I’m Yue Peng, a computer science student at NYU Shanghai.

A few things I’ve enjoyed for a long time: robotics competitions, from FLL and VEX to FRC and RoboMaster; EaseCation, a Minecraft world that has been running for more than a decade; and heading into the mountains to see something different from the everyday.

I like gathering around a robot with teammates, talking things through and debugging until, after many attempts, it finally moves the way we expected. I also like seeing people who have never met join the same server, get to know each other, and end up with shared friends and stories. The machines and code are interesting in their own right, and getting to build something together is another reason I keep coming back.

These days, I do some research, write code, and spend time figuring out things I don’t yet understand. When I have an idea, I usually write it down. Some have turned into things that run; others are still in my notes. I don’t always have a clear plan. Often, I find something else I want to try along the way and keep going.