Written by Paola Sigüenza (George Washington University), Student Correspondent for CET Shanghai, Fall 2025
As my semester in Shanghai comes to an end and my appreciation for steamed buns becomes stronger, I realized that choosing CET Shanghai was one of the best decisions I’ve made in college. Every time I call my friends who are debating whether to study abroad or not, I tell them about how these five months were full of friendships, adventures, new knowledge, handcrafts, and exploring new cultures. Just like I told my friend David over the phone, I would also like to share with you the main reasons why I chose CET Shanghai, but also, why I would recommend it to anyone planning to study abroad!
To Study Well (好好学习）
When looking into abroad programs, I focused a lot on academics. My main goals were to improve my Chinese language skill and learn about the way the Chinese economy works (Econ major right here!). I was very surprised by the quality of education we were getting every class. Every Chinese language unit has been focused on learning something useful in our daily life or relevant to Chinese modern culture.
Now, I am able to discuss about immigration issues, education systems, AI, and even some TikTok trends. Even if in Shanghai a lot of people speak English, I always try to speak with locals in Chinese (they are super supportive of a foreigner learning their language!). Now, I have an album in my camera roll full of pictures with ayis (aunties) and kids who were super surprised that we spoke some Chinese.
Study in China, Understanding China (学习中国, 理解中国)
What also surprised me was how seamlessly my other classes connected with each other. For example, one theme that kept appearing was involution (内卷): how young people invest enormous time and money into education only to face intense job competition. With the classes I chose, I have studied it from the political, economical angle, and even visited a variety of workplaces in Shanghai.
Some showed the classic involution mindset, while others contrasted it with relaxing, worker-centered environments. Adding to that, next weekend we are visiting the largest fake market in Shanghai! In Economics class we learned about the different revolutions China has had since the 1970s, but this is a way to look at them through the physical products these markets offer.
Roommates Become Family (室友就是家人)
Besides the academic aspect which I used to prioritize when deciding whether to study abroad, I discovered other things that truly made CET stand out from other programs. One of them is the roommate system it offers. Every CET student is paired with a local Chinese roomie (which is very rare in China due to government regulations), however, because it has been proven to be very successful with CET, we are one of the few programs offering that level of immersion.
My roommate, Yifei, became one of the highlights of my entire semester. Whether we were going out for dinner, exploring the city, or having long late-night conversations, she made Shanghai feel like home. CET supposedly matches you based on similar living habits, but honestly, I think they used magic. Somehow, we both have 5–6-year-old brothers, love rock music, and share ENFJ personalities. I can’t stress how thankful I am for her, who helped me get my bank account set up during the first week, explained cultural details that I would have completely misunderstood, listened to me every time I felt lost, and made sure I was making the most out of my time in Shanghai.
Eat, Be Happy, Enjoy Life (吃喝玩乐)
Another thing I fell in love with was simply living in Shanghai. Everything here is unbelievably convenient: the metro, mobile payments, ordering food, biking around the city, it all makes daily life easier and smoother than in the U.S. I’m a big café-hopper, so every week I tried going to new spots, but Shanghai has so many that even after an entire semester, I have not finished visiting all the locations in my list.
Beyond cafés, the city’s nightlife, events and weekend traditions also became a huge part of our routine. For Halloween, many of us dressed up and went dancing; others visited amusement parks or traveled to nearby cities. On any regular Friday night, you can sing karaoke at KTV, grab late-night street food, or even enjoy a 24-hour massage (a Shanghai classic!).
And the FOOD… one of the greatest blessings of living here. You can find every regional cuisine in China: Shanghai dishes that are sweet and delicate, Dongbei food with huge portions and lots of bread and meat, Shandong cuisine with fresh ingredients and bold flavors. Every week was a new culinary adventure.
China is Huge, and I Want to See It (中国很大, 我想去看看)
Needless to say, I also had countless opportunities to travel within China this semester. As I mentioned in my previous blog, the CET Shanghai Traveling Seminar to Guizhou was one of the major highlights of my experience. Beyond that weekend, we also had Golden Week, a nationwide holiday in early October when schools and businesses close for a full week, giving millions of people the chance to travel or reunite with family. Every CET student made their own travel plans, yet even then we received so much support from the CET staff and our local roommates.
For Golden Week, I decided to visit Harbin and Inner Mongolia: two destinations very far from Shanghai and places I honestly knew very little about. But Grace and Riro, two of my Chinese friends whose hometowns are there, became our unofficial travel guides. Even if they did not come with us, they helped us choose tourist spots, restaurants, neighborhoods to stay in, and even the best ways to move around each city. The trip went incredibly smoothly, and they even called us along the week to make sure we were safe and enjoying ourselves. That sense of community really made me feel taken care for. Now, I’m the one sharing Harbin and Inner Mongolia recommendations with other CET friends planning trips of their own.
See You Later, Shanghai! (再见上海)
Deep inside me, I was always questioning myself whether I would like to live in China at some point in my life. Living in Shanghai showed me a version of life I didn’t know I was missing: one where I feel safe walking anywhere, where fresh food is part of everyday routines, where public spaces feel alive, and where community forms so quickly even in a city of 26 million people.
I can confidently say I will return here one day, but I am also incredibly excited to go back home and share all my Shanghai stories with the people I love. I truly wish more students had the chance to study abroad and make these kinds of life-changing decisions for themselves.
If you are debating whether to do it or not…consider this your sign. Take the leap. Explore a new culture, challenge yourself, collect memories you’ll talk about for years, and maybe, just like me, you’ll find a place you want to come back to in the future. Shanghai is waiting for you!