Office of Study Abroad

Profile: Jia Zheng '26

Major/minor: Business major and Psychology minor

Study abroad program: Chinese Language and Culture in Shanghai (CET), Fall 2025

Reason you chose this program: I wanted to reconnect with my culture, eat yummy food, and experience what China is today, not as the nostalgic version that I grew up hearing about. Also, being in the metropolitan city felt like the right way to bridge the gap between my heritage and my lived experience.

Favorite classes: My favorite class was ECON 230: The Chinese Economy, where I learned about China's economic situation through a societal lens.

How did you incorporate your Brandeis areas of study into your study abroad experience? CET Shanghai is business-heavy, so it was easy to take classes that fit into my major. I also developed a global mindset because I knew how business works in both the East and the West.

Housing situation: I lived on campus at host school Donghua University in their international students' dormitory. It is a 2-person room with an en-suite bathroom where I live with a local student roommate. It is also very much in the center of the city, so getting to places is very easy and cheap with public transportation!

What were some parts of your identity that you thought about while considering study abroad? Being a first-generation and Chinese-American woman will definitely be an experience opposite from that of other foreigners.

Favorite memory: Solo-traveling to Taiwan for China's Golden Week to avoid the domestic travel with extreme crowds and heavy traffic.

What was your greatest challenge? Befriending other study abroad students who may be in China for other reasons. I am quite introverted, so it was hard to make friends, but I learned to enjoy the comfort of my alone time.

Did you apply for any scholarships? How did they impact your time abroad? I was a recipient of the Gilman and Fund for Education scholarships. I was able to travel around more often and eat well because it alleviated my financial stresses.

What do you know now that you didn't know before? Convenience stores are elite and stay open late. There's inexpensive (currency rate favors USD) fresh fruit, hot meals, good tea, and snacks. 7‑Eleven in China is on a different level than here, but do be warned that small charges add up!

Fact about China that you think people would be surprised to learn: There are so many boba shops that you could drink a different milk tea every day for a year and still not repeat one.