Although the oldest student among her classmates, she remained the most studious, teachers said.

Getting up at 5 am every day, the first thing she did was to turn on her computer and study before breakfast. When she was free during the daytime, she studied at home or took some books to a nearby park.

Never married, Xue lives alone and said she does not invite people to her home in Tianjin because her books are piled up in her apartment.

She said the television in her home has not been switched on for four years because she thought she could instead use the time to study.

Zhang Jun, an instructor at Tianjin University, said Xue is the most hardworking student she has ever met and was one of the top students in her class.

"She went to our office frequently because she often encounters computer problems in using the online course system, and she respected teachers by insisting on standing when we explained things to her," said Zhang.

"She has good grades in most courses except the computer. She tried six times before passing the course in December 2017 and then finally received her degree," Zhang said.

"Studying makes me happy, and it is always rewarding," Xue said.

"Despite all the hardship I experienced during the past years, I gained wisdom from the setbacks and became tougher. One can only really know oneself when adversity comes," she said.

Xue speaks four foreign languages－English, French, Russian and Latin－all learned by self instruction, and she is fond of photography, skating and swimming at her spare time.

"Life is limited, I want to truly and fully live my life. I want to break the stereotype and remain true to my heart. Having the courage to keep going one's own way is important," she said.