

Before their arrival, Wang Ye and the others were not idle; the agency arranged a Russian language training course for them, allowing them to start their studies in advance

Moreover, the study abroad expenses in those two places are quite high, and the family does not have sufficient financial capability, nor do they dare to send their child there

Of course, this is contingent upon passing the preparatory graduation examination

The floor is covered with wooden flooring, but it is not the high-end "oak flooring" or "mahogany flooring" that is popular domestically. Here, due to the abundance of timber resources, many buildings have wooden flooring.

The door handle and door frame have a slight sheen, indicating that they have been used for a long time and have developed a bit of patina

They all came to study abroad through an intermediary, and they started the procedures around June or July of last year; however, this intermediary is somewhat unreliable, as the processing was too slow

However, upon arriving at the dormitory lobby, it felt as if one had stepped into summer!

Teacher Wu, who is leading the team, went to the dormitory management office to handle the procedures, leaving the few of them standing in the hall waiting

Typically, snowfall begins in October each year and continues until April of the following year