LEAVING HOME

About four weeks ago, I packed all my belongings in a big suitcase and a backpack. I went to the train station and said goodbye to the crowd. Looking out of the window, I saw my parents and friends moving backward faster and faster until out of my sight…. Did I cry? Frankly I did, but then I knew I was to be independent and ready to grow into true maturity.

I am so proud of my choice – HKUST! A vibrant city with an international outlook, cosmopolitan lifestyle and Chinese culture, Hong Kong is really a fantastic place to go, and HKUST is a young, dynamic University at which I shall spend the best time in my life-long learning.

Being away from home for the first time, I face many challenges of being independent. Self-thinking, time management, emotional problem, home sick, cultural shock and living independence are all difficulties I have to deal with, but after several weeks’ interactive learning at UST and communication with people, I have gradually adapted to the new environment and learned to live and to learn by myself.

LEARNING TO LEAD A COLORFUL UNIVERSITY LIFE

In the first semester, Helen SHEN, who is the instructor for the course ENGG001, helps us deal with those adjustment issues positively and gain a better understanding of ourselves and understand my better as a learner.

There are many differences and between secondary schools and universities, as for us mainland students, the differences in the educational system and cultural aspect are also taken into account, so in order to bring out a better performance at HKUST, to acquire some key skills is quite important. I learn to check if I can do as a result of a learning experience, i.e., to perform a specific task at a given level of competence under a certain situation.

As is mentioned in the course, we have two essential transitions in our learning age, one is from secondary school to university and the other is from university to society. From the course I start to learn how to handle the first transition well so that I will have a rich and stimulating university experience.

I knew what it meant when I dumped Tsinghua University and decided on HKUST. I am now here at HKUST as a passionate learner as well as a life lover.

Having joined Yo-hoo Club, we set off for our O’Camp to Sai Kung at the 2^nd weekend. We built up our tents, cooked meals, assembled bamboo raft with bamboos and plastic bags. It was very hard but great practice to us. We even crazily put on our headlamps and climbed the mountain at midnight till 3 am in the morning. It was tiring, but it was really great fun! I went to my first fencing training session last Tuesday, and I really enjoyed the colorful social life and extra-curricular activities offered in UST, and this is the beginning of my real life in Hong Kong for myself.

STUDY HARD AND PLAY HARD

I sometimes think of what is the most important thing that I wish to get out of the University education, and why I chose HKUST rather than HKU and dumped Tsinghua?

After several days of digesting the thoughts in the ENGG001 course, I run into deeper understanding of ABC LIVE:

Academic excellence

Broad-based education

Competencies and capacity building

Leadership and teamwork

International outlook

Vision and an orientation to the future

Ethical standards and compassion

ABC LIVE is the ABCs of LIFE at HKUST, in other words, this is the minimum pursuit as a self-disciplined student. I will always keep this in mind and motivate myself to STUDY HARD AND PLAY HARD. By the time I graduate from UST, I would say no regret and feel proud of what I have done and what UST has offered to me.

FUTURE VIEW

In four years, I will soon face the second transition with many exciting opportunities and have the ability and confidence to take them on.

It is never too early to formulate a plan for personal and professional development, and I shall check if I am going on the right track which leads to a qualified engineer under the criteria by Derek Bok as follows,

The ability to communicate, Critical thinking, Moral reasoning, Preparing citizens, Living with diversity, Living in a more global society, A breadth of interests, Preparing for work

Now I have settled at UST, a good habit of learning as well as living is being formed and a clearer blueprint of my future is gradually revealed. HKUST, regretless choice of my life!