does anybody who studied (fulltime) chinese at a univesity in china have any suggestions for me on what to expect or how to behave or what to do or not to do ...?

Study hard and do your homework. Be prepared to classes so you get the most out of them. Have friends so you get important information, the flow of information is usually limited in Chinese universities. Take a HSK exam. Besides classes and homework, study fun and interesting topics on your own. Have Chinese friends who doesn't speak English. Have Asian friends in general who doesn't speak English. Follow rules even they might seem stupid. Be polite to teachers working at the international students office, you will need their help at some point. Don't skip classes, don't waste your tuition.

xuefang - most of that is good advice for anyone studying anywhere - it's wonderful, so thank you.

Learninglife - I haven't done this but do wish you luck, and hope you can let us know how you get on?

I'm studying an undergrad degree in Chinese as a foreign language and my specialization is Teaching Chinese as a foreign language. It's a degree at Sun Yat-Sen University for foreigners. If there's any questions about studying Chinese in China, I'm happy to answer.

thanks for the advice, xuefang!

university starts september 13th. i will keep the forum informed.