The Culture Barrier

You're only going to understand China if you jump in neck deep.  Granted we all come with our preconceived notions about what Chinese life will be like, but an objective perspective will serve you well.  There will certainly be things that will make you raise an eyebrow like a guy making obnoxious noises and spitting on the metro, or a kid taking a dump on the street, but that's China.  If you're going to succeed here you're going to have to take the negatives with the positives and hope that you can deal with it all.

^This one is part of the, "What were you thinking?" collection.

On the flip side, jumping into Chinese life can be so rewarding if you're ready to embrace it.  When a colleague at Vance Info suggested that we use QQ to discuss a project, I kind of laughed at the idea of not using Skype, but once I started using it, I realized I would be using QQ much more than Skype to stay in touch with my Chinese friends.  Also, your Chinese friends will be blown away when they ask you for your contact information and you tell them that you have QQ.  I wish I had done more with RenRen while I was here but that is certainly my next goal of venturing into Chinese social media life.

Beyond that, don't ever turn down an opportunity to speak Chinese!  When you are making the plans you will try to avoid the Chinese but in retrospect you will appreciate it so much.  For example, this semester I have spoken at a wedding, performed skits in Chinese several times, hosted our schools singing competition, participated in an Oral Proficiency Interview, participated in an interview with a Chinese student trying to understand American perspectives in China, spoke at our graduation ceremony, and even did a half an hour TV show on camera with a friend from Shanghai Theatre Academy.  Now I'm no fluent speaker, of course there were uncomfortable moments where you realize you're in front of a group of people and you can't remember a word, but you will survive and the next time it will be better.  Even if you're a second year student, there is no excuse for not practicing whatever skills you have.

On that note, speaking in Chinese will also help you better understand the Chinese perspective and cultural nuances.  There is so much that gets lost in translation, so take the initiative yourself, do some of your own translations, and draw some of your own conclusions.  If you're goal really is to get good at Chinese and be considered the "China Expert" for your firm in the future, it won't be easy, you have to really know your stuff.  Jump in with an objective perspective, it's the only way to get good and gain an understanding.