BU senior, Cici Yu (COM’24)
BU senior, Cici Yu (COM’24) shares her experiences getting involved in activities outside of the classroom and what she learned about herself in this process.
Please share more about yourself and your engagement on campus outside of classes?
Hello! My name is Cici Yu and I am a senior at Boston University double majoring in journalism and public policy analysis. I first joined the Daily Free Press, BU’s independent student newspaper, as a writer my sophomore year. After honing my reporting skills, I took on the role of City Editor in Spring 2022.
Even after my editorship ended, I stayed involved with the Free Press by joining their Board of Directors. Now in my senior year, I am giving back to the organization that gave me so much by serving as Training Chair. In this position, I organize training sessions for new writers and editors to help prepare them for success.
How did you decide what organization(s) to join?
When deciding which organizations to join at BU, I knew I wanted hands-on journalism experience that would allow me to see my byline printed in a real publication. The Free Press provides an amazing entry point into print journalism and a tight-knit community for aspiring journalists like myself.
What have you discovered/learned about yourself in this process?
Through my time at the Free Press, I learned the “ins and outs” of news reporting through first-hand experience interviewing sources and writing stories. Discovering my love for asking questions and telling stories about my community led me to focus on city reporting and covering public policy issues – things I never expected when I first joined!
How do you balance your academic and non-academic commitments?
Balancing commitments takes discipline and planning. I always keep a planner handy and make daily to-do lists to stay organized. Each semester, I’m mindful not to overcommit to too many extracurriculars so I can focus on academics. With good time management, it’s possible to do it all.
What would be one piece of advice for international students thinking about joining a club/group/organization?
My advice to international students considering getting involved is: jump out of your comfort zone! College is the perfect time to try new things, explore interests, and uncover passions. Take advantage of all the learning experiences BU has to offer.
