#ipefall

Shortly after our trip to Jingdezhen, we planned another exciting adventure—this time to Shanghai Disneyland! We worked hard to schedule the visit on a weekday to take advantage of a special discount offering one-day passes for only 399 yuan. Weekdays are also generally less crowded, and based on our online research, Tuesday through Thursday are the best days to avoid long lines. With that in mind, we headed to Disneyland. After all, who can resist a magical Disney day?

Shanghai Disneyland turned out to be perfect for a one-day trip. It wasn’t as crowded as we had feared; the longest wait in line was only about 30 minutes, even without purchasing Lightning Passes. We even managed to ride our favorite attractions, Hot Pursuit and Tron, twice! A unique highlight of this Disneyland is the inclusion of recently popular Disney characters like LinaBell, who has gone viral on Chinese social media. Meeting her was such a treat—she was as adorable as expected!

Another memorable experience last week was participating in a music therapy session hosted by my psychology professor. Since my psychology class has sparked my curiosity, I was eager to see how psychology works in real-world applications. Before the session began, we enjoyed a casual lunch with the other participants, which helped everyone feel connected. The session itself took place in a cozy, thoughtfully designed room with candles, blankets, mats, pillows, and the calming scent of essential oils. Lying down comfortably, we embarked on a guided self-exploration journey while listening to the professor’s masterful piano performance. The session ended with a warm cup of tea and an open discussion where we shared our emotional experiences. It was heartwarming to connect with fellow students and feel supported by faculty members. The session helped me better understand my inner conflicts and reminded me of how many wonderful opportunities JI offers for exchange students.

Lastly, I explored some new spots at SJTU! I discovered a peaceful little reading area on the second floor of Yulan Restaurant—perfect for study breaks. I also tried Canteen 7 near NYBY. Though slightly more expensive, it offers unique dishes like sukiyaki. Definitely worth a visit!

Shanni Yu

Industrial and Operations Engineering

This semester, I’m taking EECS 2150 (Intro to Circuits), two Psychology classes (Intro to Psych and Positive Psych), and Optimization in Machine Learning. Recently, I found out our school’s WiFi provides direct access to Google, so I don’t need UMich VPN for basic searches. However, for some resources like ChatGPT, VPN is still required.

EECS 2150 includes one lab session per week, where I’m paired with another classmate for hands-on experiments and data calculations. Each lab comes with a two-week submission period for the report, giving us ample time to finish up. There’s also a weekly recitation that goes over the week’s content and covers sample problems. It’s optional, unlike UMich recitations, but is helpful for revisiting and practicing the material.

Below is one circuit that we worked on in lab session.

In my Psychology classes, both are taught by the same professor. Unlike EECS 2150’s large lecture style, these classes are more discussion-based. We break into small groups and discuss deeper topics, sharing insights within our groups and later with the class. The format makes for an engaging, interactive atmosphere, and it’s a great way to hear my Chinese classmates' perspectives. Some students do feel the class has a high workload, though. I also sometimes sit in on a Chinese culture class that covers significant and current cultural topics, and it’s a laid-back environment with lots of open discussion.

After a week of hard work, my friends and I took off to Suzhou to see G.E.M. live in concert! She’s this mega-popular Chinese pop star with incredible energy and songs that are all about lifting people up. We spent the day exploring Suzhou, diving into amazing local food, and scoring sweet discounts on Dianping. We even got totally lost in the rock maze at Lion Grove Garden, which was hilarious.

Picture of Suzhou

But the concert? G.E.M. was electric on stage, sharing messages about staying strong through tough times, and it felt like she was speaking right to us. Her music and positivity were exactly what we needed—a perfect way to recharge and get inspired!

Shanni Yu

Industrial and Operations Engineering

After a few weeks of studying, the long-awaited Chinese National Holiday finally arrived, giving all SJTU students a seven-day break. While many exchange students planned trips to places like Chongqing, Suzhou, and Hangzhou, I decided to head back to Fuzhou and travel with my family. We wanted to avoid the traveling crowds, which are everywhere in major attractions in China because everyone has days off during the national holidays, and waiting for attractions is very common—the lines can easily get super long. So, we chose to relax at the beach instead. We drove five hours to Dongshan Island and enjoyed some amazing seafood. The beach was peaceful, and the night markets and tea stands near the shore made it even better as we chilled to the sound of the waves. Below, let us enjoy some beautiful images from DongShan Island: 

Before I wrap up, I have some tips on staying connected with people in the U.S. First, I suggest bringing a spare phone when traveling back to China. I use my main phone with a Chinese SIM card for local calls and texts, while I keep a secondary phone with my U.S. SIM card for receiving messages and making free Wi-Fi calls. This setup has really helped me stay in touch with my family in the U.S. and handle calls for job opportunities.

Shanni Yu

Industrial and Operations Engineering

Hi yall,

It’s Jenipher.

November has interesting and eye opening. First, it was my first time going to a Disney park. It was so fun. The trip included Mary my roomate, Hooks, Braden, Zoe and me. We got to ride Tron 4 times. One of my current favorite rides. I also enjoyed the Pirates of the Caribbean rides.  The rides here are so lifelike and they put a lot of thought into them which makes the more memorable and exciting.

Magical both during the day and at night.

There was a Tron Chevrolet Challenge were you had to race other people and you’d get a grand prize in the end. I wasn’t that interested in the competition but I liked how the cars looked.

We passed by the Alice in wonderland maze. We are all Mad!

OFF WITH THE HEAD!!!!!!

Well! We can’t forget about the Marvel universe.

The castle is so pretty at night!

Tian Tai Mountain trip

It was an interesting trip. My eyes were opened to the importance of staying fit and actually going to the gym. Hiking at least 900 steps is no joke. I almost change my no gym policy to “My God I need to work out”. I was breathing so heavily when I got to the exit. I need to start working out again. I’ve gotten too lazy and my stamina is awful now. Though I was so happy to see the sights. It was all interesting and I took some pictures.

My name is Jenipher and I am new to blogging so bear with me. I’m heading to China in a few days and I’m feeling a bit nervous. I haven’t even left but I’m missing it already. I hope all goes well.

Before landing in China I have to got to Japan for a few days. I’m going to participate in a cultural exchange program that my sponsor has organized. OMG! I’m so nervous. I can’t speak either Japanese or Chinese. I think this will be an interesting experience for me.

Before I arrived in Japan I passed through Chicago O’Hare and I got to take a pic next to this bad boy. One hour layover then I’m off to Japan.

When I got to Haneda airport in Tokyo, I was so excited and a bit apprehensive. I was in a new place and I didn’t know anyone there. There was a person sent to pick me up at the airport. We missed each other and I was walking around the airport for at least 30 mins. I exchanged some of my dollars to Japanese Yen and took a pic with a goofy poster to pass the time while walking.

Then “lightbulb moment” I decided to call her. I know! I know! Eyeroll! Why didn’t I do that before? It seemed that when had passed each other when I had arrived. I promised myself that I’ll stay put next time.

Lacey, the person who was to pick me up, was so sweet. I explained how things are done in Japan and helped me get access to my source of life. Guess what it was? Hint, it’s not tea or water.

Those who guessed soda are correct. I didn’t waste time and I bought myself some Fanta.

Kudos to Japan for one having no food colouring in their sodas and confusing me. Imagine the big bottle there was ¥170 and the tiny one was ¥130. I was so amused when I found out. Another thing that surprised me were the automated toilets. It was the first time I experienced them.

My few days in Japan were so great. I made new friends and was able to see Mt. Fiji and some neat places. I had a translator who helped me with the language barrier problem so I enjoyed my stay immensely. I almost didn’t want to leave. I also learned how to write my name in Japanese katakana.