Xin Yu

 

- 24’ undergraduate student in Civil Engineering, ZJUI

 

- Awarded as an Excellent Graduate of Zhejiang University, with honors like "Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award," "Academic Excellence Award," "Artistic and Athletic Achievement Award," "Student Leadership Award"

 

- Successfully admitted to 8 prestigious universities worldwide, including Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, University of California, Los Angeles, Northwestern University

 

- Won the Second Prize in the 19th Structure Design Contest for College Students in Zhejiang Province

 

- Runner-up in the "M- Zone Cup" Asian Games Breakdance Competition in Jiaxing

 

 

She will soon pursue a Master's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University

 

 

A Resilient Girl

From Research Novice to Provincial Competition Winner

 

"I never expected that our team would ultimately win an award in the 19th Structure Design Contest for College Students in Zhejiang Province and become the best performing team from Zhejiang University. Xin Yu recalls her journey of research competitions four years ago, jokingly referring to herself as naive. "Back in my freshman year, I had no idea which research direction I would pursue in the future, simply driven by curiosity, I participated in the Structure Design Contest for College Students in Zhejiang Province as a complete novice." To keep up with the team's pace, she willingly studied a substantial amount of specialized knowledge on material mechanics, structural analysis methods, modeling software, and tirelessly attempted preliminary structural designs, which unfortunately did not yield satisfactory results. Multiple failures brought Xin Yu a lot of disappointment, but she firmly believed that persistence would lead to success. She expressed, "I don't see these failures as stumbling blocks in my research journey. Instead, I view them as opportunities for growth. They help us understand the essence of problems better, find new ways to solve them, and continuously acquire valuable experience to change our thinking and approach, thus constantly improving myself." Through countless days and nights of effort and perseverance, Xin Yu's team achieved an excellent result, winning the Second Prize in the 19th Structure Design Contest for College Students in Zhejiang Province. In this process, extensive literature readings and practical experiences laid a solid academic foundation for Xin Yu's subsequent research direction on the mechanical properties of carbonized glued bamboo materials standard specimens and the structural mechanics of bamboo materials. Additionally, the perseverance to face challenges and fearlessly accept failures, along with the pursuit of excellence, has accompanied Xin Yu throughout her four-year research practice, allowing her to delve deeply into research with courage and resilience.

 

 

▲Structural Displacement Diagram in the Structure Competition

 

▲Model diagram in the Structure Competition

 

▲ Photo of Xin Yu (second from the left) participating in the 19th Structure Design Contest for College Students in Zhejiang Province

 

In the first semester of her junior year, Xin Yu actively sought research opportunities and proactively applied to participate in the project "Axial load-deformation behavior of a novel bamboo-culm based member with a hybrid of glue, timber plug, bolt connections." Under the guidance of professional instructors, she used Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to measure the axial deformation of the components based on the theory of material mechanics and recorded the strength of the component materials. Each seemingly simple construction was extremely time-consuming and laborious to make, with heavy and large components, complex and tedious processes, challenging her limits at every step. "Processing bamboo culms, processing timber plugs, installing bolts, applying structural glue... each set of processes takes several days to complete. However, when the finished product is placed on the equipment for axial load testing, due to the irregularity of the material itself, eccentricity occurs, causing the structure to fail prematurely due to bending moments." Xin Yu gradually found herself in a dilemma through repeated failures and attempts. When breakthroughs seemed unattainable from the inside, she sought external help. After encountering a bottleneck in her research, Xin Yu immediately sought help from faculty members in Civil Engineering at ZJUI with extensive professional practical experience. Following the professor's advice, she changed the component connection form to a ball joint to avoid the impact of eccentricity on the structure, significantly increasing the success rate of the axial load testing. "It is common to have less than ideal results. Instead of wasting time on regrets, it is better to calmly identify the reasons for failure and then find solutions." This is how she summarized her research process.

 

 

▲ Strain diagram monitored by DIC in axial load test

 

▲Bamboo material components

 

The road of research is long and full of obstacles where academic accumulation alone is far from sufficient. What's more important is perseverance. Through practical research projects, she further clarified her research direction - the application of bamboo materials in structural design. She said, "Choosing bamboo as a research subject is not only because bamboo is a renewable green material with a short growth cycle and good mechanical properties, aligning with the theme of sustainable development today, but also because I feel that bamboo, like me, has a tenacity. Whether twists and turns, it can persist with unwavering perseverance in adversity, clinging to the green hills and never letting go."

 

 

Introvert with stage fright

From an Amateur Dancer to a Street Dance Diva

 

▲ Xin Yu (fourth from the right) participated in a dance club performance

 

When it comes to dancing, Xin Yu becomes a storyteller, fervently sharing the bond she has with dance. In Xin Yu’s view, dance is her closest friend.” I started learning dance from a young age, I never feel tired when I’m dancing, it makes me passionately enthusiastic,” she shared with us. When she first entered university, she felt overwhelmed by ZJUI’s complete English teaching and the academic requirements of a dual degree program. The transition from high school to university also brought about anxiety, and dance became her unique way of coping with stress. She believed that dancing can keep her emotions elevated, allowing her to approach her studies and work with the same level of ‘hyperdrive’ as when she dances. Especially when she encounters difficulties and bottlenecks, dance is able to rescue her from stagnation and chaos. “People always need to have a passion for something in order to face life actively and bravely,” she stated. Dancing has enabled the initially stage-frightened Xin Yu to build confidence, shining brightly on the stage, and also made her much more composed when delivering course presentations. Moreover, as a different form of exercise, dancing has significantly improved her physical fitness and coordination.

 

 

▲ Screenshot of Xin Yu dancing in UIUC

 

In Xin Yu’s eyes, dance knows no boundaries. “Dancing really means a lot to me, if speaking is expressing oneself with language and mouth, then dancing is expressing oneself with the body.” Xin Yu excitedly told us. “During my junior year studying abroad at UIUC, I was dancing with the local students, and it was then that I truly felt that dance is a language without borders.” Dance allowed her to engage deeply with companions from different countries and cultures. Similarly, different types of dances are also expressions of a group or a certain culture, like an invisible bridge, building a channel for cultural exchanges, especially under the cultural atmosphere of ZJUI, Xin Yu felt that dance makes her thoughts more inclusive. As the head of the Student Art Ensemble of the International Campus, she has organized or participated in many artistic activities inside and outside the campus. In her sophomore year, Xin Yu led the dance group to win the second place in the “M-Zone Cup” Asian Games Breakdance Competition.

 

 

▲ Xin Yu (third from right) and her team preparing for the “M-Zone Cup” Breakdance Competition

 

 

“Ever-Changing Sprite”

From “Beginner” to “Polygon Player”

 

Xin Yu’s reason for choosing the major of civil engineering at ZJUI is quite interesting.” Once, I accidentally saw a documentary ‘The Disney Imagineering Story’, which tells the story of engineers building Disney parks around the world. It made me realize that civil engineering is not only cool but also romantic, this major indeed has the power to make fantasies a reality.” After coming to ZJUI, at first, she felt overwhelmed and emotionally collapsed due to the pressure, but she adjusted her mentality through dance and practiced her listening skills on English learning apps, and gradually adapted to the teaching mode of ZJUI, and began actively exploring various areas she loves. She learned piano, improved her dance skills, participated in Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), served as the head of the Student Art Ensemble, volunteered for the Hangzhou Asian Games, served as a teaching assistant in the course of MATH257, and so on. Xin Yu spends an enriching four-year at ZJUI. Xin Yu has always remembered what Prof. Xiao Yan of ZJUI said to her when she first entered ZJUI: “It’s always a good idea to try more, even if the result of the attempt is not ideal, eliminating unsuitable options itself is also the meaning of the attempt.” So, Xin Yu never limits herself or restricts her steps.

 

Xin Yu still insists on her “sticking to the end” attitude, even for experiences she just ‘dips her toes into’, she strives for perfection. She served as a volunteer at the Asian Games, mainly responsible for providing bilingual consultation services for guests at the OCA (Olympic Council of Asia) Family Headquarters Hotel. At first, she registered as a volunteer for the Asian Games with the idea of broadening her horizons and improving her social skills. However, information consultation work requires a strong ability to collect information and adapt to changes. In order to provide a more comprehensive service for foreign guests, she compiled all the relevant information about the events and then practiced her spoken language and wording by simulating different scenarios in order to present herself in the most perfect state. She still remembers a woman from Tajikistan who she helped during her service period, held her hand and said: “The Hangzhou Asian Games are very well organized, you should be proud of your country.” These words made Xin Yu feel that all her efforts and contributions were worth it.

 

 

▲ Xin Yu’s image photo as a volunteer for the Asian Games

 

Thanks to her solid professional foundation, research capabilities, and rich social practice experiences, Xin Yu’s resume was quite outstanding among the many applicants. She received offers from 8 world-renowned universities, such as Stanford University, University of California Berkeley, Columbia University, University of California Los Angeles, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Northwestern University, Duke University, University of Southern California. Ultimately, she chose to pursue a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University.

 

Upon graduation, looking back at every project she participated in, and every report she wrote, Xin Yu was amazed at her growth and transformation, and was grateful for the multicultural atmosphere at ZJUI, which allowed her to show a more colorful and interesting self.

 

 

Suggestions for ZJUIers

 

1. Be proactive in participating in activities inside and outside the campus and focus on improving comprehensive quality. Professional capability is undoubtedly important, but comprehensive abilities such as communication, adaptability, and time planning are also crucial for students to stand out in competitions. Truly excellent people are often “Polygon Players”, and activities inside and outside the campus are the best opportunity to cultivate these abilities.

 

2. Pay attention to the development of information retrieval capabilities and collect postgraduate application information as early as possible. Whether it is postgraduate recommendation in China or applying for studies abroad, accessing to information is crucial. Students can get ahead by understanding the requirements and preferences of postgraduate programs in advance to improve your competitiveness.

 

3. Do more after-action reviews and reflections. After completing each task, you can ask yourself: What strengths or weaknesses do I have in this experience? Where should I do better? Did I generate interest in a new direction? How does what I am doing now help to achieve my goals? By constantly updating the cognition of yourself, you can better plan your own development route.