Siying Yu
Class of 2025 in Electrical Engineering
Yu Siying, class of 2025 in Electrical Engineering of ZJUI.She has garnered numerous prestigious awards including the Second Prize in the 8th Physics Academic Competition, Third Prize in the 3rd Zhejiang University Concrete Dragon Boat Competition, Team First Prize in the International Campus of Zhejiang University White Horse Cup Debate Tournament,and First Prize in Zhejiang University International Campus' Summer Social Practice Program. Academically, she has been a consistent recipient of the Zhejiang Provincial Government Scholarship and Zhejiang University's First-Class Scholarship. Her outstanding achievements earned her the distinguished title of "Outstanding Student" at Zhejiang University, with special honors recognizing both her academic excellence and extracurricular accomplishments in arts and sports. Now this diligent and accomplished Electrical Engineering student is poised to embark on an exciting new academic chapter at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she will continue her scholarly pursuits.
Reflecting on her four-year undergraduate journey, Yu Siying described her greatest challenge and core goal as "discovering her true passion." She stressed that students must identify their academic interests during the critical window of their first and second years, then carve out a focused development path—a pivotal step for building a meaningful academic career. In the summer of 2021, fresh out of high school, Yu had only a vague inclination toward fields related to "electricity." Faced with the daunting task of choosing among China’s highly specialized electrical engineering discipline. she found the decision overwhelming without practical exposure.Ultimately, she was drawn to ZJUI’ s interdisciplinary model, which transcends traditional academic boundaries. She enrolled in Electrical Engineering , hoping this flexible environment would help her explore and solidify her genuine research interests.
From the outset of her undergraduate studies, Yu Siying actively complemented her rigorous coursework with hands-on research to explore technical specializations, candidly sharing how early academic uncertainties led her to pursue multiple projects. These interdisciplinary experiences crystallized her focus on computer architecture while providing comprehensive exposure to electrical engineering domains, embodying her belief that "specialization demands thorough verification through practice." Her academic trajectory was shaped by these projects, which yielded significant growth in technical perspective.
Yu Siying built upon her strong practical background by tackling an advanced curriculum that involved building complete computing systems from the ground up—a demanding challenge even for experienced student. With outstanding technical abilities, she mastered the entire development process from architectural design to physical implementation, earning top marks while producing exceptional coursework. Currently researching accelerated optimization algorithms for hardware systems, she seeks to pioneer new applications of cutting-edge technologies while exploring fundamental optimization principles.
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Yu Siying extends her impact beyond academics through dedicated volunteer service, including designing writing workshops as a teaching assistant for Rhetoric courses and volunteering to teach scientific principles to rural children in Yunnan. She excels in competitive debate—winning championships and "Best Debater" honors—while balancing academic rigor with musical expression as a creative outlet. Reflecting on her journey, she shares a powerful philosophy: true success comes not from waiting for the perfect path but from courageously pursuing curiosity despite doubts. She challenges the self-limiting belief that one must be "completely ready" before starting, emphasizing that meaningful growth occurs through hands-on engagement—whether in research, projects, or teaching—as challenges invariably prove less daunting in practice than in apprehension.
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