Xu Yige: Live the Life the Way You Like

Major: Finance

At the moment she begins to smile, you will understand why this girl can be elected as the student ambassador with the best counseling ability and affinity as well as one of the excellent kiwi members – who doesn’t like an independent, confident and passionate girl like her? Four years is not a long time, but it is enough to realize the transformation a girl ever dreamed of. During the interview, you can see light and joy in Xu Yige’s eyes. When recalling the four years of university life, she said that not a single day had been wasted.

“Improve efficiency and concentration, and don’t rework”

2015-2016, third prize of Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU) Academic Award and Leadership & Public Service Award; 2016-2017, 2017-2018, two second prizes of WKU Academic Award; 2016-2018, included into the Dean’s List for each semester. In her resume, Xu Yige is really one of the so-called “other children”. When speaking of this, however, she would humbly wave her hand and say, “I am not a study machine. In my free time, I also love watching movies in the bedroom and sleeping late, just like everyone else.”

Xu Yige, as a student ambassador, has a good way to balance work and study. She sums up three rules. First, you must have a plan to help yourself overcome procrastination – never rework if you can finish your work in one time.” I can keep a relatively high concentration. I usually like to choose study music from different time dimensions on YouTube and urge myself to complete the task before the music is over,” said Xu Yige.

Second, find the learning methods that suit you and pay attention to the details. She is extremely focused in the classroom, because in her opinion, “the things a teacher mentions most frequently in class are obviously the key points when reviewing the lessons.”

It is also important to know how to communicate with the teachers, and do not isolate yourself from others. Almost all the professors remember her, even if she has never been to a Spanish language course, she can also make friends with the professor. In Xu Yige’s eyes, “Teachers are not enemies, but friends. Talk with professors as possible as you can, which not only can help solve your problems, but also deepen their impression on you and let them see your efforts. Try to say hello the next time you meet a professor on the elevator. You must have some unexpected surprises.”

“Every day will be a new day if you make a plan for your university life”

In fact, Xu Yige had already made a Four-Year Plan in her freshman year. As a result, she has almost never wasted a single day during the four years: she spent most of free time to do volunteer work, start a business and take part in community activities to enrich her extracurricular life; In the second year, she participated in the Summit of Six Chinese-Foreign Cooperative Universities and the China Financial Youth Leaders Conference; In the third year, Xu went to study in the Kean University as an exchange student and travelled around the US without causing any impact on her study. In her last year of university, Xu took an internship, prepared for the CFA examination (the key to Wall Street) and applied for the postgraduate program.

Xu Yige is obviously a very smart girl. She knew early what she wanted. “University life is much harder than that in high school. It is different from the step-by-step life and you need to find your own plans and directions.” She changed her major from English to finance at the first year and traveled throughout the United States during the junior year. In her opinion, one should be very clear about the current affairs he/she wants to do. “Reflection is meaningful while regretting is meaningless. Never regret about what you have done.”

“Don’t muddle through anything, because you will never know what opportunities it will bring to you.” During her study in the Kean University in America, Xu Yige had to run a virtual investment of 800,000 US dollars together with her team members in the investment class, all the operations were real ones in the real-time market except that the money on the account was virtual. Many students didn’t pay much attention to this opportunity, but Xu Yige was quite looking forward to it. After three years of study in finance, it finally came in handy! From understanding a company’s situation to deciding how to invest in stocks, bonds, funds, etc., each step is extremely time-consuming, but she is the most serious one. In the end, her group became one of the first three profitable groups and was appreciated by the professor. Unexpectedly, that virtual investment became a very important part of her job interview.

In addition, Xu Yige worked as an intern in Haitong Securities after coming back for Kean University. Her daily work was not so heavy during that time. But she took the initiative to challenge different tasks in the securities industry. “It is you who have to discover the opportunities. Don’t wait for others to ask you,” Xu Yige said straightly.

Be Your Own Life-Saving Straw

During the year when she studied at Kean University as an exchange student, this independent and confident girl from Wuhan, China rented a house outside the school, learned how to cook, and often went on trips with her classmates on the weekend. Aren’t you afraid of the risks and dangers on your trips? Xu Yige smiled, “It depends on your planning ability. Safety first during traveling. You must learn to be your own life-saving straw.”

During the four years in WKU, Xu Yige served as a student ambassador and an admissions assistant and took her workmates as families. In the eyes of others, Xu Yige has many creative ideas: designing the 2016 WKU desk calendar, organizing survival experience activities in Hangzhou, creating the first “grim marriage”-themed haunted house activities, “color run” music festival, Christmas tour in alma mater, holding info sessions and admission consultations in high schools in 12 provinces…This girl can always play the time to unlimited value, “I’m really tired, but very happy”, Xu Yige said bluntly. For her, work is more of a responsibility rather than a task.” The ambassador is like my home, so who would ever want to leave home?” This is the reason why Xu Yige has stayed in the post of the ambassador for four years. Among all the ambassadors, she has become good friend with many big fishes like Xia Xue, and served as the host at the press conference of Xia Xue’s APEC trip; similarly, she has also become a role model for many people. Sunny born and never change.

By Zhang Siyu