Hefei Coffee Talk!
Throughout the semester
Hi everyone, I’m eggtea! I’m a senior studying mathematics in the School of the Gifted Young at USTC. I came to Hefei in 2023, so I’ve been here for three years now…
I’m a complete bookworm (yes, I start daydreaming as soon as I see a book). So, what is eggtea actually like?
I like mathematics, computer science, and technology, although sometimes they are a pleasure and sometimes a source of pain.
I love traveling. I can’t stay in one place for very long—haha, perhaps I’m a little hyperactive.
I like grinning, so you’ll feel very relaxed talking to me, because it’s a bit like watching a fool…
My memory is terrible. I often feel like a large language model with a very short context window and a tendency to hallucinate. My dream is to become a mathematician; in reality, I often can’t remember a verification code I’ve just received… Maybe studying mathematics has scrambled my brain?
I have lots of energy (hopefully not just from drinking coffee), and I believe I can give a little encouragement to friends who are feeling down.
I have two very specific dreams! But I won’t tell you here—come find out over a coffee chat!
One of my guiding principles is to keep exploring, so I’m happy to talk about all sorts of things: mathematics, computer science, AI, football ⚽️, badminton 🏸, films 🎬, cooking 🍳, philosophy, economics, social structures, learning a third language…
You can come with a specific topic in mind, or we can simply chat and explore what each other’s world is like.
I feel I’m still at an age when my values and worldview are changing dramatically. But as I grow, I increasingly realize that talking to people is a very effective way to broaden my horizons and explore ideas. “Among any three people, there is someone I can learn from” really does make sense. By continuing to explore the world beyond ourselves, we discover new worlds.
So, while I have some free time this semester of my senior year, I’d like to combine this with my plan to explore cafés in Hefei and invite anyone interested to have a coffee together. Any time! Any age! Any background! I have just one hope: that you have dreams of your own~ (Having dreams is a way of approaching life, too.)
Oh, and coffee’s on me.
People I’ve talked with
| Date | Person | Conversation |
|---|---|---|
| HP | We talked about traditional Chinese medicine, how AI could work with hospitals, different approaches to high-school education, and football. | |
| SGR (two people) | We talked about the paths and challenges facing students who excel in the sciences—the so-called winners of the college entrance exam—in today’s world, and new educational challenges for children born in the 2010s. Wishing the two of them a wonderful relationship! | |
| WJJ | We talked about careers, AI, emerging FDE roles, and social energy, and also explored a wetland park together~ | |
| NYB | We talked about using AI efficiently and letting it amplify our productivity, and toured the campus~ I learned a lot from talking with interesting teachers and students! | |
| LMY | Wishing him and his girlfriend a wonderful relationship, hehe! | |
| WB | We explored Shenzhen Bay together, and I gained a better understanding of Shenzhen’s rapid development. | |
| WZJ | We talked about quantitative finance and visited Peking University’s Shenzhen campus. I learned a lot! | |
| HBK | We talked about applications, going abroad, labs, and more~ A fellow USTC student and a future academician! | |
| Daniel | We talked about English and TOEFL, and visited SUSTech~ I hope we both get into great schools! | |
| M-E-L-E-L-E-R-Y | We talked about quantitative finance! So grateful for the chance to chat with someone so accomplished—who turned out to be very approachable in person~ | |
| ZX | We talked about auditing in the public sector. Government really is an intricate system~ | |
| LKN | We talked about communism in the age of AI and even bigger aspirations. I came away with many profound insights, including what intelligence means. Congratulations on first place in RoboGame! A future leader! | |
| CRL | We talked about how AI works and whether its theoretical questions need to be resolved. We also used airplanes as an analogy: what exactly is the relationship between understanding the principles and using something in practice? | |
| LQG (twice) | We talked about life in the UK and our hopes for going abroad~ Someone who left a wonderful impression on me, and a future leader! | |
| GYL | We talked about careers, project management, internships, and more~ A woman full of dreams and enthusiasm who left a lasting impression! | |
| ZSC | Not really a Coffee Chat, but I learned a lot from our conversation! A fellow USTC student and a future leader! | |
| HBA (n times) | His project really impressed me—it’s bound to change our undergraduate education! We’ve talked many times, and I think this younger student has enormous potential! |