Life & Study in HNU
University System and Semesters
There are two semesters in each academic year. The autumn semester, the first one of the academic year, generally starts in September and ends in January of the next year; and the spring semester, the second one of the academic year, usually starts in February and ends in July. There are a 2-month winter vacation and a 4-week summer vacation every year. There are also Chinese public holidays including New Year's Day: Chinese Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boating Festival, Mid-Autumn Day and National Day.
Currency and Bank
Renminbi (RMB) is the sole circulating currency in China. Banks like Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Construction Bank of China have branches on the campus to provide convenient depositing and withdrawing services, both in RMB and foreign currencies. Your passport or residence certificate is needed when you open an account.
Postal Service &Telecommunications
Post office and telecommunication agencies on campus area provide services of remittance, deposit and telecommunications
Library, Hospital and Sports Facilities
There are libraries, hospitals and multifunctional gymnasiums on both south and north campuses of the university. All these facilities are free of charge to registered students. Other large-scale hospitals, such as Xiangya Hospital and People's Hospital of Hunan Province also provide
Insurance
Students who will study here for more than one semester are required to buy medical insurance, which includes accident insurance and hospitalization insurance. The Chinese government will buy medical insurance for students under Chinese government scholarship programs. Self-financed students can buy their insurance by themselves before or after coming to China.
Accommodation
International Students Apartment (equipped with private bathroom, air conditioner, internet access, public kitchen, and public laundry facilities):
Single Room: RMB 13200 yuan/year
Double Room: RMB 6600 yuan/year
Triple Room: RMB 4200 yuan/year
Food and Living Expenses
There are various restaurants on and near the campus, like western restaurants, Islamic restaurants, Chinese restaurants and snack bars, and students can choose any one for meals as they like. There are also a couple of cafeterias providing rich varieties of food. Cost of living in Changsha is comparatively low, and generally RMB 800-1,000 per month will be enough for a fairly comfortable life.