Dongyu Yu

Bachelor of Communication (Media Studies and Journalism) 2013

I made up my mind in high school that I wanted to study communication and become a journalist. I have always believed that gaining a variety of life experiences leads to fulfilment, and journalism is one of the best ways to achieve that. 

My friends recommended Massey. They showed me clips of New Zealand that were so beautiful and peaceful, it seemed calm and welcoming. I researched communication programmes at universities across New Zealand and compared many factors before choosing Massey. 

One of my first courses was Introduction to Academic Writing. Honestly, I had no idea about academic writing then and had never written a proper academic essay. I struggled. But, surprisingly, my paper was read aloud in the tutorial. The tutor encouraged me and gave fair feedback. I suddenly understood the key points of academic writing. 

I was the only Chinese student in almost all my communication courses at Massey, but the lecturers and students did not treat me differently because of my limited English. I remember the discussions with lecturers, and their knowledge and insight. They encouraged me and showed me that a broader world was waiting for me to experience. 

I really appreciated the structure of the Bachelor of Communication. The papers progressed from linguistics to communication skills in cross-cultural, interpersonal and business contexts; from basic media studies to specialised areas such as media and trauma, gender, film and advertising; and from introductory journalism to media processes, law and ethics. These were not simply knowledge and skills. They helped me build a framework for understanding the world. I began asking questions about the relationship between myself and the world and working out what kind of person I wanted to be. 

In my third year, I interned as a news editor at Skykiwi.com for the Communication Internship course. I had three assignments to complete but initially had no idea what to discuss. After a few days in the office, I realised that what was happening there was exactly like the cases discussed in classes on business, interpersonal and cross-cultural communication. Previously, the theories and cases had just been knowledge to me. During the internship, I realised how important they were in real life. 

Another standout experience was with MACS, the Massey Association for Communication Students. We organised gatherings for communication students and invited experienced people from the media industries to speak with us. It was my first time facing occasions like these with lots of people, and I was nervous but excited. I learnt a lot, and the experience prepared me for my career. 

I received an interview invitation from one of my dream media agencies before I could even attend graduation. As soon as I received my scroll, I rushed back to China and began an internship as a news editor at Southern Weekly. After the internship, I joined Southern Weekly Management as a project manager. 

My next role was with the advertising agency MID Media, followed by brand marketing at BYD Auto. In both roles, the film studies courses I had completed at Massey were a major source of skills. I worked with advertising videos, and the theories and cases from film studies helped me judge which choices would work best. Gender studies was also useful, especially because my first task at BYD targeted female consumers. 

To young people considering a career in communication, I would say that you might not truly understand the value of what you are studying at the time, but that knowledge will become one of your best tools in the future. 

I really liked my time at Massey, studying in both Palmy and Albany. While I was at BYD, a group of Massey communication students visited the company. I was so surprised to meet and talk with them. It felt like I was finally home.