By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
Ryan McQuade, the son of Dr. Terry and Jim McQuade of Caribou, celebrated his19th birthday recently, as a college student — in China — where he spent the last five months studying at Qingdao University.
Sporting a T-shirt that claimed — high school drop-out/college graduate — McQuade explained how he came to study in the second oldest university in China, established in 1901.
As a student enrolled in the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone, McQuade left that institution in the 10th grade and entered Bard College at Simon’s Rock, most commonly known as Simon’s Rock; a small four-year liberal arts school in Great Barrington, Mass.
A unique institution, Simon’s Rock is what is known as an “early college,” where the majority of students have left their traditional schooling after the 10th or 11th year and is the only college in the country where all students fall into this category.
The Caribou resident began at Simon’s Rock in 2007, earning his AA with distinction in 2009, “when all of my friends were just graduating high school,” he said. At the age of 18 and in his third year of college, McQuade left for China March 1, to study at Qingdao University, in Qingdao, China; a coastal city in Shandong Province — estimated population — 8 million.
McQuade described the university as being home to 95,000 students; 45,000 of these being full-time scholars. “I must admit it was a little nerve-wracking going to a place where not only was the city itself so much bigger than my hometown but just the number of students at the school where I was to study was in itself bigger than my hometown.”
While at the university McQuade focused on language studies but also spent time sitting in on several other classes, while continuing to do independent work via correspondence with his teachers at Simon’s Rock.
McQuade described his daily routine at Quingdao University.
“During the week life is fairly simple, each morning I got up around 7 a.m. and grabbed a shower (the dorm I lived in only had water from 6:30 to 8 a.m. and from 6 to 9 p.m.). After a shower I usually grab a quick breakfast — I make myself peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which earns me strange looks from the Asian students and then it’s off to class.”
“The building I was in was a 15-minute walk from my dorm, and each day we would have class from 8 a.m. to noon, after that our afternoons are free,” he continued. “I know that doesn’t seem like much but that’s more class hours than American college students attend. Lunch was usually from some street vendor near campus, because the cafeteria food was absolutely awful,” he added.
McQuade stated that the weather in Qingdao, started to warm up some in May, previously having been cold and rainy most of the time. “With the arrival of spring,” said McQuade, “finally the trees and flowers were in bloom and the city was beautiful. The beaches in Qingdao are also beautiful, and are partly what the city is famous for — the pier is right next to the Olympic Sailing Center and is a beautiful sight at night,” he added.
“What I missed most were a soft bed and Western food,” the young scholar exclaimed.
Why the Chinese language? “When I attended Caribou High School, French and Spanish were the only foreign language classes available,” stated McQuade, “I thought it would be interesting to know a language that few others had learned. I learned Chinese between my freshman and sophomore college years; to complete studies at Simon’s Rock, you must have two years of a foreign language.”
Comparing the English language to that of Chinese McQuade commented, “Chinese is much more complex, (for example there are no single word responses for a yes or no question) but it’s fun now that I have learned it and I certainly don’t regret having selected the Chinese language.
While at the Chinese university along with his studies, McQuade also taught English to students in grades 1-6. “My classes each had 80 kids in them and I instructed them in English two times a week. When I would walk into the classroom, the students would all stand up at the same time, arms straight down at their sides and shout, ‘“Hello teacher,’” laughed McQuade, who would in turn reply “Hello class.”
His own classes included lectures, spoken entirely in Chinese. McQuade and one other American were amongst mostly Korean and Russian students.
During his time away from studies McQuade had a chance to participate in Cultural Travel Week, when he traveled to the World Expo in Shanghai. “It was quite an experience,” stated McQuade. “It was estimated that there were as many as 300,000 visitors per day going at the Expo — people visiting the U.S. Pavilion waited in line eight or nine hour.”
One of the biggest adjustments the young man said he had to overcome was going out to eat in the restaurants which allow diners to smoke anywhere they wish — that and the fact that much of the food there is very oily. “I looked forward to having a real steak, not cut into little pieces and crisp vegetables, not those cooked with the rest of the meal.”
McQuade stated that when on his way home, last week, his “Big Plan” was, “when I land at JFK Airport, I’m going to find a restaurant and have a big steak and a baked potato.” However that wasn’t to be, as the time was too brief so when at LaGuardia, he had to settle for a hotdog from Nathan’s. “That was OK though — my first night back my Mom made me steak and baked potatoes — it was delicious.
McQuade will spend the rest of his summer vacation, “working around home,” and taking a “road trip” searching for his first apartment, as he prepares for his senior year at Simon’s Rock. Once back at the college, he will be working on his thesis, which all seniors must complete and which is printed, archived and stored at the school.
McQuade’s majors are East Asian studies and political philosophy.
