The ultimate glow-up for influencers is studying abroad—even Yin Shihang has turned into a study blogger.
But on Xiaohongshu, the various "study gods" among learning bloggers are a real mixed bag.
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Take this obviously fake "Stanford elite"—tagged Stanford University, self-located in New York State, USA, but the IP shows Hubei ❓
Self-proclaimed "God of Eternal and Creative English", so mighty that even Shakespeare would call him big brother.
An IELTS 8 or TOEFL 110 and they dare claim godhood? American high school students wouldn't even dare speak.
As for why Stanford 2025 Fall would require CET-4, CET-6, or TEM-8, and even mock exams, we dare not ask.
This blogger claims to "memorize words for over ten hours a day, around three thousand daily," with the top vocabulary on the entire web.
Even though a 20K vocabulary is already godly, and Shakespeare only had about 30-40K, this blogger must have 100K+.
Allegedly born into a legendary English family, his uncle has a vocabulary of 150K+👇
Maybe this is the ancient Greek god of vocabulary—even ChatGPT has to learn English from him.
The last time I saw such a cringey blogger was the last time.
Though Stanford has no record of this person, they’ve already secured a spot as a source of joy for avid internet surfers.
Netizens be like: You’d sooner believe I’m the Governor of New York 😅
Maybe because more young people are taking postgraduate exams these days, instead of showing off their grind, they’re flashing Harvard/Yale/Princeton/MIT/Stanford student cards or some insights from a study god.
Before, Hangzi livestreamed for attention by proposing three times; now he relies on memorizing 500 words in 2 hours.
The best cosmetic surgery for celebrities is studying abroad; the new track for influencers is being a study-abroad blogger.
Gallery of Study-Abroad Personas
Open Xiaohongshu, and all kinds of study-abroad personas are cranked up to the max.
The Academic Elite
A big shot with 160,000 citations—Einstein would blush in comparison.
Beautiful researcher Dr. Reeds—main job influencer, side job ghostwriting, barely related to her PhD field anyway.
The Rich Kid
Stretch Rolls-Royce as daily ride, private jet back home, six Patek Philippes at once—it’s all about obscene wealth.
Anyway, before being exposed for faking and stealing pics, the ultrarich persona could still harvest dreamy followers.
The "only daughter from Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai" in study-abroad circles is the top-tier persona among rich kids.
The idea: three generations haven’t tasted hardship, at least three properties as starter, a rich princess with a bit of diva flair.
The Artsy and Aloof
Daily gallery visits, sharing niche music and literature, going for that artsy goddess vibe.
The princess’s dilemma: inherit the family’s 20,000 acres or keep pursuing art.
The Gym Blogger
Lululemon ambassador, perennial gym selfies, body on fire, abs and peach-butt game maxed out.
The Globetrotter
Posts checking in at different countries and cities, gallivanting through 7 countries and 21 cities all year—makes it seem like you’re the only one grinding deadlines while they’re just sampling life.
The Lovey-Dovey Blogger
Daily PDA, showing off without caring who cringes, using Xiaohongshu like a WeChat Moments.
A quick search on Xiaohongshu yields all sorts of "study-abroad persona guides" to help you quickly master various cringey literary styles—even Guo Jingming would sweat:
"Three months after returning home, the days in Leeds feel like another lifetime. Taking a fierce bite of salad, I swallow four years—at least, the vegetables here are fresh."
Netizens: Love it, post more. Building our dream villas as we speak.
Top study-abroad personas straight out of a Jinjiang novel:
Male lead: Wall Street investment bank, buys in Manhattan, PhD startup netting eight figures yearly, Forbes 30 Under 30.
Female lead: Harvard/Yale/Princeton/MIT/Stanford, rich girl posting shopping vlogs, 4.0 GPA, casually dating a minor celebrity.
So Xiaohongshu is all about rich princesses studying abroad or rich second-gen heirs returning to inherit the family business.
The daily “overseas student” life on Xiaohongshu: waking in a chic apartment, playing with the cat and walking the dog, afternoon shopping and nail salon, evenings filled with fine dining and galas.
The ordinary overseas student’s daily life: starts like wilderness survival, trudging disheveled to 8am classes, basically a survival challenge.
Homemaker simulator, daily sustenance-level cooking.
Understanding the homeless, becoming the homeless.
No wonder ordinary students don’t film vlogs—no one wants to watch the exhausted grind of a study-abroad corporate zombie. Aside from snapping blue skies, white clouds, and green lawns, they’re just home chefs in their rentals 😅
The reason various study-abroad personas go viral online is likely because netizens love watching them.
Everyone claims a Harvard admit, Silicon Valley elites everywhere.
If you’re not from a U.S. Top 30 undergrad, you’re not even worthy of a study-abroad matchmaking group; a $200K annual salary in the Bay Area counts as destitute.
Anyway, online it’s all real or fake—before being exposed, it’s like Yang Di’s extreme makeover, but actually meeting up? Not a chance.
True Academic Big Shots
Netizens now have PTSD from scholar personas—so much that seeing a UChicago JD/MBA dual degree with Cum Laude seemed fake at first glance, but this one’s actually a real top student👇
Dual UChicago JD/MBA in four years, and top 10% Order of the Coif. And Brown undergrad—likely from a solid background.
Mystery solved: turns out he’s the boss of boutique investment bank William Blair—so of course he’s no ordinary person 😅
True academic titans get reported by media, have their names in top journals, but they themselves rarely post on Xiaohongshu.
'95-born prodigy Cao Yuan, postdoc at MIT’s graphene lab, youngest author in top journal Nature. Finished elementary through high school in three years, entered the USTC Special Class for Gifted Young at 14, completed an MIT PhD at 24, now a professor at UC Berkeley.
Another academic big shot, Anqi Zhang—direct-entry Harvard PhD, Stanford postdoc, Mensa goddess, both brilliant and stunning.
In study-abroad circles, there are naturally gifted scholars and also inspirational ones.
The real-life protagonist of the film Flying Colors, Sayaka Kobayashi, transformed from a troubled teen to get into the prestigious Keio University, and at 34 received a Columbia grad school offer—fiery and inspiring.
Maybe not everyone can live like a Jinjiang power fantasy; various personas precisely target specific demographics, basically selling internet dreams.
On Xiaohongshu, everyone is Harvard/Yale/Princeton/MIT/Stanford with a $1M+ Silicon Valley salary—a survivor bias best taken with a grain of salt, and many are scams to fleece followers.
Don’t get swept away by the shallow wave of forced study-abroad personas; walking the path most suited to you is the best.
