Tsinghua Survival Guide¶

About¶

Sometimes Tsinghua’s English documentation is hard to find ☹. This site contains some useful stuff I’ve found (i.e. it’s unofficial). While it’s helpful if you know Chinese, these articles don’t require any prior knowledge of the language and are designed to be used ‘as-is’.

If you’d like to request a topic for an article or spot a mistake, email dusc16@mails.edu.cn.

Articles¶

Access intranet off campus¶

If you’re off campus and need to get to info.tsinghua (e.g. to view your grades). Enter http://info.tsinghua.edu.cn/ into your browser’s address bar and follow the steps below.

1. Click `WEB方式登录入口`¶

3. Choose your destination¶

From here, you can choose which version of info.tsinghua (i.e. desktop or mobile) you’d like to go to.

Add money to your Student ID¶

There are terminals located at almost every dining hall on campus as well as at the North end of C楼. In order to add money to your Student ID, you need to have a Bank of China account connected to your card. The branch at C楼 can help you set one up (be sure to bring your Passport and Student ID).

1. Place your Student ID on the card reader¶

3. Enter password¶

The default password is the last six digits of your passport number.

If your passport number is less than six digits, add zeros to the front to pad it to six digits (e.g. “123” becomes “000123”).

5. Enter amount to transfer to card and tap `确认`¶

Funds are transferred instantly from your Bank of China account to your Student ID.

7. Don’t forget to sign out!¶

Always stay registered¶

Your status in the Foreigner Registration System should reflect where you’re staying in China at any given point in time. A Temporary Residence Registration Form 临时住宿登记表 is like a receipt to show that you’ve registered with the local authorities.

If you’re living on campus, register at the Foreign Student Affairs Office (Zijing Dormitory Building 19, First floor). Living off campus? Register at your local police station 派出所. If you’re unsure about where your local police station 派出所 is, ask your landlord. She or he will probably need to accompany you to the police station, as their personal identification information 身份证 and proof of ownership of the apartment is required.

Note

There are zero fees for registration. Just bring the passport that contains your residence permit, present it at the counter so they can enter your info into the system, and leave with a Residence Registration Form 住宿登记表, no money involved.

If you stay at a hotel anywhere in China, the front desk will enter your passport information to update your location status in the system (you don’t get receipt for this). Similarly, when you leave the country, customs officers will update your status to show you’re currently outside the country.

When you return to your dormitory or apartment in Beijing you have to reregister at the Foreign Student Affairs Office or at your local police station.

Note

Sometimes the police or admin will claim you don’t need to reregister after staying at a hotel elsewhere in China or when returning from abroad. However, your status in the system does in fact change. This can create problems if you’re trying to apply for a Residence Permit or extend your visa. Insist that they double check your status and set it to your current address.

Change your Student ID password¶

If you want to change the password you use to sign in to info.tsinghua and the campus internet, follow the steps below.

Sign in to info.tsinghua and hover over your name in the upper right corner to expose the dropdown menu. Click 修改密码 (the third item from the top in the list).

You should land here…

Enter your new password in the field to the right of 输入新密码, then retype it in the 再次输入新密码 field directly below.

Note

Your new password must be of 中 (medium) or 强 (strong) difficulty. In other words, make sure your new password contains at least eight characters, both letters and numbers, and at least one symbol.

Click the 保存密码 button when you’re all set.

Getting an X1 Residence Permit¶

If you run into issues that aren’t covered here, contact the International Students Office for help.

1. Register at the International Students Office¶

Bring the three items below to Tsinghua’s International Students Office (Zijing Dormitory Building 22, First floor, Room 100) to register:

Your passport (the one containing your visa)
Tsinghua Admission Notice 录取通知书
JW202/201 form

2. Get a verified physical examination¶

Note

If you have documentation for a physical examination from your home country, you can try to get it verified by the Travel Health Care Center, Monday to Friday, 8:30a to 11:45a and 1:00p to 4:00p. However, it seems most students end up having to get another full physical exam at the Travel Health Care Center, which costs RMB 400.

No appointment is necessary, but physical examinations must be done in the morning: Monday to Friday, 8:30a to 11:00a. The center will let you know when your verified results will be available upon completing your physical examination. The pickup window for results is open Monday to Friday, 1:00p to 4:00p.

Note

You can pay an additional fee to have the verified results of the exam delivered to you on campus. Be sure to bring along your mailing address in Chinese as well as your phone number if you want to use this service.

The Travel Health Care Center is far away. It takes about an hour to get there from campus using public transit. At the beginning of each school year in the Fall, the International Students Office may organize group trips to the Travel Health Care Center. Contact the International Students Office for more info about this.

You must bring these items to the Health Center:

Your passport
Two two-inch color photos of you with a white background
Tsinghua Admission Notice 录取通知书 or student ID
RMB 400 in cash to pay for the physical

If you have documentation for a physical examination from your home country, bring it along to see if you can get it verified and avoid shelling out for the physical.

Warning

Do not eat breakfast on the morning of your physical examination, as it includes a blood test.

3. Apply for a Residence Permit¶

Bring the items below to the Residence Permit agent at the International Students Office (Zijing Dormitory Building 22, First floor, Room 100) Monday to Friday, 1:00p to 4:00p.

You must give these items to the agent:

Your passport (he will provide a receipt)
One copy of your Tsinghua Admission Notice 录取通知书
JW202/201 form
Verified physical examination results
One two-inch color photo of you with a white background
Temporary Residence Registration Form 临时住宿登记表 (what’s this?)
500 RMB in cash

The application process usually takes five business days. The agent will provide a pickup date when you submit your materials.

Note

The RMB 500 fee includes a RMB 100 service charge for bringing your passport to and from the Visa Center 北京公安局出入境管理处 off campus. This service allows you to pick up your passport and Residence Permit directly from Zijing Dormitory Building 22, First floor, Room 100 when they’re ready.

You can save RMB 100 by putting in a bit more legwork. If you’re interested, just tell the agent you want to do it yourself and he’ll print a 居留许可申请表 for you (takes three to four business days). Bring the 居留许可申请表 along with all the documents listed above to the 北京市公安局出入境管理总队 here. If everything goes smoothly, it takes approximately 10 business days to get your passport back along with your residence permit.

4. Register with the local authorities¶

Almost there. Once you get your passport and Residence Permit, if you live on campus, head over to the Foreign Student Affairs Office (Zijing Dormitory Building 19, First floor) with your passport and register at the main desk. They’ll give you a Residence Registration Form 住宿登记表 updated with your new Residence Permit info.

If you live off campus, go to your local police station 派出所 that is responsible for managing corresponding residential area with your passport. If you’re unsure about where your local police station 派出所 is, ask your landlord. All you need is your passport and your current living address.

Note

This final step of the process is completely free. There are no fees for registering at your local police station or at the Foreign Student Affairs Office. Just bring the passport that contains your residence permit, present it at the counter so they can enter your info into the system, and leave with a Residence Registration Form 住宿登记表, no money involved.

Free software¶

There’s a ton of free software downloads (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Windows 10 activation keys, and more) buried in the nested menus on info.tsinghua.

Note

Some of the software (e.g. Visual Studio Pro, Excel, Powerpoint) is in Chinese. Generally, they have the same functionality as the English versions, but may be a bit of a hassle to use for those who don’t speak Chinese. I’ll update this article if I find a way to swap languages for the MS Office apps.

Sign in to info.tsinghua and then search the landing page (Cmd + F) for 软件资源.

Hover your mouse over the 软件资源 item in the sidebar on the left and click 软件资源 (same name) from the popup menu.

You should land here (see below)…

Software available for download is sorted by “type”.

Click the orange dropdown arrow to the right of the title in each column to view all the downloads available for that type.

Here’s a quick table that should get you going in the right direction.

English	Chinese	Example
Operating Systems	操作系统	Windows 10 activation keys
AntiVirus	反病毒软件	Kaspersky, NOD32
Office	办公软件	Word, Excel, Powerpoint
Developer	开发软件	Visual Studio Pro
Math/Stat	计算软件	Matlab

Print your transcript (graduate students)¶

To print out a notarized version of your transcript, follow the steps below.

3. Click the `新加申请` button at the top¶

4. Select number of copies and the target language¶

Use the text area to explain why you need to print your transcript.

5. Click `提交` to apply for review¶

6. Wait for approval (couple of days)¶

Your application to print’s status 申请状态 will be updated to 通过 if your application to print has been approved.

7. Go to the registrar machines at Teaching Building No.3 ¶

Tap 成绩单打印 (Print Transcript).

8. Tap `现在打印` to print¶

Transcripts are RMB 10 per copy

9. Tap `扣费并打印` to pay the fee and print your transcript¶

Finding seats at the library¶

Note

Ren Wen Library 人文社科图书馆 is closed for renovations until the beginning of October, 2017.

Trying to find a place to study in the library can be tough around midterms and finals. In order to make sure that all desks are actually being used (i.e. people aren’t just parking their stuff there all day), Ren Wen Library 人文社科图书馆 uses a check-in system, which, unfortunately, is only in Chinese. Luckily, it’s not too hard to use if you know the basic logic.

Two check-in kiosks are around the main desk in the library on level G. There are more kiosks around the staircase on F2, F3, and F4.

Note

The kiosks on level G can be used to check in or out of any desk. Machines on the upper levels (F2, F3, and F4) can only be used to check in/out for seats on a given level.

Reserving a desk¶

Tap an open desk (they’re green).

//TODO add image

Touch your Student ID to the yellow outline on the on the kiosk.
When you see pop-up below, you’ve successfully reserved a desk (you can begin using it immediately).

//TODO add image

Warning

Unless you tap 暂时离开 on a kiosk before leaving, your reservation will be canceled when you swipe your student ID to reenter the library (see the Taking a Break section below for more info).

Taking a break¶

If you want to leave temporarily (i.e. for less than one hour) without giving up your spot…

Touch your student ID to the yellow outline on a kiosk.
Tap the 暂时离开 button on the display.

//TODO add image

Note

If you don’t return within one hour (i.e. swipe in using your student ID at the library entrance), your desk’s status will change back to open and someone else can reserve it.

Important: Checking out¶

When you’re done using the desk be sure to…

Touch your student ID to the yellow outline on a kiosk.
Tap the 永远离开 button on the display.

Warning

If you don’t checkout upon leaving, you’ll receive a warning. If you receive three warnings, your desk reservation privileges will be suspended for xx //TODO get details about penalty hours.

Mail address stuff¶

The address below will get packages delivered to the package delivery center behind Zijing Dormitory Building 14.

北京北京市海淀区清华园街道

清华大学紫荆学生公寓14号楼

编号：100084

手机：{your phone number}

{your name}

Reserve a study room¶

Need space for a group project? Both Ren Wen Library 人文社科图书馆` and Bei Guan 图书馆北楼 have study rooms that you can reserve online.

Useful apps in China¶

If you don’t have WeChat yet, go ahead and download it now. The list below isn’t comprehensive or ranked in any order. Most of these make living in China a lot easier.

English	Chinese	Foreign Equivalent	Description
Gaode	高德地图	Google Maps	Maps and directions on your mobile
Didi	滴滴出行	Uber	Call cabs, black cars, personal drivers, etc.
Taobao	淘宝	ebay	Buy stuff from small individual vendors
T-Mall	天猫	Amazon	Buy stuff from big companies
SwiftKey	SwiftKey	Gboard	Best Android keyboard for both Chinese and English
Pleco	普利科	none	Best app for studying Chinese
eleme	饿了么	Zomato	Food ordering and delivery
Meituan	美团外卖	Zomato	Food ordering and delivery
Alipay	支付宝	Venmo	Mobile payments
Ofo	ofo共享单车	none	Rent the yellow bikes that you see everywhere
Mobike	膜拜单车	none	Rent the orange bikes that you see everywhere
Dianping	大众点评	Yelp	Location-based food reviews

Tsinghua Survival Guide¶

About¶

Articles¶

Access intranet off campus¶

1. Click `WEB方式登录入口`¶

3. Choose your destination¶

Add money to your Student ID¶

1. Place your Student ID on the card reader¶

3. Enter password¶

4. Tap `圈存` (third icon from the top on the left menu)¶

5. Enter amount to transfer to card and tap `确认`¶

7. Don’t forget to sign out!¶

Always stay registered¶

Change your Student ID password¶

Getting an X1 Residence Permit¶

1. Register at the International Students Office¶

2. Get a verified physical examination¶

3. Apply for a Residence Permit¶

4. Register with the local authorities¶

Free software¶

Print your transcript (graduate students)¶

2. Select `打印成绩单申请` from the sidebar menu¶

3. Click the `新加申请` button at the top¶

4. Select number of copies and the target language¶

5. Click `提交` to apply for review¶

6. Wait for approval (couple of days)¶

7. Go to the registrar machines at Teaching Building No.3 ¶

8. Tap `现在打印` to print¶

9. Tap `扣费并打印` to pay the fee and print your transcript¶

Finding seats at the library¶

Reserving a desk¶

Taking a break¶

Important: Checking out¶

Mail address stuff¶

Reserve a study room¶

Useful apps in China¶

Tsinghua Survival Guide¶

About¶

Articles¶

Access intranet off campus¶

1. Click WEB方式登录入口¶

2. Sign in¶

3. Choose your destination¶

Add money to your Student ID¶

1. Place your Student ID on the card reader¶

2. Tap the sign in icon in the upper left corner¶

3. Enter password¶

4. Tap 圈存 (third icon from the top on the left menu)¶

5. Enter amount to transfer to card and tap 确认¶

6. Tap 确认 in the popup and then…¶

7. Don’t forget to sign out!¶

Always stay registered¶

Change your Student ID password¶

Getting an X1 Residence Permit¶

1. Register at the International Students Office¶

2. Get a verified physical examination¶

3. Apply for a Residence Permit¶

4. Register with the local authorities¶

Free software¶

Free storage & file sharing¶

Set up¶

Usage¶

Print your transcript (graduate students)¶

1. Sign in to info.tsinghua¶

2. Select 打印成绩单申请 from the sidebar menu¶

3. Click the 新加申请 button at the top¶

4. Select number of copies and the target language¶

5. Click 提交 to apply for review¶

6. Wait for approval (couple of days)¶

7. Go to the registrar machines at Teaching Building No.3¶

8. Tap 现在打印 to print¶

9. Tap 扣费并打印 to pay the fee and print your transcript¶

Finding seats at the library¶

Reserving a desk¶

Taking a break¶

Important: Checking out¶

Mail address stuff¶

Reserve a study room¶

Useful apps in China¶

1. Click `WEB方式登录入口`¶

4. Tap `圈存` (third icon from the top on the left menu)¶

5. Enter amount to transfer to card and tap `确认`¶

6. Tap `确认` in the popup and then…¶

1. Sign in to info.tsinghua ¶

2. Select `打印成绩单申请` from the sidebar menu¶

3. Click the `新加申请` button at the top¶

5. Click `提交` to apply for review¶

7. Go to the registrar machines at Teaching Building No.3 ¶

8. Tap `现在打印` to print¶

9. Tap `扣费并打印` to pay the fee and print your transcript¶