"Living in Shanghai is very easy for foreigners because of how developed and well-planned the city is," said Derek Tan, an international exchange student from Purdue University.

He finished his spring semester at Shanghai Jiao Tong University's School of Mechanical Engineering in May.

"There are many small differences between Chinese and American culture. There aren't any glaring differences that make life difficult－the difficulty comes from the combination of small differences," Tan said. "These are not things that can be taught in the classroom and are part of what makes the experience in China such a good one."