Max Solberg
Max Solberg (he/him) - Stanford in Beijing
Major: International Relations
Minor: East Asian Studies
College year while abroad: Junior
Contact
Email Max or schedule an appointment
Q&As
Why did you choose to study in Beijing?
Since high school, when I started studying Mandarin Chinese, I've always wanted to visit Mainland China. However, the COVID pandemic eliminated any chance I had to travel to the PRC between 2020 and 2023. So when the BOSP Beijing pilot program was announced during the fall quarter of my junior year, I knew I had to apply. I was accepted, I got the student visa, and the rest is history.
What were your expectations before you went and how did they change once you were in Beijing?
Given the animosity between the U.S. and China, I was very worried that many Beijing residents would see me as their enemy. Those qualms were completely unfounded. Many Chinese citizens I met while in PRC public spaces had plenty of critiques leveled against the U.S. government, but they were all very happy to meet us and discuss American culture, music, and food. No matter what conflicts arise between the U.S. and China, most people on both sides do not care about politics and just want to find personal success and happiness.
What were some of the academic benefits from studying abroad in Beijing?
The Stanford Center at Peking University (or SCPKU) is a one-of-a-kind, absolutely gorgeous academic space. As a study-abroad student there, you will also have full access to all the main student facilities at Peking University, including the underground shopping mall and the countless cafeterias serving food from all the different PRC provinces. With your PKU ID, you also have access to Peking University’s peer university, Tsinghua University, and can attend any extracurricular events there which interest you.
What did you learn about yourself while studying abroad?
I learned I am happiest when I am with my friends. Us study-abroad students, facing the unfamiliar environment of Beijing, did a lot of activities together: shopping at the Sanlitun district, touring the Gubei water town, attending an esports tournament in Chengdu, etc.. When alone in China’s capital city, I became very nervous about my study-abroad experience. What if I said something wrong in public? What if my coursework received poor grades? By being with my peers, I could focus on having fun and seeing as much as possible while in China.
What was the most challenging experience you encountered while abroad and what did you learn from it?
All the challenges I faced were minor - not knowing how to cancel a Didi (China’s version of Uber), not being able to pass through the university campus’s security, grappling with a significant time difference between Beijing and the Bay Area, etc.. However, I minimized the impact of those challenges by making all my schedules and travel plans extremely flexible. A general rule of thumb: don’t set plans in stone when abroad. Nothing will perfectly conform to your expectations.
What was the biggest cultural adjustment you had to make?
China has different standards for public behavior compared to America. For example, when on the subway, we study-abroad students always received menacing glances from other passengers because of how loud we were talking. I had to reconsider how I acted while using public transportation, knowing out-of-line behavior would negatively affect the average PRC citizen’s opinion of me.
What was your favorite part of everyday life?
Every evening, the setting sun shines over the surface of Peking University’s Weiming Lake, making the water glisten brilliantly. Hundreds of people visit the lake just to see that spectacular phenomenon. I always enjoyed sitting right on the water’s edge with my notebook, sketching the towering Boya pagoda in the distance.
What was the most memorable experience you had while in Beijing?
The entire cohort spent four days visiting the city of Chongqing, one of the coolest places I have ever visited. Picture massive skyscrapers clustered together, surrounded by multiple mountain ranges. Immediately after arriving in the city, we ate spicy hot pot at a restaurant buried underneath a hill; the next night, we dined on seafood while sailing along the banks of the Yangtze river. Those events, plus our daytime visits to China’s electric car manufacturers and the old house of General Joseph Stiwell, made the trip an unforgettable experience.
What 5 words would you use to describe the experience?
Fascinating, demystifying, well-organized, timely, unforgettable.
What was your favorite food or music?
Roujiamo (肉夹馍). A stupendous sandwich/burger of mostly meat, although sometimes a few chunks of celery are added. All districts in Beijing probably have at least a few stores that sell them.
What was the most valuable item you took on the program?
When I participated in the Paris BOSP program, I used the Wise app to pay for all my expenses. Upon flying to Beijing, I had still not removed that app from my phone. Little did I know Wise would be the only way I could pay for almost anything in China, as cash is rarely used in Beijing.