Various ways college students go home during the holidays
“Sweetheart, when will you be home?” A simple greeting from her parents in Chengdu made Huang You, who was busy preparing for exams on campus, feel a sudden pang… With winter vacation approaching, going home became a top priority. While students at major universities in Lanzhou were immersed in intense exam prep, they also started making early plans to head home. As a result, the ways students choose to return home have become increasingly diverse. By intern reporter Ma Lin
The most economical “carpooling” students
Wang Peng, a student at Northwest Minzu University whose family is in Xigu, made a deal with his dad starting last year: each semester during break, they’d give a few fellow Lanzhou students a ride home. This way, he’d have company on the road and earn a little extra money. “If your car has empty seats, please take some fellow townsmen home with you; if you can’t get a ticket back home, join me in carpooling!” As the holiday break drew near, such calls spread across class group chats and Renren.com, with many carpoolers starting to connect early. Compared to previous years when students only “gave rides” to classmates, or when carpooling was limited to fellow townsmen or classmates, this year’s trend has become more fashionable, turning into a sort of “carpool economy.” Although schools offer shuttle buses, to avoid long queues and even let car owners “earn” a few extra passengers, this carpooling method quickly gained popularity among fellow townsmen. But since not every student owns a car, even those who rent vehicles often find fellow townsmen voluntarily joining in. “I’m planning to carpool into the city—it’s more convenient than taking the school bus, and I can get off wherever I want,” said Wang, a student currently arranging a carpool.
The most eco-friendly way to cycle home and build resilience
Xiao Wan, a male student studying in Lanzhou with his family in Qinghai, made a bold decision during the summer of 2012: to cycle from Lanzhou to Xining. Xiao Wan was already a biking enthusiast who loved adventure and cycling. As early as the end of 2010, he began planning to bike home for the summer. From preparing his own bicycle and buying accessories to designing the route home, Xiao Wan got everything ready well in advance. After finishing his final exams, he entrusted some extra luggage to a fellow townsmen and set off on his cycling journey. With just a bicycle, a map, and a mobile phone, he enjoyed the scenery along the way from Lanzhou. During the ride, he stayed in hostels and also slept at local farmhouses. Though the journey was dusty and tough, arriving home in the end felt incredibly rewarding. “I had planned to bike home again this holiday, but my parents insisted it was too cold and forbade me from doing it, so I’ll have to wait until summer to continue my low-carbon trip home.”
The most thoughtful school-provided ticket booking “perk”
To make it easier for college students to go home, many schools have implemented group advance ticket booking. Lanzhou Jiaotong University organizes class life committee members each year to collect lists of students needing tickets and their student IDs to purchase tickets, usually hard seats, and occasionally hard sleepers. Compared to other options, enjoying the school-provided ticket booking “perk” is a great choice. Liu Danqing, a student from Chongqing, opted to have the school buy her a hard seat train ticket. “Although the ride from Lanzhou to my home takes over twenty hours, traveling with a few classmates from my hometown makes the long journey feel less tedious. Especially since I don’t have to queue up to buy tickets myself,” she said. Having just arrived at school, she felt that the school’s thoughtful approach gave her, as someone far from home, an extra sense of warmth.
The best value deals on “bargain-priced” plane tickets
Faced with competition from highways and railways, major airlines also roll out special discounted airfares daily to attract passengers. Miao Miao, who is from Beijing, manages to snag discounted tickets every year, often at great savings. She and her dorm mates start paying attention to flight prices well before the holiday. “It’s no big deal to put up with a bit of discomfort, but I never want to be squeezed in a crowd when going home. Getting on the plane earlier means getting home earlier, and I’m eager to get back for my dad’s braised pork,” she said. Most students believe that the competition between airlines and railway authorities undoubtedly provides college students with a new option for going home. Hu Kai, who has plenty of experience “snagging tickets,” also told us, “Just spend more time online, keep refreshing, and you’ll save money.” This cost-effective and effortless way of going home is becoming increasingly popular among students.