TFSU is the opposite of FSU. I've been told that within the last decade FSU spent $50 million to renovate the campus. Building largely on the architectural malaise of the late 1960s and 1970s some very gifted (and presumably highly paid) people crafted a gorgeous campus. When walking outside Bellamy on a sunny north Florida day you can't help but smile, basking in the understanding that such little moments are what makes life grand. TFSU exemplifies the architectural style of Tianjin. Occupied by the eight power allied forces during and after the boxer rebellion there is a lingering turn of the century western motif. But whereas all over Tianjin there are construction crews busily conquering the sky, earthmoving equipment on the TFSU campus sits dormant. Weeds grow from the cracks in the sidewalks and grassy areas are brown. The juxtaposition of the elegance of the original buildings, faux elegance of their newer counterparts and the spartan living conditions is off putting. To top it off, there are no sunny days in Chinese cities. Tianjin is vastly better than Beijing (I didn't realize the area of town I was staying in was populated by grand skyscrapers until the last day, even though my hotel room was on the seventh floor), but you still cannot tell that the sky is blue. [edit: this was the case when originally written, but the past four days have been sunny and on three of them you could even make out whispy clouds. however, this is not the norm and pretty much everyone has been amazed]
There is another difference as well. I can't tell for sure due to the language barrier, but it's a general vibe I get. American universities are packed with students who share a sense of entitlement. There are no blackout drunk sorority girls falling off of their $500 heels at three in the morning here. I cannot speak to exactly how studious the student body is, but they do seem to take education more seriously than their American counterparts. The United States has the greatest university system in the world, but the students here are hungrier. Of course, that may just be my predisposition to western self loathing talking.
There is another difference as well. I can't tell for sure due to the language barrier, but it's a general vibe I get. American universities are packed with students who share a sense of entitlement. There are no blackout drunk sorority girls falling off of their $500 heels at three in the morning here. I cannot speak to exactly how studious the student body is, but they do seem to take education more seriously than their American counterparts. The United States has the greatest university system in the world, but the students here are hungrier. Of course, that may just be my predisposition to western self loathing talking.
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