Dirk Yin
Experience:
I'm Dirk, a mainland student from last year (2021-2)'s CUHK ELS program. It is my great pleasure and honor to share my experience studying in this wonderful community. Perhaps a lot of you are new to Hong Kong, hence my experience will be featuring three aspects about your upcoming year at this fascinating metropolis.
The first thing is, of course, the academic excellence. Even this might be among the last few stops before your disembarkation at the real society, which is surely exciting and dazzling, it's still the very beginning of your lifelong study. Hence, I would strongly suggest that you should seize the time and find your lifelong interest -- you've read so many books, articles, reviews, and theories. Is there any question unanswered? Is there any problem unsolved? There must be, and your duty as a student here is to find the question/problem that is so important to both you and the society you are in that it will irritate you from a sweet sleep, deter you from your inner peacefulness, and awaken you from self-indulgence. To find this important question/problem is so crucial, that not only the excellence of your Final Project depends totally on it, but also the meaningfulness of your academic career.
The second thing is to make the best of your opportunity of living in Hong Kong. To be honest, I was so disappointed during the first two months in HK, for its money-mania, for instance, and other things that would cause the disenchantment of a mainland outsider. However, the deeper you get involved in the city, the more you see, meet, think, and reflect, the more surprises you will have from this place. It's okay to connect your experience in HK with your academic interest, but if not, your experience here will still be a unique part of your personal history.
The last thing, future. This is a vital thing that you have to be aware of at this time. Think about your future after this program. What can it provide for you, and your future career in HK, mainland or wherever in the world? Set goals for your future and draw the most from this program. If you don't know what you want, all the help will be useless. Those idealistic dreams to read for reading’s sake, study for study’s sake are only for the gifted or geniuses. As common people, we have been thrown into the reality from the very beginning.
I earnestly hope that my sharing will be helpful for your study and your life in the upcoming year.
The first thing is, of course, the academic excellence. Even this might be among the last few stops before your disembarkation at the real society, which is surely exciting and dazzling, it's still the very beginning of your lifelong study. Hence, I would strongly suggest that you should seize the time and find your lifelong interest -- you've read so many books, articles, reviews, and theories. Is there any question unanswered? Is there any problem unsolved? There must be, and your duty as a student here is to find the question/problem that is so important to both you and the society you are in that it will irritate you from a sweet sleep, deter you from your inner peacefulness, and awaken you from self-indulgence. To find this important question/problem is so crucial, that not only the excellence of your Final Project depends totally on it, but also the meaningfulness of your academic career.
The second thing is to make the best of your opportunity of living in Hong Kong. To be honest, I was so disappointed during the first two months in HK, for its money-mania, for instance, and other things that would cause the disenchantment of a mainland outsider. However, the deeper you get involved in the city, the more you see, meet, think, and reflect, the more surprises you will have from this place. It's okay to connect your experience in HK with your academic interest, but if not, your experience here will still be a unique part of your personal history.
The last thing, future. This is a vital thing that you have to be aware of at this time. Think about your future after this program. What can it provide for you, and your future career in HK, mainland or wherever in the world? Set goals for your future and draw the most from this program. If you don't know what you want, all the help will be useless. Those idealistic dreams to read for reading’s sake, study for study’s sake are only for the gifted or geniuses. As common people, we have been thrown into the reality from the very beginning.
I earnestly hope that my sharing will be helpful for your study and your life in the upcoming year.