The first week anywhere new is mostly about small questions: where do I eat, who do I ask, what happens on Monday? This is your first week at A&J laid out day by day, so none of those questions are waiting for you when you land.
From check-in to your first weekend
- SundayYou arriveCheck-in is on Sunday. You get your room, a meal and, most importantly, sleep. Almost everyone lands tired, and the mountain air catches people out, so nothing important is scheduled for tonight.
- MondayLevel test, then classBefore your first lesson you take a level test, so you start in a class that fits you rather than one that bores or buries you. Your academic schedule begins at 1:30 PM.
- 周一至周四Evenings take shapeVocabulary class runs at 19:00, with a booklet matched to your level. Optional group night classes run on the same evenings, and you sign up by 14:30 on the day.
- During the weekPaperwork, handledPhotos and forms for your Special Study Permit. The admin team files the permit itself, so you hand things over and get back to class.
- FridayCompletion dayEvery Friday is completion day for the students who are finishing. In your first week you are on the other side of it, watching people a few months ahead of you leave with better English than they arrived with.
- WeekendBreathing roomTwo meals on Saturdays and Sundays, brunch and dinner, and a city to explore. Tell staff before your first solo trip, and come back with something to talk about in Monday's class.
Sunday: arrive, eat, sleep
If you booked a pick-up, our team meets you at the airport and the drive up to Baguio takes care of itself. Arrival day is deliberately light. You collect your room key, find the dining hall, and go to bed. The practical jobs all belong to the days that follow, which is exactly how you want it after a long flight and a winding mountain road.
If something went wrong on the way, a delayed flight or a lost bag, tell your manager. Every student has one, and their job is you, not a general help desk.
Monday: the level test and your first class
Before your first class comes the level test. It is not an exam you can fail. It exists so that your teachers know where you are before they decide where you go next, and so you are placed in a class that stretches you without losing you. Students sometimes try to prepare for it. There is no need: the most useful thing you can do is answer honestly.
Your academic schedule begins at 1:30 PM. The first class is usually the moment the week stops being travel and starts being study, and it tends to go better than people expect, because everyone in the room is new to something.
The evening routine
From Monday to Thursday, vocabulary class starts at 19:00. It is mandatory for your first four weeks, and you receive a booklet matched to your level. Optional group night classes run on the same evenings, from activity-based ones like dance and badminton to discussion groups, and you sign up by 14:30 on the day.
After that the evening is yours. The study areas stay open late for anyone who works best at night, and from Sunday to Thursday there is a 21:30 curfew. It sounds strict until you notice how much easier mornings become.
The campus runs an English-only policy, and that includes evenings. It feels odd for a day or two. By the end of the week most students stop noticing, which is exactly the point.
The practical errands
- Photos and forms for your Special Study Permit. Our admin team files it and tracks the renewal dates for you.
- A local SIM card, which is cheap and worth getting in your first week.
- Laundry: an outside service collects on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Fill in a form at the desk and bring your bag to the lobby by 2:00 PM.
- Toiletries and snacks from the Eco Mart on campus, since toiletries are not provided.
The visa and SSP guide explains the permit in full.
Friday and your first weekend
Every Friday is completion day for the students who are finishing their course. In your first week you will be watching rather than leaving, and it is worth watching: these are people who arrived exactly as unsure as you, a few months earlier.
On weekends and holidays the dining hall serves two meals, brunch and dinner. The city is a ride away, since the campus is in Barangay Irisan rather than downtown, and the office can tell you the sensible routes. Tell staff before your first solo trip out of the city.
Twice a month there is a test to measure your progress, so the weeks after this one have a shape too. By then, the questions that felt big on Sunday will have answered themselves.
Read next
The arrival guide covers the airport, the pick-up and the drive up.
A day in the life lays out an ordinary weekday hour by hour.
What to pack for Baguio covers the suitcase.
