SPbU Preparatory Course student Cui Xinyu: ‘I want to live where my favourite writers lived’
Source: https://english.spbu.ru/news-events/student-reviews/spbu-preparatory-course-student-cui-xinyu-i-want-live-where-my Parent: https://english.spbu.ru/admission/preparatory-course-international-students
21 January 2026
Student Reviews
SPbU Preparatory Course student Cui Xinyu: ‘I want to live where my favourite writers lived’
Cui Xinyu is a Chinese international student from Kunming city, Yunnan Province studying at the Preparatory course at SPbU. She already holds a Russian language undergraduate degree and chose to attend the course as a warm up before applying for a master’s degree. She talked us through her decision to come here and shared details of day-to-day life as a student.
Photo courtesy of Cui Xinyu
What were your dreams and aspirations growing up? Did you know that you’d be learning Russian from the start?
As a child, I tended to go through a series of short-lived passions. Helping grandparents with gardening made me dream of becoming a farmer and selling vegetables with my grandma. Watching documentaries on CCTV9 made me dream travel writing and photography. My mom is a schoolteacher, so I wanted to become a teacher for a while. Art classes, Latin dance, and even vocal lessons — I went through a lot of passions as a child but over time my academic workload increased, leaving little time or energy for anything else. The only hobby I’ve maintained to this day is writing — whether it’s journaling, writing essays, or original stories. Besides writing, reading is another constant passion. Even here, my bookshelf is already completely filled with books.
At some point in school, I watched ‘Masters in the Forbidden City’, a documentary about cultural relic restorers at the Beijing Palace Museum. That way I decided to apply to archaeology major. I wound up majoring in Russian as an undergraduate, however.
How did that happen? Switching from archaeology to Russian?
Choosing universities after the Gaokao (national college entrance exam) is a challenging process. If your exam score fails to reach the admission threshold, your chance at attending a university at all can slip away. Fortunately, I had better luck. My first choice was archaeology at Northwest University, but while my score and ranking happened to fall within the university admission range, I had an insufficient score for my wanted major. In such cases, the school will transfer you to the next available major, which turned out to be a foreign languages programme.
I chose Russian as my major during the foreign language track selection. Other options were English and Japanese. Since each language has a limited number of open spots, I pre-emptively chose Russian in order to avoid intense competition. I didn’t want to put myself under too much pressure. The programme followed a small-class model, with fewer than 20 students in my cohort.
How was it, studying Russian during your undergraduate? What were your career plans and expectations at the time?
The four years of university weren’t particularly remarkable: classes, student clubs, and an internship during my senior year. The internship primarily involved document translation and communication work during the 8th Silk Road International Expo.
I wanted to become a translator during my first two years when I was still enthusiastic about studying. However, by my third and fourth years, as I started preparing for graduation and internships, I realized it that was getting harder for liberal arts graduates to find jobs. By that point, I realized that it did not matter what job I had, as long as I had one.
How did you decide to come to Russia?
A passing thought of studying in Russia crossed my mind during the first year, but I only seriously decided on studying abroad after completing my internship in senior year. In addition to Russia, I considered Singapore, Thailand, and Australia. I also looked into the U.S. and the U.K., but after learning about the annual tuition and living expenses, I quickly ruled them out. I ultimately chose Russia because my undergraduate major was Russian, of course, and also because I’ve always loved books by Russian writers, so I wanted to live where they lived, for a while.
How do your parents feel about your decision? How does studying abroad work for you financially?
At first, my parents weren’t very supportive. Their main concerns were the distance, since Russia is too far away, and if something happens, they won’t be able to help quickly, as well as the language barrier. Eventually, I talked them over. They just reminded me that as an adult, I needed to take responsibility for my decisions and consider my future seriously. Before making the final decision, I read many analytical posts on social media and consulted teachers and classmates who had studied in Russia.
It helped that the cost of studying in Russia isn’t very high. After spending a few months in St. Petersburg, I’ve found that the cost of living is even lower than I had anticipated. It initially puzzled me — things I expected to be more expensive than in China turned out to be cheaper, while some things I thought would be cheaper are actually more expensive. Anyway, I try to spend money wisely, only buying genuinely useful things.
Was the application and paperwork process difficult?
Many people had mentioned Russia’s entry procedures when I was researching studying here. It was, indeed, tedious, crowded, and the lines were very long but overall, everything went relatively smoothly. One hiccup was that my initial medical check-up results showed an issue, requiring a re-examination. Re-examination results came back fine. This extra step meant several additional trips to the city centre, and I received my residence permit (green card) a bit later than expected.
What is your current level in Russian, and what are your goals with the language? How long do you think it will take to reach these goals?
Undergraduate studies were actually my first exposure to Russian. While genuinely challenging, it is not as difficult as I had imagined, largely because it has clear rules and grammar patterns. The hardest part for me was memorising vocabulary. Another challenge was syntax, which involves many variations and a high degree of flexibility, which is difficult to keep up with at natural speaking speed.
As for the language level, China has its own examination system and I’m not entirely clear how these levels correspond to those in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). By my own assessment, my current level is likely slightly above B1 but not yet at B2.
Regarding goals, the most basic aim is to communicate effectively with locals and meet daily life needs. Academically, I want to review and reinforce the areas I haven’t fully mastered before and get a B2 certificate, as it would be beneficial whether I decide to stay in Russia for further studies or return to China to look for a job. If everything goes according to plan, this should be achievable within the preparatory year.
Does the prevalence of AI tools make learning a foreign language easier or more complicated for you?
AI tools have been somewhat helpful in my foreign language learning. When I’m unsure how to phrase something in Russian or need to distinguish between two similar words I often turn to AI for assistance. The effectiveness varies depending on the specific AI model used. Some models provide highly accurate answers, while others make numerous errors. To be safe, I always crosscheck with dictionaries or consult others. While AI is undoubtedly convenient, it’s important not to blindly trust everything it says or become overly reliant on it. It’s still essential to verify uncertain information independently.
How are you adjusting to life in St. Petersburg and in Peterhof?
My adjustment to life in Russia has been much smoother and faster than I expected, any anxiety I felt before boarding the plane disappeared shortly after landing in St. Petersburg and settling into the hotel.
People here are warm, friendly, and approachable. So far, I haven’t encountered anyone particularly harsh or difficult to get along with. There are also more international students here than I imagined.
By now, life here doesn’t feel too different from life back home. On weekdays, we either have morning or evening classes — the rest of the day is free. I’m not someone who particularly enjoys going out, but I don’t stay cooped up indoors all the time either. If I have the time and energy, I actually like wandering around the city, just going wherever my feet take me. I really like St. Petersburg and Peterhof. St. Petersburg has a rich culture, and the architecture and streets feel incredibly artistic. Peterhof is farther from the city centre and is much quieter overall, which I appreciate. Over the past few months, I’ve ventured into St. Petersburg a few times and visited places like the Hermitage Museum and some of the famous churches. Later, I want to visit Murmansk — I’d love to see this ice-free port city that I read about in my high school geography textbooks.
I’m currently living in a dormitory in Peterhof. I initially considered renting a place, but I couldn’t find anything suitable in the area around the Summer Palace, so I gave up on the idea. Living in a dorm feels quite normal to me since I’ve been a boarding student since middle school. My dorm is a suite with two rooms: Room A is a double, and Room B is a triple. I share the double room with another Chinese student. The triple next door currently has two residents — one from Turkey and the other from Peru. They’re both really nice. However, after these few months, I’ve noticed that students tend to stay up very late, especially on weekends. It’s common to hear shouting or even singing well past midnight — they seem to have boundless energy, as if sleep is optional.
When I went to collect the medical report I mentioned before, I made a new friend. Although she’s also Chinese, and we hit it off immediately. Since we met, we often spend weekends together, visiting museums or enjoying a meal at a Chinese restaurant. I feel quite fortunate: since arriving in Russia, I’ve adapted quickly, my studies and daily life are going smoothly, and I’ve even made new friends.
You’ve mentioned a lot of international students. Is that a problem for language immersion?
Having many Chinese students around has its pros and cons. The downside, as the question suggests, is that being surrounded by Chinese peers naturally leads to speaking more Chinese, which somewhat hinders the progress of learning Russian. However, having fellow Chinese students nearby also provides a sense of comfort, helping to ease the unease and anxiety that often come with being alone in a foreign country. After all, communication becomes much smoother, and there’s less worry about whether inaccurate word choices or unclear expressions might cause misunderstandings.
Do you plan on pursuing a master’s degree later, or do you have other plans?
I haven’t decided on a master’s programme yet but it is likely to be in one of these four fields: language, education, history, or journalism and media.
Initially, I listed Russian language as my intended major for the preparatory programme. However, while waiting for the results, I came across several articles and videos analysing job prospects, which made me second-guess my choice. In liberal arts, fields like economics are known for better employment opportunities, but my math skills are quite weak. When choosing a major, I weigh interest and practicality about equally. That said, I’ve always believed that studying itself is inherently demanding and exhausting. Pursuing a major I don’t genuinely enjoy just for the sake of a specific goal would likely make the process even more painful. So, I’d rather choose something that allows me to learn with a bit more ease and enjoyment.
If I manage to get a B2 certificate, I’ll probably stay in Russia for my master’s degree. So far, I’ve really enjoyed life here. Besides, there are two more practical reasons: the cost of studying in Russia isn’t too high, and I don’t have IELTS or TOEFL certificates, which are required for admission to many universities abroad.
There’s a high chance I’ll choose St. Petersburg State University. As a humanities student studying in Russia, I believe the best options, aside from teacher training programs, are Moscow State University and SPbU. Between the two, I simply prefer St. Petersburg to Moscow. I’ll likely continue self-funding my studies. Applying for a government scholarship seems quite complicated, and there are strict academic requirements both before and after admission. That kind of pressure would be too exhausting.
To be honest, a Russian degree doesn’t hold the strongest competitive edge among the broader international student community, but it offers a significant advantage in fields related to Russian language and culture. With the strengthening of Sino-Russian relations and the increase in trade exchanges, there is a growing demand for Russian language professionals. In the job market, positions related to Russian are relatively more abundant and less competitive. If someone plans to work in China in a role involving Russian, having a Russian degree and study experience in Russia would definitely give them priority over others with similar qualifications.
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