Before I Leave NYU: Advice From a Senior

During my first year at NYU, Steinhardt selected me for the Dean’s Global Honors Experience, a program that took me to the United Kingdom. At the time, I had no idea how much that trip would shape the next four years of my life.

The experience sparked a desire to keep exploring, meeting new people, and stepping outside my comfort zone. That mindset led me to study away at NYU London during my sophomore year. Moving to a new city felt intimidating at first, but it quickly became one of the best decisions I ever made. I traveled to different countries, met incredible people, and learned just as much outside the classroom as I did inside it.

If an opportunity to study away comes your way, take it. You’ll return as a different and better version of yourself.

I joined Psi Upsilon, a fraternity at NYU. I know, not what you’d typically picture when you think of a school in the middle of Manhattan, but hear me out. Brotherhood gave me a community when the city felt overwhelming. It gave me friendship and some of my best memories. However, I didn’t stop there. I went on to found NYU’s chapter of Circle K International, a community service organization. Through that experience, I learned that leadership comes from what you build, not what others give you.

The opportunities to lead, serve, and grow are everywhere if you’re willing to seek them out. Whether it’s a fraternity, a club, a cultural organization, or a study group, find the people who make NYU feel smaller and warmer.

I quickly learned that the value of my NYU education wasn’t measured by the credits I earned, but from the energy I invested back into the community. As a Resident Assistant, I became an older sibling for first year students guiding them throughout their first semesters at NYU. The role challenged me, but it also deeply rewarded me. I carried that same mindset into my role as an Admissions Ambassador. Standing in my purple tracksuit jacket and leading campus tours, I met students from all over the world who were excited, overwhelmed, and full of questions about whether NYU was the right place for them. With every tour I gave and every conversation I had, I saw pieces of my younger self in them. I remembered what it felt like to arrive at NYU without a roadmap, trying to figure out where I belonged.

Those experiences taught me something no classroom ever could: people are what make this university feel like home. Sometimes it’s a professor remembering your name, a friend checking in after a difficult week, or an RA noticing when you’re struggling. At a school as large and fast-paced as NYU, those moments of connection matter. They remind you that even in a city of millions, you are never as alone as you think you are.

Four years ago, someone told me getting into NYU was just luck. Today, I know better. It came from sleepless nights and the sacrifices my parents made when they left Guangzhou to build a life in Brooklyn. It came from every essay, every application, and every moment of doubt I pushed through anyway.

To anyone reading this, wherever you’re from and whatever your story, know this: you are ready for this. NYU will challenge you, stretch you, and, on the best days, absolutely delight you. The best four years of your life are waiting. Go get them.