Tyler Yep
Tyler is part of Cohort 2020. Cohort 2020 project spotlights a group of diverse students, following their journey at Stanford to see happenstance, connections, and growth while pursuing meaningful work.
Image Credits:
BEAM - Miso Kim
Tyler Yep
Computer Science
San Jose, CA
About me
Q. What animal describes you the best?
A. I’ve always liked bears. I feel like they would give really warm hugs. I try to do the same.
Q. What do you like to do in your free time?
A. I play guitar and I like to go running with friends. On any given day, you might see me running anywhere from 1 to 10 miles.
Q. What's you favorite thing to eat/drink on campus?
A. The Deluxious Hot Chocolate from Coupa Cafe.
Winter Quarter, 1st Year
Q. How would you define "meaningful work"?
A. Meaningful work is work that gives a lot of personal satisfaction: work that makes you feel like you have an important role in changing the world for the better. Right now, I believe that the best way to find meaningful work is to get really good at something, and if you have enough value to offer to the world, meaningful work will find you. Every day, I try to get a little bit better at programming, web development, or playing guitar, and hope these skills will eventually open some doors for me.
Q. Are there any actions you have taken recently in terms of finding meaningful work? What have you learned from them?
A. I’ve reflected a lot this quarter on what I want to do in the future, and thought about what skills I would need to get there. After reading a lot of productivity books, I've tried to make more of each day. But most of all, I've tried to just relax and enjoy my time here - there's no point in rushing the process.
Q. What emoji would summarize your experiences this quarter?
Spring Quarter, 1st Year
Q. What’s the coolest opportunity or experience you’ve had since coming to Stanford?
A. The coolest experience I've had since coming to Stanford was the opportunity to be a section leader for CS106A. It’s a rare opportunity to be able to teach a section as a frosh, and the opportunity to practice teaching is incredibly valuable and rewarding.
Q. When was the time you felt most stressed/overwhelmed during the year? How did you get through it?
A. I honestly haven't felt much stress this year. My quarters have been fairly relaxing, and I've been pretty good so far about not overloading my schedule. I'd say the most stressful time this year was when I was stranded at the Caltrain Station at midnight on my way back from SF. Because of that night, I ended up getting sick right before midterm season. But in general, to get through stressful times, I usually go on long runs around the neighborhood or on nearby trails with friends.
Q. What are you most excited about for your summer?
A. I am most excited to be working on an internship on campus over the summer - getting to live on campus while also hanging out with my friends from around the area.
Q. What are your thoughts around careers/meaningful work right now?
A. I believe that meaningful work will come if I get really good at what I do, which is what motivates me to learn. I enjoy designing and creating, which has such a diverse set of career paths that I’m bound to run into something fun.
Q. What advice do you have for incoming frosh about exploring opportunities?
A. I would advise future frosh to try to find opportunities that no one else in the world can find. There are so many opportunities and experiences here at Stanford that you won’t find anywhere else, and that make this education truly worth it.
