February 15, 2023
Lucas Liu is currently a student in the MS in Quantitative Finance program, Class of 2023. Meet Lucas Liu and learn more about his experience this Fall at NYU Shanghai.
Lucas playing frisbee on the NYU Shanghai team.
Hometown: Kunming, China
Undergraduate school: UC Santa Barbara
Undergraduate major: Sociology and Economics
Reason for choosing this program: Great curriculum and faculty
Goal after MS degree: Become a management consultant; can’t wait to travel again to go to South Asia
Other fun facts: Surfer, DJ wannabe
- What’s your favorite course in the Fall semester?
My favorite course is Chinese Financial Market taught by Professor Han Lin. The course gives a good overview of the Chinese economy and its financial market. Professor Lin offers his practitioner views on how to operate within the market. The combination of the course content and Professor Lin’s experiences make this course the gem of the program. Additionally, there were several guest speakers who come from respectable financial institutions and are experts in their field. One of the guest speakers was a distressed investor, and his views on the market gave me some fresh perspectives on how to survive and thrive during these turbulent times. In summary, the course is great. The instructor is amazing. The guest speakers are mind-blowing.
- What was your most memorable program experience this Fall?
I think hosting the alumni panel was the most memorable experience so far. The operations team invited some alumni to share their experiences with us, and I was the moderator for the event. It was so exciting to talk to these alumni and I was inspired by their experiences. The most memorable lesson I learned was to try not to prepare too hard for an interview. Indeed, interviews are meant for displaying our true selves, not an exam whatsoever. Having everything scripted could add more pressure on myself, especially before the interview. I took the lesson and applied it to my interview the very next day, and it went well! These alumni offer great insights, and I hope there could be more opportunities to connect with them.
- What was it like to study and live in Shanghai this Fall?
Shanghai is a fun city to live in. I love walking down the trails near the Huang Pu River after brunching on weekends. My friends and I also go out exploring good restaurants or cafés when we are not busy; there are just too many places to explore in the city.
The school itself is located in the financial district. It gives me extra motivation every time I see the skyline of the financial district through our windows. I can easily go to my internship without worrying too much about the commute. Also, since a lot of the firms I apply to are within the financial district, I can attend most in-person interviews as well. The location of the school definitely gives me access to more job opportunities than other universities could offer.