Author Archive for Luyi

Congratulations Potential Class of 2014

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Luyi
on April 2, 2010
in Mind Hack
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You lucky 6.9%!

Harvard

Well, congratulations! Before you read my blog and decide you want to go to Yale, let’s keep in mind that its geared towards current students, and regardless of where we are, we all find something to complain about. :)

As a senior reflecting on the epic decision of where I want to spend my four years of college, I don’t think I could have made a better one than deciding to go to Harvard. Not only are you with them for four years, you’re with them for a lifetime. So, as you consider your choices or are celebrating the choice you have, think about not just what the undergraduate experience will be like, but also what the post-undergraduate experience will be like.

That is all. Or is it?

[P.S. The financial aid is actually quite good, and it ain't a teaser rate.]

Commentary: Netflix on Freedom & Responsibility Culture

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Luyi
on August 5, 2009
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Netflix takes its corporate culture seriously. Probably the first and only time I would recommend or read a presentation deck of 128 slides. It features FASCINATING insights about its business strategy and culture of work.

I’ve worked for a number of different companies — big, small, new — each has its own set of characteristics. Netflix, thus far, has an extremely unique point of view. The level of transparency is severely refreshing.

Quick kudos to one of my favorite blogs: TechCrunch.

What do you think? How does Netflix compare to companies you’ve worked for or worked with?

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How to Say No and Not Feel Guilty

Published
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Luyi
on August 3, 2009
in Productivity Hack
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Harvard students do too much

Sometimes, you just get that nagging little feeling that tells you that you should stop doing something because it’s too hard, too time-consuming, not interesting etc. etc.

BUUT, then you’re alter-ego kicks in and says, but you’ve spent so much time on it already! If you quit, it’ll all be for naught.

OR, they are relying on you! You need to be dependable or else it’ll look bad.

OR, if you suffer through it….it’ll look GREAT on your resume!!!

Here’s a few tips I’ve learned over the years on saying no gracefully and shamelessly. It’s improved my standard of living muchly so, thank you.

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Social (Media) Networking 101’s for the Harvard Student

Published
by
Luyi
on July 27, 2009
in Productivity Hack and Rant
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Social Media NetworksAh, Facebook. It encapsulates both the joy and despair of a college student’s existence. It can gobble up your soul while you’re composing that perfect wall post to your (maybe he / she likes me) crush.

You might spend more time crafting your perfect Facebook profile and finding that awesome Facebook profile pic than ALL of the time you spent preparing for college applications. Scary.

Not that I’m any avid user of social networking sites by any means, here are some useful ground rules for not completely messing up your internet trail forever.

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Commentary: The Curse of the Class of 2009

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Luyi
on July 26, 2009
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WSJ’s: The Curse of the Class of 2009

Economic research shows that the consequences of graduating in a downturn are long-lasting. They include lower earnings, a slower climb up the occupational ladder and a widening gap between the least- and most-successful grads.

In short, luck matters. The damage can linger up to 15 years, says Lisa Kahn, a Yale School of Management economist. She used the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a government data base, to track wages of white men who graduated before, during and after the deep 1980s recession.

Ouch. As Class of 2010, this news stings as well. I imagine that this year’s on campus recruiting class will go ape-shit to land the dwindling number of sexy consulting and finance jobs and internships.

That being said, I’m worried about how this would affect the academic decisions of those in the younger years of college. Does this mean fewer Classics concentrators and more Economics concentrators? Does this mean that the pre-business clubs and organizations will see an influx of weary-eyed freshmen already plotting their post-graduation job courses?

I hope that freshmen will remain freshmen, but that might be too much to hope for. Any thoughts?

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Driving Change Without Authority Part II

Published
by
Luyi
on July 22, 2009
in Productivity Hack
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Influencing without AuthorityThere’s a fine line between being annoying and being assertive, just like there’s a fine line between being a pest and being someone who responsibly follows up.

People might not tell your boss if you did a great job of being respectful of their time, but trust that the feedback will get to your superiors’ ears if you’re not, even if you’re talking to someone in the most distant corner of the organization who technically has a lower position than you.

How do you position yourself so that others willingly help you?

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Commentary: Starting Fresh With an Unpaid Internship

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Luyi
on July 20, 2009
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WSJ’s: Starting Fresh With an Unpaid Internship

Internships—temporary positions that pay little or no salary—are typically designed for college students or recent graduates exploring potential career paths. But with unemployment at 9.5%, some older laid-off workers are taking on these stints to stay busy, gain new skills and expand their networks. In the meantime, they continue to job hunt and, in some cases, collect unemployment benefits.

Hello recession! What a scary job AND internship hunting season we will have this year. Imagine, competing against seasoned professionals in the internship hunt, or the entry-level job hunt. Makes me shudder, truly.

Granted, Harvard grads will be weathering out the storm better than most. But, this recruiting season, things will get ugly. Really, don’t pester your class of 2010 friends this entire fall with study group requests. We’ll be applying ourselves to grad school or the bottomless job hole.

For anyone not going through the imminent catastrophe of graduation, what are your thoughts? Feelin’ lucky for being in school for some more years?

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Driving Change without Authority Part I

Published
by
Luyi
on July 20, 2009
in Mind Hack and Productivity Hack
. 1 Comment
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Sky-high leadershipIt’s easy to get things done when you’re in charge. Hell, you’re the boss, it should be easy to get things done. But, what if you’re a gear in the corporate cog? No direct reports, just colleagues and higher ups. How in the world are you supposed to make an impact?

One of the most valuable things that my work experience has taught me is negotiating that delicate balance of getting people (who in all honesty have no real reason to help you) to help you.

Being able to effect change without actual power is an important life skill, not taught in the hallowed halls of Hahvahd.

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What do you want to see?

Published
by
Luyi
on July 16, 2009
in Rant
. 1 Comment
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Harvard sure can be rough

Harvard sure can be rough

So, I’m assuming I have retained some sort of occasional visitor-ship. Doing nothing can be beautiful sometimes.

I’ve written a bunch of stuff just for You! already.

I’m sure you have other burning questions that make sense for me to attempt to answer. (No asking me about the new “Core” or where laundry rooms are or when you’ll find out about rooming assignments or why you aren’t in Stoughton the best dorm ever.)

To give some perspective and context, I’m an economics concentrator, with a citation in Chinese. I’ve studied abroad in Shanghai. I’ve worked on the beloved Harvard College Tuesday Magazine (I’m biased). Survived and did a brief stint at The Crimson. Was involved in … maybe as many publications as I have fingers in some capacity. Blah. Blah blah.

I’m going into business after graduation. By determining prices, ensuring proper allocation of inventory or something else. I did e-recruiting for a brief sad stint as a sophomore, ignored it as a junior, and will ponder how the next few months will define my opportunities for the 2 years after graduation.

But you’re all just freshmen, so, you must have some questions I can give a shot at or pass along to my friends who span the range of Harvard student types.

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What to Do When Your Computer Dies and How to Prevent Its Death

Published
by
Luyi
on May 25, 2009
in Mind Hack
. 1 Comment
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sad-cookiesI think it’s half-way inevitable that your computer suffers a major malfunction at least once during your college career. Sometimes you have to replace it, other times you have to wipe it clean. Sometimes, it’s almost dead, but not quite.

My computer died just this semester and had to get wiped. My new computer caught a virus in about 2 weeks, and I was left straggling.

There are preventative and reactive measures you can take when you computer is on the verge of dying, or is sort of dead already.

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