Bingruo Xu on Confidence and Being a Strong Woman

This interview has been edited for clarity and style.

Can you tell me a little bit about your background and what drew you to Columbia?

I did my undergraduate schooling in China, and I studied abroad at Cambridge University for a short time. When I thought about pursuing graduate school, my dream school was Cambridge. But the professor, who was my advisor at Cambridge, suggested that America would be a better fit for me.  He strongly recommended that I study in the United States and wrote a letter of recommendation for me. 

Columbia was definitely the best choice for me. In New York, there are people from all over the world. You can come here and make whatever you want. Coming to Columbia was my first time living in America, so I felt nervous before I got here. I thought it might be like Gossip Girl and everything would be very fancy.  Being from China, I was also nervous about the cultural differences and the language difference. It’s a lot different here from my hometown.

Can you tell me a little bit about what you've been involved in outside the classroom?

When I first came to Columbia in my first course, I spoke with the professor about how I was trying to fit myself into this new situation. She was really kind and we talked about how to get familiar with your graduate program classmates, even though we all have different plans, different classes.

After talking with her, I decided to join a comedy club outside of the University. That's really helped me to practice my language and given me laughs and lots of positive experiences.

What have been some of the biggest joys and some of the biggest challenges of your time as a student so far?

Probably taking my applied analytic coursework! It's all related to data analytics, and I majored in accounting. I never did anything in computer science. When I got my I-20  form for this program, I knew it would be really difficult for me and that there'd be so many smart people who already know a lot about ​​computer science. I thought, Oh, maybe I'm not clever enough for this. 

It was really hard to get into the first class knowing nothing about coding. I didn’t even know how to download R and STATA. But there were some really good advisors, who provided a lot of times where I could learn how to get started. I also went for further help in the advisory office hours. That really helped a lot to transform into a more confident student.

Who've been some of your mentors at Columbia?

Your classmates can be some of the best mentors, especially if they are a little bit older than you. They have a lot of experience and many of them helped me a lot with my career path. One of my classmates, who worked for an investment bank, is doing really well in his career and helped me decide what my next steps should be. I have another friend who is pursuing her Ph.D. here, focused on Asian Studies. She helped me a lot to take a new perspective on what it means to be a powerful woman. When I was in high school, I used to think being powerful meant not accepting help, especially from men. Since coming to Columbia, I’ve begun to feel a bit differently. Being a strong individual means that you can willingly accept help, while also being able to provide assistance to others within your means, regardless of gender. This is how each of us contributes to society as a whole.

What advice do you have for students who are going to be new to Columbia in Fall 2023?

Enjoy every minute of it! When you graduate from this school, you're going to miss it! It's one of the most colorful periods in life. Sometimes, you’re going to get annoyed thinking, Oh, why didn't I get a higher GPA? Or why didn't I get better job offers? Don’t waste too much time thinking that. Later, you're going to find that it doesn't matter at all.

What are you looking forward to after graduation?

Right now, I'm doing an accounting job at a construction company, but I’ve also found a new interest in the field of social work. I'm considering looking at jobs in the social work field and maybe going back to school for another degree.

Anything else you’d like to share?

It is my experience at Columbia that has made me a person who is more willing to think about where my true interests lie, and has given me the courage to explore any new opportunities. I believe that this is the most valuable thing that the school has given me.

Bingruo (Melanie) Xu, SPS’23, studies Applied Analytics in the School of Professional Studies.