I think I found the simplest study method that allows me to best grasp the new material. I memorize new characters by going through the Quizlet a couple of times and handwrite the trickiest characters, and then I look at the new lesson’s grammar and write three sentences using the skeleton for each. This allowed me to already have a good idea of how the grammar works by the time class starts, while making sure I memorized a good chunk of the new vocabulary.
Using this, I cut down extra studying from 3 hours to 1.5 hours, so now I had more time for myself. The decreased study time and stress helped me with everything, I felt more confident in class because I had already practiced the grammar, and I followed the same study format for test reviews, which made studying a lot more simpler. If you’re unsure on how to best study for a program this intense, I think this method works really well, my teacher agreed and said it’s commonly used to grasp new content quickly!
This Friday’s outing was really special, we went to the Peking Opera to watch this traditional performance that combined dance and art. I thought it was really beautiful, and I was really happy when hearing the artists explain their art in Chinese, because I was able to understand a large part of the explanation. Afterward, we painted our own Peking Opera masks.
After the Opera, me and my friends went to this amazing Korean restaurant near our dorm. It’s seriously the best Korean restaurant I’ve ever been to. I get the seafood stew, and it comes with the best side dishes ever (I looked everywhere to find it so I can link it here but I can’t find it online :(. )
On Saturday, we went to Yanming Shan. I opted for the easier walk instead of the 3-hour hike because I wanted to explore Beitou. We walked to a waterfall, and then took the bus to Beitou where we boiled eggs in their hot spring water, but then I was way too tired so I decided to go home early.
I’m learning more and more Chinese. We aren’t even halfway done and I can’t believe how much my Chinese has improved!