After Six Years Abroad, Ouyang Nana’s ‘Prodigy’ Hype Yields Only a Diploma?

发布时间：Date: 2024-06-14 返回新鲜资讯Back to News

After six years, Ouyang Nana graduated from Berklee College of Music, but the fact that she received a Professional Diploma instead of a Bachelor of Music sparked online controversy, raising questions about her "talented girl" image and the value of her degree. Although she clarified it was a personal choice to reduce academic courses and focus on music practice, the public still compares her to top student celebrities like Gu Ailing, believing her long-marketed study-abroad image falls short of actual achievement. This incident reflects scrutiny over celebrities' motivations for studying abroad—whether it's for genuine self-cultivation or merely to "gild" their résumé for the entertainment industry.

Meanwhile, the article also mentions Wang Yuan's study status at Berklee and the case of Zhang Jingchu, who at 44 was admitted to the directing program at the American Film Institute (AFI), showcasing different paths and attitudes among celebrities studying abroad. CheersYou（清柚教育） believes that regardless of external judgment, celebrities returning to campus to seek self-improvement in the noisy entertainment industry is inherently positive. For regular international students, there's no need to be overly anxious about others' pace or labels; clarifying your own goals, enjoying the study abroad experience, and achieving personal growth are the core values of studying abroad.

Ouyang Nana has graduated from Berklee.

After six years of enrollment, including three gap years, Nabi finally had her own graduation ceremony.

Fans felt vindicated, yet Ouyang Nana was mocked once again.

Keen-eyed netizens noticed that she received a Professional Diploma, not a Bachelor of Music.

Netizens: After all these years marketing a music prodigy image, she just got a diploma?

Netizens questioned whether she attended Berklee only to gild her credentials, with the goal of returning to the entertainment industry to cash in.

Some netizens felt her persona had collapsed: a Curtis prodigy and Berklee top student—is this it?

After all, Gu Ailing won Olympic gold and walked for LV without missing a beat, and still aced Stanford with straight A's.

In any case, the more she marketed it back then, the harsher the judgment now.

Later, Ouyang Nana came out to clarify, saying that earning a Diploma was her own choice, and the difference from a Bachelor's mainly concerned academic courses.

Netizens obviously didn't buy it: she started at Curtis in 2013, so how is she still marketing a study-abroad persona in 2024? Ordinary people would have earned a PhD by now.

Every move gets mocked—it’s a bit pitiful.

At least she knows what she wants and just enjoys her student life abroad.

Ouyang Nana's study-abroad vlogs went viral, once a must-watch for many international students.

It’s said that studying abroad is Ouyang Nana's best cosmetic surgery—no matter how harshly she's mocked in domestic entertainment, she can switch back to a fresh-faced college girl in a second.

Toggling between studying abroad and the entertainment world, she knows what netizens like to see.

Earlier, she held a personal charity concert at Berklee, maxing out her exposure and likability.

Now that Ouyang Nana has graduated from Berklee, netizens have started their daily push for Wang Yuan.

Wang Yuan is majoring in Professional Music at Berklee, leaning toward music production.

During the end-of-term group project, he just looked like an ordinary college guy.

Let's just say, no need to worry—when to graduate is a personal choice.

Returning to campus from the limelight, choosing self-reflection in the restless entertainment industry, no matter the pace, is a very positive decision.

Zhang Jingchu: The Only “Sister” in Chinese Entertainment Who Livestreams Homework

Chinese entertainment has its own crazy-style international students: while others join “Sisters Who Make Waves,” she opts for grad school.

Before 40, she was a controversial actress; at 44, she went abroad to study and became the first person in Chinese entertainment to livestream her homework.

Recently, Zhang Jingchu’s homework livestreams went viral, drawing nearly a million viewers.

Last year, Zhang Jingchu was admitted to the directing program at the American Film Institute (AFI), officially becoming an international student in the U.S.

AFI, the top-ranked film school in the U.S., has alumni all over Hollywood and sweeping the Oscars.

Wally Pfister, cinematographer of “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Inception,” and Darren Aronofsky, director of “Black Swan,” are both AFI alumni.

Getting into AFI is tough, requiring application essays, recommendation letters, résumé, transcripts, portfolio, and for international applicants, a TOEFL score of at least 100 or IELTS 7.

But none of this stumped Sister Zhang. In just 26 days of crash training, she scored over 100 on the TOEFL, and in 4 days she churned out 3 papers—maybe she’s the god of learning in Chinese entertainment.

At first, some thought her livestreams were just for show, but she truly studies.

Netizens confirmed: Zhang Jingchu’s international student vibe is not an act.

Her immersive homework sessions are silent and interaction-free, pure companionship.

No makeup, dull eyes, pained expression—a fatigue tainted by knowledge.

Blank stare and haggard face, clearly from several all-nighters, a mental state just like you and me during finals week.

She writes all day, 12 hours nonstop, basically an ultra-long battery life.

Netizens: wait, are female celebrities this hardworking? This sister has already achieved financial freedom—what else is she striving for?

While others in Chinese entertainment are fighting over billings, Sister Zhang has leveled up.

From a vocational school to the #1 U.S. film school, a 26-day DIY application success—the sole “sister” of grad school in Chinese entertainment.

Her offer made hot search; at 40, life still holds endless possibilities.

But before studying abroad, everyone is equal—glamorous female celebrities cannot escape the torment of learning.

The boot camp before the semester already ramped up, with 10-12 hours of classes daily and deadlines nearly every day, making Sister Zhang incredibly busy.

After a month and a half of school, Sister Zhang's state is like: breaking down, but barely holding on.

Before finishing the first year, the school has already assigned a graduation short film group project.

Sister Zhang often meets with classmates until midnight, bolts out of school, then stays up late to revise scripts, and rises early to shoot the next day. Too busy to eat, yet with this study intensity she still livestreams four days in a row.

This isn’t just digital motivation; it’s crazy study abroad mode.

She says: “It feels like many tigers are chasing behind, so I run forward desperately.”

Some netizens don’t understand: after 45, it’s advisable not to push so hard—even if finances allow, your body may not withstand it.

Others think she’s building a persona, finding a new way to stay relevant.

Yet some find it inspiring: doing what you love turns even exhaustion into enjoyment.

No matter what others say, this sister has truly found peace. Even such an intense student life carries a touch of detachment.

She was once popular, then mired in controversy, reportedly blacklisted by directors’ wives circles, nearly fading into obscurity.

Over the years, she kept to a vegetarian diet, learned English, switched to directing and producing, and at 44 studied abroad, restarting her life and carving a new path for older female celebrities in Chinese entertainment.

Studying Abroad: A New Track for Celebrities and Influencers

More and more influencers and celebrities have gone abroad to study in the past two years, flocking to the UK and US. Yin Shihang and Xiaoyi enrolled at Goldsmiths, University of London, while Lu Yuxiao attended the University of Leeds.

Hangzi transformed from a streetwise dude into an IELTS blogger, showing off two-hour instant memorization of 500 words—massively winning goodwill.

Wang Shiling and Huang Duoduo are frequently compared; both once attended international schools in Beijing. Now, Wang Shiling goes to a prestigious girls’ school in the UK, while Huang Duoduo heads to Northwestern University.

Moreover, many showbiz stars have overseas study backgrounds, including Yu Shuxin, Ma Boqian, Li Zhiting, Yu Wenwen, Tang Wei, Lin Yichen, Jiang Shuying, and others.

Even Xi Mengyao, who married into a wealthy family, recently returned to school to pursue an EMBA at Peking University and Hong Kong University.

It’s clear that Xiaoming is studying seriously; with husband He Youjun being an MIT whiz and her own elite EMBA, only by becoming stronger can she firmly stand in wealthy circles.

It’s often said that studying abroad is the best makeover for celebrities—from degree gilding to self-reflection, from the vanity fair to the ivory tower, it garners public goodwill and turns studying abroad into a new track for stars and influencers.

As long as one studies abroad earnestly, whether celebrity, influencer, or ordinary international student, there’s no easy mode at the start.

What studying abroad gives us is not just a prestigious degree, but more importantly, a broadened horizon and the courage to pursue dreams. Let's encourage each other!