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[paddyfields]

While working in Wuxi there were no Foreign Teachers dorms on Campus. The school thought all the foreign teachers would like to live close to downtown. So we had a 20 minute shuttle bus ride to school each day.
Then as part of these schemes to concentrate Chinese UNIs on the outskirts of the city our school moved in Feb 2008 to one of these remote parts.
Again no FT dorms but now a ONE HOUR shuttle bus ride to school and ONE HOUR back again . But as we were only the 2nd Uni out there in the "sticks" in a scheme that would eventually hold about 20 UNI's you wouldn't want to live out there anyway.

So for my next gig my first Q was "will I live on Campus?"

[Raoul F. Duke]

Personally, I'd rather have to shuttle out to the fringes and back, than have to live out there.

Again, conditions vary from school to school...I knew a lot of people (including me) who DID have serious privacy problems in school housing.

You take it as a given that, as a resident foreigner, you're going to be the target of observation and the subject of feverish gossip. This will happen anywhere you live in China...just because you aren't aware of it doesn't mean it isn't happening. Personally, I'd rather this come from a gaggle of random terminally-bored neighbors, than from my employers and students.

[Stil]

Why would there be no gossip about the foreign teachers? There's gossip about everybody else. I've lived on campus with curfews before. Gate guards make nothing. A few gifts here and there (booze and smokes) and they will cheerfully let you in at any hour.

If you are worried about gossip go to a school with a lot of foreigners. Remember, your real Chinese name is 'Foreigner' so if you are at a school with many foreigners, nobody knows which one did what.

[Mr Nobody]

I always know....

Actually, you will be the centre of gossip whether you know it or not because you are a foreigner. All across town. Everyone knows everything. And you are a target. Not malicious or anything, but if you go out, or if anyone sees you, it's everywhere.

Having lived in both campus and off, it is hard to decide which is better. I like my current situation, but the bills are more trouble, as is having to do everything myself.

I never found issues on campus, but my current uni only has small appartments for single people. So I live out, and am happy with it.

6 of one, half a dozen of the other.

Except, I would never ever share.

[contemporarydog]

Who remembers 'Old Dog' from the old China Teachers forum?

The state he lived in sounded awful, with him actually locked inside a building after about 10pm

[Riz]

Freedom and Privacy! That's what I look for! My last college did not permit me to keep my girlfriend in that house because we(were) are not married. She could visit me only in the day time. This was the Olympics fever time when I had signed this goddamn contract with the college. FAO asked me to inform the college whenever I would have visitors( all my friends are foreigners). They asked me to inform the college if I was going to Walmart.( (I never told them about any of the visitors or my going anywhere) There was no such thing mentioned in the contract. The only thing I needed was a ' Visa' back then which they had arranged for me. I quit that job after only one semester and shifted my place and now I live in the center city in a studio apartment. It's easy to clean, only 5th floor means I never have to wait for the elevators. There are guards and gates but They just chill and hollor " Hello, teacher!" or stuff like that. My girl can live with me. AND..........The building has got so many sexy girls living with or without boyfriends. The elevators are busy all night with ' visitors'. I can sit down for a bbq and beers anytime at night and the place rocks all night.
I am happy OFF- Campus. It's expensive but as I have said " freedom and privacy"