More than 4,200 Fudan undergraduates and more than 11,000 postgraduates from all over the world arrived at the four campuses of Fudan University in Shanghai over the weekend to register for classes.

This was first freshmen registration event to take place on campus after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the university's Handan campus, which is located in downtown Shanghai, booths established by various schools and departments were lined up along the university's major paths.

The excitement of entering a new chapter in life filled the air. For many, getting enrolled in Fudan, one of the most prestigious universities in China, is a dream come true.

Among those present on Sunday was Zhang Yanpeng, who graduated from a county high school in Lishui, Zhejiang province. Zhang became a local celebrity of sorts when he became the first person in his hometown in 18 years to get accepted into Fudan University. His insistence of using the same ballpoint pen for all the exams during his senior high school year had made the news headlines.

Zhang brought this trusty pen, which has already been refilled 71 times, along with him to Fudan.

"For me, this is more than a pen, but a comrade-in-arms that has helped bring me here to Fudan," Zhang said.

Yan Yiyun, who graduated from Shanghai Middle School, said that she is aspiring to become a master in financial information technology and contribute to Shanghai's efforts of becoming an influential global financial center.

Yan will be studying financial technology, a new major by the university that combines resources from the computer, information, mathematics and big data departments.

For Laksika Hongfongfah, a Thai national of Chinese descent, this new journey in Fudan will be critical in helping her not just learn more about business management but also her Chinese roots.

Meanwhile, Darwin Vickers, who had previously obtained a degree in computer science back in his home country Australia, said that returning to campus to pursue studies in philosophy is a dream come true.

Vickers said he was working as a soft engineer for about five years when he decided to return to school.

"I'm interested in philosophy and have always wanted to come to China because I grew up in a community in Canberra with many neighbors of Chinese descent," he said.

"Fudan is a very nice university and Shanghai is a very interesting city to live in. The only challenge is that I have to complete the major in Chinese. But having spent one year in Nanjing learning the language, I would say that I am prepared."