Studying at SUSTech: Research, Campus Life, and Shenzhen#

Welcome to SUSTech!#

Before coming to SUSTech, most of what I knew about the university came from its website and rankings. I knew it was a relatively young research university in Shenzhen, with a strong focus on science and engineering. After actually studying here, though, I realized that university life is obviously about much more than labs, courses, and research.

What I like about SUSTech is that the campus feels quite different from the rest of Shenzhen. Shenzhen is fast, crowded, and constantly changing, while the university itself is much quieter. After spending a long day in class or working on an assignment, it is actually nice to walk back through a campus with trees, open spaces, and fewer cars.

If you are interested in studying at SUSTech, you can find more information and application details here.

🏙️ A Campus That Breathes#

One of the first things I noticed after moving in was how green the campus is. There are trees almost everywhere, and many of the teaching buildings and dormitories are surrounded by hills and open spaces. On clear days, especially after rain, the sky can be surprisingly blue.

The dorms are also fairly convenient for everyday student life. Most things you need—canteens, classrooms, sports facilities, convenience stores, and study spaces—are within walking distance. This may sound like a small thing, but when you have an 8 a.m. class, being able to leave your dorm and get there within a few minutes definitely matters.

The campus is large enough that different parts of it have their own atmosphere. Some areas are busy during class hours, while others become very quiet in the afternoon. I sometimes feel that simply walking around campus is a good way to reset after sitting in front of a computer for several hours.

🚇 Shenzhen Is Just Outside the Gate#

SUSTech is not located in the busiest part of Shenzhen, which I actually see as an advantage. Campus life is relatively peaceful, but the city is still easy to reach.

There is a metro station right outside the university, so going downtown does not require much planning. Shenzhen’s metro system is inexpensive and covers most places students are likely to visit. On weekends, you can go from campus to shopping malls, parks, bookstores, restaurants, beaches, or older neighborhoods without needing a car.

For me, this is one of the best parts of studying here. During the week, most of my time is spent around classrooms, the library, and the dorm. Then, when I want a change of environment, Shenzhen is immediately available. You can have a very quiet Saturday on campus, or spend the whole afternoon walking around the city.

📚 The Quieter Side of University Life#

Not every memorable part of university life is an event. A lot of it is just ordinary moments: studying in the library when sunlight comes through the windows, walking past the teaching buildings at night, or trying to finish an assignment before going back to the dorm.

The workload can certainly get heavy. Depending on your major and course selection, there can be weeks filled with problem sets, projects, presentations, and lab work. But the physical environment helps. There are plenty of places where you can sit down and work, and the campus usually becomes very quiet at night.

I have gradually come to appreciate this rhythm. University life here is not always exciting, but it rarely feels completely disconnected from the things I came here to study.

🌃 Shenzhen After Dark#

Campus and downtown Shenzhen almost feel like two different worlds.

After sunset, places such as MixC World are full of lights, shops, restaurants, and people. Compared with the university, the atmosphere is much faster and louder. Sometimes that contrast is exactly what you want after spending several days mostly thinking about coursework.

It is also interesting to study in a city like Shenzhen because so much of the city is relatively new. Technology companies, startups, research institutes, and universities are all part of the same environment. Even if you do not interact with that side of Shenzhen every day, you are constantly aware that it is nearby.

🔬 Research Starts Earlier Than You Might Expect#

Research is probably the part of SUSTech that feels most distinctive.

As an undergraduate, you do not necessarily have to wait until your final year to enter a lab. Many professors are open to undergraduate students joining research projects, and there are opportunities to get involved relatively early if you actively look for them.

Of course, “doing research” as an undergraduate does not mean immediately publishing papers or working independently. At the beginning, it may simply mean reading papers, learning unfamiliar tools, helping with experiments, reproducing previous work, or figuring out what a research group is actually working on.

That experience is still valuable. It gives you a much clearer idea of what academic research looks like beyond lectures and textbooks. For students who are considering graduate school, research, or technical careers, having that exposure early can make a real difference.

What I have gradually realized is that SUSTech’s research atmosphere is not something completely separate from everyday student life. The labs, classrooms, library, dorms, and even Shenzhen itself are all part of the same experience.

I originally came here mainly because of the academic opportunities. After spending more time on campus, however, I think the quieter parts of life here matter just as much: walking back to the dorm at night, taking the metro into the city on a free afternoon, finding a good place to study, or simply seeing a clear sky after several rainy days.

That is probably a more accurate picture of studying at SUSTech: serious when it needs to be, but not only about studying.