Before Asking Others for Help, Help Yourself First | Feng Chia University Department of Finance Pei-Hsuan Huang

During my four years at Feng Chia University's Department of Finance, I not only benefited from excellent club environments and educational resources but also began to broaden my horizons. In my freshman and sophomore years, I participated in many club activities, enriching my leadership, collaboration, and event planning skills. I also took part in the department's orientation activities, expanding my networking, communication, and event management abilities. These experiences laid a solid foundation for my soft skills, which have become significant advantages in the workplace. Besides enhancing these soft skills, the Department of Finance has always been very open, allowing students ample space for self-exploration.

Honestly, my grades in my freshman and sophomore years were not good, possibly because I focused on club activities and networking. However, in this open learning environment, no one limits what "success" means, nor does anyone label you because of your grades.

My junior year was the turning point when I started planning my life goals. I firmly believe in the saying, "When you move towards your goals, you will find the whole world helping you," and the Department of Finance indeed validated this for me. In my senior year, I became very interested in Fintech topics and took courses on financial technology and big data analysis offered by the department. Learning about the Hua Nan Financial Holdings Financial Innovation Competition, I immediately rallied my department partners to participate. The department's teachers were very supportive, and we were fortunate to win the bronze award in the second Hua Nan Financial Holdings Financial Innovation Competition.

In my senior year, I applied to be a pre-research student in the Department of Finance, allowing me to take master's courses during my senior year. I began exploring data analysis, asset allocation, and quantitative investment models in finance. The department also offered several related courses, significantly enhancing my Python data analysis skills and concepts in asset allocation and quantitative investment models.

Rallying classmates to participate in the second Hua Nan Financial Holdings Financial Innovation Competition and winning the bronze award.

The learning environment at Feng Chia University provided me with ample space to develop. During my master's studies, I had a sudden inspiration: "I want to improve my English conversation skills; I don't want to be limited to the Chinese market in the future." I immediately thought of the many exchange opportunities at Feng Chia University! As an action-oriented person, I reported to my parents and registered for the IELTS exam the next day, successfully obtaining the opportunity to exchange at Temple University in the United States for the 2019-2020 academic year. This year felt like a dream, with different levels of improvement in my mind, thoughts, and finance expertise. The experience of exchanging in the United States felt like something from a previous life; I could share stories for days, but in summary, "It was worth it!"

Although the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in March 2020, forcing me to return early from my exchange in the United States, I quickly adjusted my mindset and re-planned my future development, moving forward to the next stage of my life. In April of the same year, I started submitting resumes, aiming to enter the workforce directly after completing my online courses in the United States in May. Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and I joined a Fintech investment consulting company in Taipei as a financial data engineer. I precisely realized my plan from three years ago: "Fintech, big data, programming, investment." I am very grateful for my choice six years ago and for the nurturing I received from Feng Chia University's Department of Finance.

Successfully applying for a one-year exchange at Temple University in the United States for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The experience of exchanging in the United States felt like something from a previous life; I could share stories for days.

Finally, I want to share a concept: "Before asking others for help, help yourself first." When you start exploring your goals and directions, you will find the whole world helping you. Feng Chia University's resources are definitely sufficient to help you, and the department's professors are very willing to share information and assist students. Besides the resources available in the department, the school's teaching support is also abundant. For example, I am a loyal user of the library's free e-books, where the latest books and business magazines can be read online for free. The paid software and data systems purchased by the school are also diverse and rich. I hope all students still in school can find their direction and discover their value!

"Before asking others for help, help yourself first." When you start exploring your goals and directions, you will find the whole world helping you.