🗪 Adiya Yerenova (BSc, Year 1)
“Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle” – Napoleon Hill.
I am planning to major in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, and minor in Finance. Before arriving in Hong Kong, I set my mind that on a daily basis we are going to be challenged to learn, practice and excel. HKU implements the continuous assessment method, to raise future leaders and experts in different fields. The curriculum is diverse and comprehensive, to ensure that a student has a deep understanding of the program, which is supposed to be challenging and demanding. Therefore, the university environment provides all the necessity to focus on goals and aspirations. If one struggles with studies, the professor and staff are supportive and student-oriented.
For those who are motivated to study or work hard, the place thrives on offers and it is an ideal place for a truly unique experience. HKU understands the importance of raising well-rounded students, and promotes different clubs, provides opportunities and supports initiatives of students. The AASO website provides all of the information that a student can have, and offers one-on-one consultation for further assistance.
Studying at HKU is about finding a balance between your studies and the extracurricular activities, establishing your goals, following your inspirations and trying yourself in numerous fields. HKU has a perfect environment to make mistakes, to ask questions and to grow side by side with your peers. The ambitious and hardworking students at HKU create a friendly collaboration and cooperation to strive for the best.
🗪 Fu Hoi Yiu (BEng, Year 1)
Entering college is like going to Disneyland. There are a bunch of amazing things that I am not familiar with. The students, the teachers, and of course, the environment are new to me. No doubt, it is easy to get lost in such a massive and fascinating place during the first year.
Transiting from high school, adapting to the new teaching approaches, balancing study and life, and establishing connections have always been challenging for me as a student returning to Hong Kong after studying abroad. My experience so far, throughout the first semester, is just like taking the amusement park rides, encountering different emotions and handling different tasks each day. It could make me feel a mixture of all the sentiments – intimidating, worrying, exciting, feeling stressed.
Thanks to my course mates and the advisers from AASO, they always try their best to accompany me. They make my college journey more enjoyable and smoother. Whenever I need advice and encouragement, they are the ones I seek help and assistance. Whenever I feel scared, they always listen to me when I am yelling or in trouble. Whenever I feel puzzled, they guide me like a GPS orienting me along the way.
This is just the beginning of my journey as an undergraduate student. I believe there are more awaiting ahead of me.
🗪 Tsoi Yat Fei Jeffrey (BSocSc, Year 2)
Hello, I would like to share with you some of my experiences and insights from the past 2 years.
Please make friends! Friends will not only bring fun to your university life, but also facilitate and help you in the learning process. There are many resources at university, but you will need to take initiative to find them yourself. At the same time, students need to adjust to a new learning and living environment. If you have friends from different backgrounds, they can provide you with a wide range of perspectives and information that may be just what you need in an effortless way. You can also share the information you have acquired so that you guys can help out each other.
Secondly, I would strongly advise you to step forward and ask your tutor or professor any questions you may have. The difficulty I encountered in the first semester of my second year of study was that the course content became more difficult, giving me a hard time to understand the content. At first, I spent a lot of time trying to comprehend and find the answers on my own, but this was very unproductive and tiring. Then I plucked up the courage to ask my teacher and I quickly understood and got the answer. You can ask your teacher questions in class or via email. I am sure that if you are polite, they will be happy to help you.
There is so much more to share about university life. If you have any questions about university life, I would like to recommend AASO, where I have had many of my questions clarified. I would like to wish you all a wonderful and fulfilling university life, where you can learn and grow.
🗪 Cheng Yu Tak Alexzander (BA, Year 2)
What I love the most about HKU is the flexibility and diverse choices it offers to student. As a BA student, I can study a second major in Biological Sciences which is completely irrelevant to my Arts major. This provides me with a wider range of career choices and knowledge from different spectrums. With such an aggressive (and somewhat unconventional) study plan, I have developed a versatile and inventive mindset to tackle courses requiring fundamentally different abilities.
Time management also becomes an indispensable skill. If I had a second chance, I would start earlier with my assignments, especially essays which require lots of preparation. Some Science courses don’t even have regular lectures and students are expected to watch the lecture videos on their own (during the Covid-19 online learning period). I would have performed much better had I not begun watching them only a week before my exam! I admit that I am still building self-discipline and beating procrastination.
Nevertheless, I am excited to go on exchange in Year 3 and enjoy university life in another country. I am also intent on pursuing research postgraduate studies and all the talks/ seminars organized by the University have been extremely informative. I want to thank HKU and the AASO for offering me so much help and useful advice throughout my study. I will work hard to achieve my goals and continue to strive for excellence.
🗪 Li Jiawei (BSocSc, Year 3)
Looking back at my three years of study, I have joyfully overcame challenges and indeed, it was interesting. The most valuable takeaway from my past study journey, or in other words, the advice I would like to give to Year 1 and Year 2 students, is that “don’t push yourself so hard at the beginning.” Since I was afraid of being lagged and underestimated the workload, I chose many advanced courses in Year 1 and Year 2. Most of the time, I found myself taking six courses per semester with four or five major courses and one or two common courses. This made me struggle with balancing each course and challenged my multi-tasking abilities. Therefore, it is advisable not to be so rushed at the beginning. Slowly you would get to know what you want to learn, manage to evaluate the course workload in view of your academic ability, get prior knowledge for advanced courses and schedule courses evenly throughout each academic year.
In addition, I have planned to study abroad since Year 1, as being involved in a diverse learning environment is one of my major goals in university life. I regularly checked emails regarding study abroad plans and made sure not to miss any deadlines. Keeping GPA above a certain level is also essential. As a Year 3 student standing in the second half of my academic journey, I am grateful for everything I have learned in my earlier years at HKU and looking forward to fulfilling my academic goals during the rest of the journey.
🗪 Long Feifei (BSc, Year 3)
I am experiencing the most significant change of all during my third year of university study.
I was taking two core courses of my major, which included lots of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the laboratory; meanwhile, I was preparing for exchange in the second semester: applying for a visa, preparing to move, learning a new language… When I was trying my best to get everything on track, I received a call from my family that a loved one was critically ill – at that time, I had not been home for almost two years because of the long-time quarantine policy under the pandemic.
It was hard for me to decide suspending or continue studying in this semester. On the night of making the decision, I bought the air ticket to go back home, listed different options for my academic road (what if I try to get back to attend final exams? what if I defer graduation and take a gap semester for professional improvement? or what if I give up the exchange program?) I booked a consultation with AASO Adviser to check on the university regulation and whether I could get any support for my different assumptions/ options.
That night, I realized that being a Year 3 student also means that after a two-year “internship” of being an adult, what we should face and take responsibility is not only the academic tasks and career exploration but also the life circumstances and the responsibility of taking care of your family. You will always learn and try to balance all aspects. And the most important quality in effective problem solving is to be emotionally stable and always have a plan B.
🗪 Gan Ruyi (BBA(IS), Year 4)
Being a final year is the last year for me to take up the role as a student at university where studying is no longer the most important thing. Different people have different priorities: Some are busy with the Autumn intake recruitment, while others plan to continue their postgraduate studies. To be honest, I consider the final year as the most stressful period during my university journey, because I’m always hesitant between various options and paths, and doubt whether I’m making the right choice.
At first, I insisted on only pursuing one specific goal (e.g., being recruited by the top-ranked company) and took it for granted that I would succeed based on my previous experience and achievements. However, after several unexpected failures, I generally realized that in order to come up with the well-informed decision, I should be exploring different opportunities and finding out the most suitable one. For example, I dreamed about entering the financial industry just like what our famous alumni did during my early years in the university. However, after some coincidental consulting experience, I began to consider whether I have been chasing an unmatched goal. Until now, I’m still not sure about my final interest, but I am willing to be open and explore more.
Therefore, the sincerest advice I would like to give to my fellow students, is to take advantage of the rich resources of the University and its extremely flexible academic policy, to explore as much as your could during these four years. Be it about your studies, work or life. Don’t think that it’s a waste of time. It may be the most valuable four years in your life in search of your ultimate goal.
🗪 Ho Mun Kay (BBiomedSc, Year 4)
As a current final year student, I am grateful for all the resources made available to me as an undergraduate student in HKU. I believe the guidance and opportunities I was given at HKU has made my experience rich and colorful.
In Year 3, I was lucky enough to conduct a semester long exchange in Singapore at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). It has been a challenging journey to study and develop myself in a completely foreign learning environment but I am thankful to have had the opportunity to do so. With the support of the School of Biomedical Sciences, I was also able to complete my internship abroad with a lot of advance planning. All this would not have been possible without the guidance and assistance from AASO Advisers and HKUMed Wellness Counsellors.
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to take it easy and always remember to plan for the future but live in the present. Give everything you do your very best, then let it run its course. University is the best platform to discover your passions, so when you find something that matches your interest, give it a go!
