More than 500 incoming NYU Shanghai first-year students moved into their new home at Jingyao Residence Hall on this year’s Move-In Day on August 25. The lines were abuzz with chatter in many languages as first-year students and their families navigated checking in. Despite the heat and humidity, the new students were nonetheless energetic and excited to walk through the doors of their new home for the next year.
On hand to greet the new arrivals were 30 Resident Assistants (RA), who handed out fans, ice cream, cookies, beverages—including a traditional Chinese cold mung bean drink—and snacks to help make the check in go faster.
RAs Catherine Ward NYU ’26 and Peng Chuhan ’27 were on hand with snacks and ice cream
Luke Frazier ’27 from Utah in the United States said that he and the other Resident Assistants were there to help the new Qilins feel as welcome as possible in their new home, despite coming from different backgrounds and regions of the world.
“Most of them are moving to Shanghai [for the first time] and all of them are moving into the dorms,” he said. “I was just trying to make things comfortable and convenient and more natural for them,” he said. While he didn’t say it to each student, he said his main goal was for them not to worry about this transition and instead focus on the excitement of meeting new friends. “I noticed a lot of first year students talking in the line and introducing themselves to each other,” he said. “That feels like some kind of success.”
Zhang Hanna ’27, from Shandong Province, said that being an RA allows her to expand her friend group and make more friends from around the world. “I remember last year as a first-year student, I felt like there was a lot of information coming at me, and I was a little overwhelmed,” she said. “I hope this year as an RA, first-year students can feel comfortable to chat with me more and use me as a resource.”
Sha Yuehang ’28 brought his keyboard with him from Chengdu
Sha Yuehang ’28, from Chengdu in Sichuan Province, arrived at Move-In Day with his parents. He said he hopes to major in Computer Science and is looking forward to trying out for NYU Shanghai’s soccer team.
He was interested to see music courses offered, including song writing and piano. “I learned piano when I was a child, but I didn’t practice it in middle school. I feel that the rich elective courses at NYU Shanghai can help me develop better in this area,” he said. He brought a small keyboard from home to use for arranging music, he said.
While Sha called himself an introvert, he said he likes hanging out with extroverts and hopes to expand his social circle and try new things. His goal for his first year is simple: join a club and make new friends. “I hope that my lifestyle and attitude towards life will change in Shanghai,” he said.
Left: Mia Knepel ’28 and her mother wait in line at Move-In Day Right: Wang Zhijia ’28 from Liaoning wait to check in to the dorm
Mia Knepel ’28 from Colorado in the United States was there with her mother. She found out about NYU Shanghai from a college rep from NYU Abu Dhabi who visited her high school. “I'm adopted from China, so I thought it would be really fun to come back and explore where I’m from,” she said. “I just really like to travel and so being somewhere completely different was really appealing.” Knepel said she is leaning towards a major in business and finance but is considering double majoring in social science. But what is most exciting to her now, she said, is trying new food. “I definitely grew up in a house where food is a big deal, so we’re just trying a bunch of new things and then just having the experience of being over here is super cool.”
NYU Shanghai Chancellor Tong Shijun (left) and Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman were on hand to greet the new students and help them move into the dorm
Left: Tiri Nhawu ’28 and her father traveled from South Africa to Shanghai for Move-In Day Right: Tristan Wang ’28 from the US and his mom and sister brought a dinosaur in Shanghai to decorate his dorm room
Caleb Valdriz ’28 from Waipahu, Hawaii in the US stood in line with a huge laundry basket filled to the brim with an international bounty of snacks, including a Filipino version of lo mein noodles, gourmet popcorn from Hawaii, and Chinese crispy puffs.
Valdriz said he was excited to explore new places in Shanghai. “I brought my camcorders, my Canon camera and my Polaroid camera,” he said. “I’m ready to start vlogging in Shanghai!” Having served on student government in high school in Hawaii, he said he was looking forward to continuing to participate in civic engagement at NYU Shanghai.
Left: Pu Yuheng ’28 previously studied in the US
Pu Yuheng ’28 from Qingdao in China’s Shandong Province, said she was attracted to study at a Sino-US university after studying abroad in the US. Pu, who is interested in exploring data science and interactive media and business, said she is looking forward to the opportunity to take classes in a diverse array of subjects. She said she also hopes to participate in debate or join a reading club.
But she said she had one important goal for her four years at NYU Shanghai–learning to ride a bike. “There are almost no bicycle lanes in my hometown of Qingdao. Riding a bicycle will be tough, so I also plan to learn to ride a bicycle here,” she said.
Yang Yuhan ’28 arrived at Move-In Day with her parents
Yang Yuhan ’28 from Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, said she was most looking forward to exploring her love of music at NYU Shanghai. “I hope to join an a capella group or choir,” she said. She added that she hopes to have time to try painting and playing badminton.
Yang said that ahead of Move-In Day she and her dorm mates had already connected online, and was appreciative that she could reach out to her Resident Assistant and Orientation Ambassador with questions.
Amelie Woc ’28 and her parents get ready to move her into her dorm room
Amelie Woc ’28 from Guatemala was waiting in line with her mother and father, who is originally from Guangdong Province. Woc said that coming to NYU Shanghai was a chance for her to explore her family’s culture. “I grew up in Guatemala my entire life and I've grown up with my mom's culture, but now I wanna get the opportunity to grow in my dad's culture, which is China,” she said.
Woc, who hopes to major in computer science or interactive media business, said she’s most excited about all of the activities, clubs, and meeting new people. “I live in a pretty small city,” she said, “and everyone knows each other; I wanted to step out of that for a while and get to know people from all over the world. I'm very excited to get to know so many different people from different cultures and religions, because I don't get that in my country.”
But even in her enthusiasm about exploring a new place, Woc said she made sure to bring along some pieces of home, including a CD of a Guatemalan artist… and frijoles, a traditional bean dish from her home country. “Beans in China are so different from Guatemalan beans, or beans in Latin America,” she said. “So I brought my frijoles because I can't live without frijoles.”
Welcome Leaders were on hand to pick up international students at Pudong International Airport, escort them to campus, and help them get set up with essentials, like phone apps and bank accounts. Aside from moving into their new dorm rooms, students met their roommates and toured the campus with their parents, who attended a panel discussion of NYU Shanghai parent representatives.