This post was updated March 5 at 8:39 p.m.

The search for where to eat is no longer dictated by Google – instead, for UCLA students, it starts with a scroll through Emma Wu’s Instagram account.

Wu, a third-year statistics and data science student, began her Instagram account @eatingwuu in September 2023 during her first quarter at UCLA. The account started as a casual way to share her culinary experiences with loved ones, Wu said. Her food page has amassed over 3,700 followers, prompting collaborations with local Westwood eateries and popular Los Angeles-based Pinterest cafes, such as Series A. Wu added that @eatingwuu continues to be a creative outlet and an opportunity for connection.

“I thought it’d be really fun to document all the food I was eating – both on and off campus,” Wu said. “My mom would always ask me, ‘Oh, what are you eating today at school?’ and I would send pictures of what I was eating. … I’ve always been a big foodie.”

Food was the response she gravitated toward when her loved ones asked her about the factors that influenced her decision to select a college, Wu said. She added that the variety of cuisines in the LA area and at UCLA’s dining halls – ranked number one nationally – prompted her to attend.

Since starting her account, Wu said younger students have shared how her content has inspired them to enroll at UCLA. These connections with her audience are further motivation to continue creating content, sharing her experience and helping others navigate the community food scene, she added. Wu said she was not expecting her following to grow to its current extent. As UCLA students embraced her content, she decided to focus on Westwood.

“When they (Le Phant Milk Tea Co.) had their matcha launch, they wanted to promote it to UCLA students,” Wu said. “They asked me to help them make a video to do it. … It’s been really cool to collaborate with business and use that relationship to introduce cool things to UCLA students.”

Le Phant, a specialty tea shop in Westwood, welcomed a line out the door during its matcha release, Wu said. She added that her collaboration video generated heavy online engagement, with the cafe eventually running out of ingredients on launch day. This ability to help local businesses by connecting them with the student community is something Wu said she finds particularly meaningful.

Content creation has shaped her college experience, she added, offering spontaneous opportunities. Collaborating with the official UCLA account on Instagram was an unexpected experience, Wu said. The account reached out to see if she would shoot a video showcasing different dining halls to promote applications, she said. Zoey Sun, a third-year financial actuarial mathematics student and friend of Wu’s, said such collaborations showcase the account’s growth.

“She’s one of the hardest workers I know,” Sun said. “She’s super diligent. … The environment is always super good around her.”

[Related: Brandon Bao shares personal life through content creation, experimental video form]

When Sun first met Wu last winter, she said she hadn’t actually known about the viral account when they first spoke in their statistics class. She added that the photos before their meals at Bruin Plate together were an early clue. It wasn’t until a friend expressed excitement after seeing Sun post the creator in one of her stories that Sun said she learned about the account.

Wu’s online consistency and style help @eatingwuu stand out, Sun said. She added that the creator finds pride in her creativity and her ability to cultivate an aesthetic both distinct and authentic.

Cassie Li, a second-year physiological science student and friend of Wu’s, said the creator is just as approachable and friendly as she appears online. Li followed the account before meeting Wu, she added, yet their initial connection was shaped by their involvement in Girl Gains UCLA, a female weightlifting club on campus.

“Maintaining friendships in college is pretty difficult, considering how everyone’s schedules are so packed,” Li said. “I know hers, especially, is jam-packed with the amount of school she has, jobs and internships, all on top of her content creation. The fact that she can still keep her friends in mind and invite them to hang out – that’s super admirable.”

Wu said she does have to remind herself about this balance. The creator added that she does feel the pressure to post consistently. Yet, she said her number one priority was never the account or amassing followers. Instead, Wu added, she intended it to function as a creative outlet – an activity that requires a lot of work but is fundamentally fun.

Although Wu cannot pin down a single formula for a viral post, she said she advises aspiring creators to maintain an authentic approach. Wu added that making content solely for views is not sustainable. Her account, she said, has defined her identity to outsiders. She added that it has helped her open up and maximize her college experience by forming new connections with restaurants, people in Westwood and her fellow UCLA students outside of the classroom.

“I won’t be at UCLA for too much longer, which makes me a little bit sad, but I definitely think I want to continue my account,” Wu said. “I want to continue documenting the different food I eat, especially when I’m traveling to different cities. For myself, it’s like a little food diary. For other people, if they want to travel there as well or if they happen to be there, it’s cool to share what I liked, what I didn’t like and inspire other people to try new places.”