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[hibapkev]

Does anyone know about this school? Is it in Changsha or outside the city? Faculty? Rooms? anything?

[xiao51]

Most of the college has been recently renovated. It's very Maoist in thinking and ideas have evolved precious little. The school is located near the Hunan University in the overall university megacampus part of the city. The campus is pretty...the students are not the most motivated, to say the least, and you will pull your hair out after about ten days when dealing with the administration. The apartments are quite nice. You will be observed and audited to death so to speak.

Why not apply to Hunan University? They are looking, and they are right there. The drawback is the living conditions -- they tend most to be primitive.


We had a poster around here before who had direct immediate experience with the college and she was blatantly and repeatedly unhappy. My own experience confirms the same.

[hibapkev]

I would love to apply but I can't seem to find a contact. My teaching contacts are all in Shenzhen and I'm not looking to work there this time around.

[theincredibleegg]

[hibapkev]

I meant Hunan University not Hunan First Normal

[changshaman]

I notice 3 different schools named in this post so far:

Hunan First Normal College (located somewhere else in Changsha)
Hunan Normal University (located near Hunan University)
Hunan University

Main thing to remember is the distinction between college and university.

[xiao51]

[seagull]

Is Hunan First Normal College a public college? What issues did people have with this place?

Is there a big difference in the quality of the students at a public university compared to a public college?

[thechangling]

From: http://dontgohfnu.blogspot.co.nz/2011/07/avoid-hfnu.html#comment-form

Hunan First Normal University

Monday, July 18, 2011

Avoid HFNU
The purpose of this blog is to provide you with an answer to the question, "Should I teach at Hunan First Normal University?" My answer is no, you shouldn't. Like you, I was once searching for information on this school but couldn't find anything. I'd like to tell you that if you are considering teaching at Hunan First Normal University, I suggest you stop considering it and instead continue your search for a better school. If you are really interested in moving to Changsha, I have the names of a few other schools I have heard good things about. Leave a comment with your email and I can send you those names.

HFNU is, overall, a really big disappointment. The only good thing I can say about the school is that most of the students are really sweet and appreciate their foreign teachers (but it seems that is true at most schools in China). I should also mention that I am not a China newbie. Quite the opposite, I am a China enthusiast who has worked at several schools and traveled extensively throughout this country. I have realistic expectations, yet know that living in China does not have to be unpleasant.

Reasons why I would not recommend any foreign teacher to go to HFNU:

1. They will try to give you classes on Saturday although this is clearly in violation of your contract. If you refuse to teach on Saturday, you will end up teaching 3 hour night classes twice a week.

2. Some Oral English classes are as large as 85 students (non-English majors).

3. When classes are cancelled, the school often neglects to inform you. When students take the courtesy of notifying you and you call an administrator to confirm the cancellation, you will probably be told to go to class only to find that class has in fact been cancelled.

4. The secretary of the FAO, Jianwu Tang, shows very little concern for foreign teachers and can be difficult to get in touch with when you have a problem. If you are a new teacher, she may leave you at the PSB by yourself or ask you to go open a bank account by yourself. Opening a bank account in China is not the easiest thing in the world to do. When the water or electricity are shut off, she will probably neglect to respond to your text messages inquiring about the situation rather than granting you the courtesy of saying "I don't know when they will be back on." In general, she does very little to make you feel comfortable.

5. Little is done to prepare your apartment for you to move in. Do not expect the school to buy new bedding or reimburse you for new bedding you choose to purchase.

6. Last, but possibly most important, the environment in and around HFNU leaves A LOT to be desired. The school is located far outside the city in an area that is undergoing heavy construction. Large trucks drive through the campus day and night, leaving wonderful dustclouds behind them. These trucks can be heard from your apartment during the middle of the night. The pictures posted on the school's website are of the school's old campus. Do not be fooled like I was into thinking that you are going to be living in that beautiful environment. I have lived in China for a while now and have realistic expectations about the environment, so when I say the environment around HFNU is bad, I really mean it.
Posted by Journey East (Part II) at 1:42 AM 5 comments:
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