hen Yuanyuan is a dormitory waitress in Shanghai International Studies University (SISU)’s Songjiang campus. During the passed two years, Chen passed 12 examinations, got a bachelor’s degree, passed CET4 and CET6 and learnt Germany as a second foreign language, all in self-taught.

In Chen’s second year in high school, her father was badly ill. The operation cost a huge sum of money, and her family couldn’t afford Chen and her younger sister to further education at the same time. Chen made a decision that she dropped out of school to work, leaving the chance of study to her younger sister.

But she never gave up studying.

In 2003, Chen became a waitress in SISU dormitory, where she learnt Zikao (a kind of course for adults who want to go back to university). She decided to take the course.

Differing from most candidates who attend the course, Chen did these all by her own. She learnt introduction of British and American literature, interpretation, German langauge……all the subjects that college students should learn in university by herself. Her diligence was famous among faculty, staff and students around her, graduate students who knew Chen gave her their books and learning materials.

In six-year-time, Chen has passed 12 examinations for junior college and 14 for regular college and got her diploma in English in SISU while only four in 40 students in her class got the diploma.

Every exam put Chen under great pressure. “I felt like I was experiencing the college entrance examination, and for twice a year.” she said.

Now Chen is going to continue her study for postgraduate entrance examination.  “I just want to learn,” said Chen, “I’m not doing good enough, I want to study harder and learn more.”