Shenzhen is China's future-facing city, with a young population, a superb modern metro and a start-up energy you feel everywhere. Universities are new and ambitious, several teaching partly in English, and the beaches and hills of the coast sit right beside the skyscrapers. Because almost everyone is a transplant, it is easy to make friends, though the city can feel short on history.

• Hong Kong is a 15-minute border crossing away at Futian or Luohu.
• Several campuses, such as CUHK-Shenzhen, teach heavily in English.

Shenzhen's social life spreads from the malls of Futian to the expat bars of Shekou and the converted-factory arts district of OCT-Loft. With so many young transplants, meeting people is easy.

• Nightlife spreads across Coco Park in Futian and the expat bars of Shekou in Nanshan.
• OCT-Loft, a converted factory district, is the hub for art, coffee and live music.
• Ask the Shenzhen group on Studcasa where students go for cheap eats near campus.

Shenzhen is a tier-one city but generally cheaper than Shanghai, especially for housing in the outer districts. Budget roughly 5,000 to 8,500 yuan a month (about 650 to 1,100 euros).

• Canteen meals are 15-25 yuan, and the Dongmen food stalls stay cheap.
• A shared room in Nanshan or Bao'an runs roughly 2,200-4,000 yuan a month.
• The city is entirely cashless, so set up Alipay and WeChat Pay first thing.

Campus dorms in Nanshan are the easy first step, and the city's urban villages offer the cheapest private rooms. Expect listings in Chinese.

• University dorms in Nanshan are the easy first step, close to SZU and SUSTech.
• For flats, look at Nanshan and Bao'an on Lianjia; urban-village (chengzhongcun) rooms are the budget option.

Shenzhen's metro is one of the newest and largest in China, clean and cheap, with shared bikes filling the last mile. Getting around barely costs anything.

• Pay for the metro by QR in WeChat or a Shenzhen Tong card.
• Fares start at 2 yuan and a monthly transport spend of 150-200 yuan is typical.
• Shared bikes cover the last mile in the flat, well-planned streets.

Shenzhen's universities are young, ambitious and heavily funded, several with strong English-taught programmes aimed at international students. Research and tech links are a real draw.

• Shenzhen University (SZU) is the big, well-resourced local university.
• The Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and CUHK-Shenzhen are research-focused and English-friendly.

For a full semester you need an X1 student visa; anything under 180 days uses the X2. Your host university sends an admission letter plus a JW201 or JW202 form, and you take both to a Chinese embassy or visa centre back home. Requirements and fees swing a lot by nationality, so check your own local embassy rather than trusting a mate from another country.

The bit people forget: an X1 visa only gets you in the door. Within 30 days of landing you must convert it into a residence permit at the local Public Security Bureau (Entry-Exit office), which means a health check and passport photos. Miss the deadline and the fines are real.

• X1 visa, stays over 180 days, needs JW202 + admission letter
• Residence permit, apply within 30 days at the local PSB
• Medical exam, required for the permit, budget €50–80
• Rules vary by nationality, always check your own embassy

With no single local cuisine, Shenzhen serves the best of everywhere, from Cantonese to Teochew and Hunan. It is also the world's electronics capital.

• Graze Cantonese, Teochew (Chaoshan) and Hunan food across the city.
• The Dongmen district in Luohu is the classic cheap-eats and shopping warren.
• Huaqiangbei is the world's biggest electronics market and a sight in itself.

Nanshan holds the universities and tech world, Futian is the business and nightlife core, and OCT is the green cultural quarter. All are minutes apart by metro.

• Nanshan holds the universities, tech giants and the expat-friendly Shekou area.
• Futian is the central business district with the main nightlife.
• OCT (Overseas Chinese Town) is the green, cultural quarter around OCT-Loft.

Shenzhen's location makes for effortless weekends, from Hong Kong across the border to the beaches of the Dapeng Peninsula. High-speed rail reaches the rest of Guangdong fast.

• Cross into Hong Kong in minutes at Futian for a full change of scene.
• Guangzhou is about 30 minutes by high-speed rail.
• The beaches of Dameisha and the Dapeng Peninsula are the local weekend escape.

Shenzhen is easy to live in, but sort your connectivity and border logistics, and adjust your expectations of old China. It is a city built for the future, not the past.

• Sort a VPN before arrival for blocked apps and sites.
• Keep your passport ready for quick Hong Kong border runs, and check visa rules first.
• Do not come expecting old China, as Shenzhen is all glass, parks and newness.