Surviving Study Abroad

With recent crackdowns on foreign students in the US， the prospect of studying abroad is becoming increasingly fraught for Chinese students—but they are no strangers to uncertainty away from home，as these phrases show

當代留子生存語錄

O n May 27， the US halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for international students seeking to study in the country， reportedly toallowfor expanded screening of their social media activity. This latest policy change has thrown yetanother wrench into thealready uncertain journey of international studentsastheytransition intoadulthood， with many—just around 2O years old—still navigatingculture shock，languagebarriers，and academic pressure.

Since the late 19th century， Chinese students have pursued overseas studies，mainly in the US， Europe，and Japan.Many influential political leaders，scholars，andcultural figures studied abroad，shaping the course of modern Chinese history.In contemporary China，major waves of overseas study， particularly in the l98Os and 1990s，have made studying abroad a coveted path for the elite，adding prestige to the term 留學生 （liuxuésheng，overseas student）.

The trend surged with China's rapid economic growth in the 2OoOs and continues today. Despite a dip during the pandemic， China remains one of the largest sources of international students globally.

Today， studyingabroad isno longera rarity， and social media has exposed both the glamourand the grit of overseas life toabroader audience.Many Chinese students playfully refer to themselves as 留 子（liuzi）—a casual， colloquial spin on the formal term.Always on the move and full of surprises， they continue to create viral memes inspired by the twists and turns of theirlivesabroad.

Studying is a liuzi's main focus. Papers， quizzes， essays，groupprojects，midterms，presentations， and finals come one after another without pause，chasingthesehopeful studentsintoa constant cycle：

If not trying to meet a deadline;then on the path towardmeetingadeadline.

Bushi zài gan due， jiushi zāi g?n due de lushang.

不是在趕due，就是在趕due的路上。

Faced with bland， repetitive meals， salads， sandwiches， and fries， many jokingly referto them as \"white people food.\"

Whenthe Chinese embassyinBritain issued a notice in May abouta rise in requests for help related to telecomfraudandbrieflapsesin contactwithinternational students，itturnedout thatmanyofthestudentshadmissedcallsfrom family members because they were busy working on papersat night and sleepingduring the day. The road to graduation is undeniably tough， leaving liuzi little choice but to keep their heads downand studyhard.Germanuniversitiesare especiallynotorious for the rigor of their threeyearundergraduate programs， inspiringa widely shared“comfort phrase\" that perfectly captures the seemingly endless student experience：

Those three years studying in Germany will stretch into five，becoming the most unforgettable seven years of your life.

ZaiDéguóliuxuézhesānnian，huishiniwunian rénsheng zhong，zui nānwang de qi nián. 在德國留學這三年，會是你五年人生中，最難忘的七年。

Besides academic pressure， moving to a foreign country to start a new life is never an easy task.For many international students，life begins in a bare rental space with absolutely nothing inside，leadingto thememe 經典開局 （jingdiān kāiju，or“classic opening\"），while resurfaces at the start of each academic year as newcomers share photos of makeshift beds—blankets or even piles of clothes laid out on the apartment floor.

Given the relatively high living expenses abroad，many liuzi turn to secondhand goods passeddownfromtheirpredecessorsforamore economical start.From hangers to mattresses， desks to fridges，each item has its own mysterious provenance， leadingstudentstomuse：

Aliuzi'shomeisbuilt on the collectiveefforts of

countlessother liuzi.

Méi yi gé liuzi de jia dou shi kao wushu liuzi tuoju qilai de.

每一個留子的家都是靠無數留子托舉起來的。 Once a rice cooker goes abroad，it basically gains permanent residency.

Dāng yi ge dianfanguo chule guó，tā jiu hui zāi dāngdi huodé yóngju.

當一個電飯鍋出了國，它就會在當地獲得永居。

Inthisworldof secondhandtrading，it'snot the most expensive items that are the most coveted. While a 2，OoO-yuan secondhand Louis Vuitton bag mightstruggleto findabuyer，certainhousehold items are snappedup in seconds.

Real luxuries in the eyes of liuzi： mahjong sets，hot pot seasoning， collapsible bathtubs，and spicy snacks likelatiao.

Liuzi y?nzhong zhénzheng de shéchipin： majiang huóguótiáoliao、zhédié pàoz?otδng、latiáo.

留子眼中真正的奢侈品：麻將、火鍋調料、折疊泡澡桶 辣條。

Food isanother major struggle for liuzi.Faced withbland，repetitivemeals，salads，sandwiches， and fries，many jokinglyrefer to themas “whitepeople food（白人飯bairénfan）.”Asone desperate liuzi once bemoaned online：

Isthis studying abroad or exile？ Zhe shi liuxué haishi liufang？ 這是留學還是流放？

So they start cooking to survive， or at least to addalittlevariety.Butwithlimitedcookingskills， many can onlymanage so-called“survival meals （生命體征維持餐shengming tizhengwéichican）.” To make things worse，when they do exist， Chinese supermarkets are oftenlocated far outside of city centers，so most liuzi stock up on enough supplies to last thema few weeks.Under such conditions， therefrigerator has started to become known as“a time-freezingdevice（時間停止器shijian tingzhiqi）.\"

Under posts on social media asking if expired food is still edible，the top comment is almost always：

Are you a liuzi？ If you are，then yes-you can eatit.

NY shi liuzi ma？ Shi liuzi jiu néng chi.

你是留子嗎？是留子就能吃。

Livingabroad long enough，as liuzi often joke，will turn anyone into a great cook.As the saying goes：

Oneliuzi goes abroad，one chef comes back.

Chuqu yi gé liuzi， huilái yi ge chuzi.

出去一個留子，回來一個廚子。

Daily life presents many other hurdles as well. With healthcare abroad，especiallyin theUS， often painfully expensive， getting timely and proper medical treatment can feel likea luxury. It's no wonder liuzi often joke：

When you're overseas，surviving an illnessdepends entirely on your will to live.

Zaiwai kanbing， quankao mingying.

在外看病，全靠命硬。

However， in the early days of studying abroad，liuzioftenfindthatblandfoodisthe least of their worries—navigating the language barrier proves even tougher.Although many had passed theiracademic requirements，mosthad little opportunity to practice real， everyday English before heading overseas.

Asaresult，manyrely on their“brokenEnglish （散裝英語 sanzhuang Yingyu），”which sometimes leads to awkward and funny situations. One student recalled thatwhen theyhad just started university， during a group discussion， the professor came over and asked how things were going. The studentaccidentallyblurted out，“We are still disgusting.\"

Butonce theyare fully immersed inan Englishspeaking environment，manyreturnhomeonlyto find thattheir Chinese hasslipped—oftenreplaced by what they jokingly call “glitched Chinese（亂碼 中文 luanm? Zhongwén）.\" One netizen shared that theyaccidentallyreferred to cash（現金 xianjin） as 紙錢 （zhiqian），or funeral money.

For many international students， tough times are partof the journey—overwhelming coursework， unexpected health issues，money troubles，or the loneliness of being far from home.These struggles havesparkedamemeknownas“an international student'sdarkesthour，”or留學生的至暗時刻 （liuxuésheng de zhián shike），where students post everythingfromheartbreakingacademicsetbacks to the panic of job hunting with graduation just around the corner.

Afternavigating all kinds of bizarre situations， every international student somehow develops thatsignature“liuzivibe（留子味 liuziwei）.”Some call it a kind of effortless“composure （松弛 感songchigan），”but only they know it’s really a “composed madness （平靜的瘋感 pingjing de fénggan）”—the result of being toughened up for whatever life throws their way， as they like to proclaim：

Evenif Mount Taiwere to collapse in front ofme，I'd still nap and make myself a meal first.

Tai Shān béng yu qián，wδ yé néng xiān shui gé jiào zuo ge fan.

泰山崩于前，我也能先睡個覺做個飯。

Because theyknow，when you'reabroad，bad luck comes too easily， and panicking never helps aslong as they survive， that's good enough.