Brian Connors

　　Language barriers and educational standards aside, it is often the cultural adjustment that is hardest for foreign students. Differences in classroom structure, student housing and aspects of normal daily life are often a big surprise. "My program made a real effort to minimize the culture shock as much as possible," says Connors. "I think if they'd thrown us right into the mix, we would have been totally overwhelmed."

　　"When I first saw the room I had to live in for the next six months, my immediate thought was 'I want to go home!'" recalls 22-year-old Jasmin Schierding, a German student who is just completing a half-year study abroad program at Peking University. "The room was so tiny and I had to share it with another person. And the bathrooms were really just a big shock."

　　Still, China offers the feel of unexplored territory that many other countries, teeming with foreigners studying abroad, have begun to lack. "It appeals to the kind of student who's interested in doing something different," Connors says. "It's hard to imagine a place that could broaden your horizons more than China right now."

　　For now, most of China's foreign students have a strong interest in learning about the country's culture, customs, business development and, of course, language. But it's not hard for Connors to imagine a day when large numbers of students will include China on their standard study abroad lists and come to the country for short stints as part of a general university experience.

　　"Things are changing, even now," he says. "It used to be that the only foreigners here were journalists and diplomats and serious businessmen. Now, the average foreigner you see on the street is just a regular guy. And he's likely to be a student."