EXO’s Lay Zhang is officially a college student. The 35-year-old singer-actor revealed on October 13 that he had earned the TOEFL score required for university admission and is now enrolled at a school in Los Angeles, where he is expected to study film for about two to three years.
Zhang shared the news himself through his Instagram broadcast channel, writing, “Hey guys, a little life update … I’m officially a college student now! Back to school, learning new things and chasing my dreams. Wish me luck!” According to TV Report via Naver, he added that he wants to return to school, learn new things and move toward his dreams, asking fans to cheer him on.
The university’s name has not been disclosed, but reports say he will major in film in Los Angeles. At a recent fan-signing event, Zhang said he plans to study cinematography, lighting, editing and acting, and hopes to one day return to audiences with films he directs himself — a long-standing ambition.
The announcement exploded online — discussion of his decision to go back to school at 35 climbed to No. 1 on China’s trending search rankings. On October 15 he opened a new Xiaohongshu account and posted his first video introducing himself: “Hello everyone, this is 35-year-old international student Lay Zhang. Are you ready to watch my life studying abroad?” The montage showed his flight and sightseeing as he settled in, alongside clips of him in a recording studio and operating a film camera. AsiaOne also noted that New York Film Academy’s student services shared a September 16 group photo with Zhang in it, though he has not confirmed which school he is attending.
The return to education closes a loop that started in 2008, when Zhang joined SM Entertainment as a trainee at 16 and moved to Korea, debuting with EXO in 2012. With his teenage years spent training and performing, he never attended college — a regret he has spoken about openly. He began preparing for the TOEFL at the start of this year, squeezing English study into an already packed schedule, and occasionally let fans watch him study on livestreams. The enrollment is the payoff. Most recently, he starred in the sports-comedy film Kung Fu Football, released this year.
Fans won’t have to wait long to see him on stage again: EXO will hold the encore of its sixth solo concert, “EXO PLANET #6 - EXhOrizon [dot],” from November 6 to 8 at the KSPO DOME in Seoul’s Olympic Park. EXO’s side recently cancelled and fully refunded fan-club presale tickets tainted by fraudulent bookings, blocking the accounts involved.
