What Textbooks Do You Use For Learning Chinese?

What textbooks do you use for learning Chinese?

I noticed that my current textbooks at my exchange uni in China are noticeably different from the textbook used back at my home uni, and now I'm interested in knowing whether the content varies drastically overall.

I'm curious to see what are some of the other textbooks that used for learning Chinese and how effective you would consider them to be, so please feel free to share your thoughts!

Pondering whether or not to re-take the HSK4 exam (without the speaking this time) since I failed to meet the passing mark by around 10 points last time and I refuse to believe that the past few months of studying wouldn't be able to give me that boost.

This kind of went a bit off the rails. Just a tad. At 11pm Tuesday night I decided that I at least should try to do the exam, as the textbook material was challenging but doable. And how else can I improve if I don't challenge myself? Yes, the past semester was not easy, but my chinese level had significantly improved. Sure, I could repeat the semester and study the higher class material by myself but I owe it to myself to do what's best for me, not what's easier.

So I signed up, only to find out that my name wasn't on the exam candidate list when it was announced on Thursday evening and after going to the office to ask our coordinator about this on Friday, it turned out that I don't even need to do said exam because I can automatically go up if that was the level after my level last semester.

The next several months are going to be most likely filled with non-stop studying but honestly I think I'll be able to handle it.

Yes, I'm probably not going to be at the top of my class (some of my new classmates are apparently preparing for hsk6!), but as long as I put in the work and keep going, I have a decent chance of doing okay, which honestly all things considered is pretty great.

So we got our class schedules today and it turns out that I'm in the same class as I was last semester, probably because I requested to stay in the same level in the survey that was sent out without actually thinking everything through.

To be fair, this survey was before I got my exam results back and honestly I think did pretty well for someone who was initially placed 2 levels below because I didn't do too great on my placement test (although I evidently redeemed myself on my swap out test).

This upcoming week we're allowed to try out other levels before either staying or doing the swap test to go to a higher level, which I might do if the next level is manageable.

I feel like the main issue is that despite being really out of my depth in the beginning, this level ended up being challenging enough, but what if the next level is too difficult and this level is too easy? I don't want to waste this semester, but I also want to thrive rather than try to survive and constantly be stressed out about studying.

I guess the upcoming week shall reveal its secrets so there's not that much sense in obsessing over it. I for one will try to make the most of the remaining days before classes start.

Have a good weekend everyone!

I was walking back to my dorm and I saw a group of students carefully following this cat and taking photos of it in an almost paparazzi way, and the cat just looked so exasperated? Like, yes you can take a picture but just this once I have places to be and things to do.

I wish I had taken a photo, it looked just like something out of a comedy still.

The V for Ü trick

I only recently discovered that you can type in v to get the letter ü when typing in the pinyin for chinese characters.