Timediff
Timediff (www.timediff.cn) is a community website that is designed to help Chinese students who wish to come to the United States and Canada for university study.
The website features detailed profiles of 120 universities in the United States and Canada. Additionally, Timediff is also a community in which Chinese students who wish to go overseas for university study can connect with other Chinese students who have the same goal. More importantly, Timediff’s most valuable function is that the website can connect students in China with Chinese or American students studying in the United States.
History and Origin
Timediff was started by a small group of Chinese students in Cornell University who wanted to help their fellow students back home in China learn about universities in the United States. Their work on the website commenced during the fall of the 2008 semester.
Website content
College Profiles
A complied list of profiles for 120 colleges and universities are available on the Timediff website. The detailed information includes the colleges:
Website
School Type
Address
Setting
School Size
Student Body
Degrees Offered
Majors Offered
Cost for International Students
Financial Aid for International Students
Application Requirements
Important Admission Factors
Test Scores
Application Deadline
Required Tests for International Students
Special Programs for International Students
Online Chat Room
The website offers an online chat room (www.timediff.cn/chat) in which Chinese students in China can connect with Ambassadors from different American colleges. Ambassadors are Chinese students who are currently studying in the United States. This chat room offers scheduled chat events in which ambassadors and Chinese students back home can log in at the same time to hold conversations ranging from topics such as student life in America and information on American universities.
Forum
The Timediff forum (www.timediff.cn/community/bbs) is a place for users to get together and discuss topics such as preparation for American college entrance exams, Application forms, American college life and an American culture exchange.
This forum is especially helpful because Chinese students who have already gone through the application process and successfully made it to college in America or Canada can offer insightful tips and guidance to inquisitive students back in China.
The American culture exchange forum is also a unique part of the Timediff forum. Communication on the American culture exchange can only be in English and is designed for Chinese students who want to improve their English communication. American students are also encouraged to join the English part of the Timediff forum to communicate with Chinese students, and thereby, learn about Chinese culture. Thus, an online cultural exchange is set up through this forum.
Future developments
Timediff is currently still at its early development stage. Later, new functionality will be added on including a “timezone” site that allows Chinese students in America and Canada to interact with each other. Another new development will be a facebook like community in which Chinese students in China, the United States can create personal profiles and network with each other.