There Is Good News Here!

Greetings, everyone! How’s life? How’re your applications going? All the best to you with your applications, interviews and exams and good luck in realising your dreams

It has been quite some time since I last posted a blog entry. School has been so busy for the past few weeks and things were happening so quickly. I have had my mock exams, had my exam papers checked, had my official exam practice papers done…and many other things I can barely recall. I don’t even dare imagine how quickly February has passed, like a gust of wind.

There’s been some good news: I’ve received four conditional offers from the five universities I applied to through UCAS. This is encouraging in face of the intense preparation for my public exams, which start just 26 days from now. Adding to that, logging onto UCAS Track is probably my most exciting activity so far this year. My heart races every time I wait for the webpage to load, which is at times intolerably slowly.

Despite nervous anticipation over the fifth response, I’m overjoyed just looking at the offers I’ve received. It’s amazing: only two months ago I was still worrying all day and night about whether my university applications would go well. And now, I’ve already received four offers. Four offers it is. It may be a cliché, but words can hardly describe how delighted I feel.

There was also good news for everyone in Hong Kong who has questions about education in the UK.

Just last Saturday, 25 February, I visited the Education UK Exhibition at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. I gained a great deal of insight into UK universities, which kind of compensated for the disturbing fact that I can’t visit the universities in person as a student outside the UK. The exhibition spanned two days and attracted thousands of Hong Kong students.

Wandering form stall to stall, I actually had some trouble looking for the locations of the stalls I intended to visit. And it took me quite some time before I could seek all the answers for my very long list of questions, from questions as simple as admissions requirements to questions as abstract as details of life on campus.

Honestly, I was rather nervous when I entered the doors of exhibition hall. I had so many questions and doubts which perhaps no one could help with after all. To my relief, everyone was extremely helpful and enthusiastic. All the uncertainties were explained and doubts were cleared. Thinking about how colourful and fruitful university life could be, I can hardly wait till September when university starts.

As the day progressed more and more people flocked into the hall. Everybody got really, really busy and almost every stall was surrounded by groups of worried parents and students. Miss Stanton from the British Council, in particular, was especially occupied. Though I happened to pass by the British Council stall, it was flooded with so many people that I nearly could not even say “hi” to her.

Shortly after meeting Miss Stanton I had to leave for another batch of tutorial classes, which had filled up the rest of my day. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the exhibition. It has helped me a lot as well as given me great insight into tertiary education in the UK.

I highly recommend international students, not only those from Hong Kong but from all over the world, to attend exhibitions like this and learn more about tertiary education in different places. I can definitely assure you that you’ll be amply rewarded.

2012 Puts an End to You and Me

The start of 2012 is but another step towards an end. No, I am not referring to the Mayan calendar prediction. Well, perhaps this year marks the end of human civilization, but neither you nor I can be sure about this. Nonetheless, what I (hopefully) can be confident of is that 2012 brings an end to my secondary school life, and sees the start of a whole new, long-anticipated university life.

As we embrace the coming of a new year, we are yet pestered and sometimes even haunted by our old fears. As much as I crave to enter the halls of my dream university, like many others, I fear confronting the open exams which start for me in two months’ time. Especially when this is the first and only open examination I’m going to take.

Also like many others, I have an ultimate fear that I’m not going to get into university. No matter how much I’ve revised and prepared, I believe there’s a possibility that I  not perform my best in the exams, and thus the slight chance that I cannot get into any universities I long to enter. Maybe you’d say I’m just being paranoid, but I must say that this remains my biggest fear, at least at the moment. After all, I presume nothing’s certain in this capricious world, just like how unexpected last year was in global affairs.

Looking back, 2011 was one of the more eventful years in recent history. There was the Arab Spring, the death of tyrants and terrorists, the quake, tsunami and radiation leakage in Japan, the Occupy Wall Street protests which in the States that spread to the rest of the world, and a whole spectrum of undesirable events affecting communities everywhere.

At the same time, 2011 was an eventful year to me too. Apart from numerous sessions of revision and exams, I’ve had some of my most memorable moments working for the school paper and the school’s Campus TV, I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to join a fantastic work-experience programme, and most importantly, I’ve made many new friends whom I truly treasure. On top of that, I’ve become one of the six bloggers for UCAS Connect, which was yet another thrill towards the end of the year.

Looking forward, a new year also carries new hopes and dreams. My hope for the New Year is: I wish that you and I, and all of us in the same boat, are going to achieve high in the exams and eventually get into our dream universities. In the year which has just begun, we might have many worries and fears, but despite it all, we should remember to be optimistic.

Another Cold Christmas and The Lazy Song

Merry Christmas everyone! It has been a long time since I last posted an entry. After a busy month of exercises and tests, finally, there is some time to unwind and loosen up. For some, Christmas may be a golden opportunity to rest and relax. To me, however, Christmas (and all other holidays) is a chimera. As much as I dream to lie in bed and do nothing, there are loads of important tasks that I have to deal with in reality.

I must not lose the fight against our biggest enemy: inertia. It is sheer human nature to be lazy, especially under the holiday mood. But apart from relaxing, I have got to pull myself together and study for the open exams in March, which is barely three months from now. No, I can hardly afford to waste any minute not preparing for my exams; yet frankly speaking, it seems an utmost killjoy to work in such a festive atmosphere.

Seeing everyone else holding their hands up high and celebrating on the streets makes me feel envious. But sitting cozily by the study desk and holding a mug of hot tea is, somehow, another way to live the holiday spirit. After all, working during Christmas isn’t that bad. In order to comfort myself, I am making myself take all the work as Christmas presents: the more, the better. That’s certainly making me feel better.

So, checking my Christmas wish list, I’ve got: piles of homework to do, stacks of textbooks to revise, and class after class of tutorials to attend. Even on Christmas day I must forbid myself from being too lazy. My goal for the day is to thoroughly go through my History text books, all three of them, then join a family gathering, and after that, probably a couple of math questions before going to bed.

Well, okay, I’m just hoping to accomplish all these by the end of the day. I might very well turn out finishing hardly half of the work I’ve planned. But a plan is a plan. Even though there’s a chance that I’m not going to complete everything on the list, planning is still essential in the sense that it gives me motivation to work, and most of all, a direction to follow. Of course, it is also important to try my best to finish my planned work of the day, or else why would I need a list?

Having fun, on the other hand, is important for Christmas too. Everyone can recite ‘Work hard, play hard’ backwards. Other than work, adding a fun activity or two to my plan is definitely crucial. This Christmas, I’ll be hanging out with some friends, which I’m excitingly anticipating since it has been a very long time since I last visited a friend’s home. I’ll probably watch some movies too. There are many hits for the holiday. Movies are always great fun.

The holiday has just started, and there is so much to expect. What will you be doing this Christmas? Putting your noses in your textbooks or spending quality time with family and friends? No matter what, remember to have an enjoyable and fruitful Christmas holiday!

Autumn, a Season of Interviews

My friend was grinning from ear to ear, ‘I’ve got an interview this Thursday! The university said that they’d send someone from the UK to meet me and I’m so excited!’ Overjoyed, I patted him on his back and congratulated him. I was really excited too. This means that I might be getting my interview in no time as well!
Indeed. Autumn is a season of interviews. Everyone at school is discussing this. People are sharing interview skills, exchanging interview experiences, and even trying to create a list of interview do-and-don’ts. ‘Casual attire is definitely a no-no.’ ‘Speak with confidence.’ ‘Make eye-contact with the interviewer.’

Interview preparation is vital. It is very important to be always completely prepared. As a Chinese proverb goes, “Opportunities are only for the prepared minds.” In high spirits, I sat on my bed and pondered what I can do to prepare for my upcoming interview.

Read the prospectus, that’s a must. Prepare answers for common questions, of course. Practice in front of a mirror? That might work as well. I’ve even been googling ‘university interview skills’ and asking my friends who’ve been to university interviews for advice. Here is a list of do-and-don’ts I’ve summarized from all the research I’ve done:

Before the interview:

DO read the prospectus and find out recent news and information about the university

DO prepare and print out a copy of your CV

DO think of a brief introduction of yourself and make a list of your skills and abilities

DO ask your parents, teachers and friends for advice

DO check the Internet for interview tips and experience sharing

DO find out in what form the interview is going to be

DO go on a pre-trip to the venue

DON'T lack preparation or seriousness

DON'T sleep late on the interview day

On the day:

DO bring a copy of your CV

DO arrive at least 15 minutes early

DO make eye-contact with the interviewer(s)

DO look confident (even if you are not) and be enthusiastic

DO give full and elaborated answers

DO ask questions to show your interest in the subject and the university

DO turn off your mobile phone

DON'T be late!
DON'T be distracted by anything. Stay focused at all times
DON'T panic. Just try to be yourself and relax
DON'T try to bluff any questions


Glancing through the list I’ve created, I somehow feel more secure and have some sense of self-fulfillment. I truly hope that the above list is going to further equip me well for my upcoming interview, and hopefully for yours too!

Why Waiting Hurts…And What Does That Mean

Jingle bells, Santa displays and fake plastic mistletoe decorate the shops and streets of Hong Kong. With mixed feelings I become aware that December is already approaching at a hundred miles an hour. Which also means it’s been nearly three months since school started. Time flies, I think to myself. Sometimes it seems to me that the summer vacation was just yesterday, but now I’m so close to completing my UCAS application form.

Time flies. But it also drags.

Upon submitting my UCAS application form there will be nothing more left for me to do for my application process in a few months. No more personal statement to write, no more forms to fill, no more UCAS “to-do-lists” to complete. And quite frankly, I can see that I will miss that just a little.

Waiting for a reply from universities that I’ve applied for is, well, not easy. We’re born to be impatient, especially when it’s about issues which really matter a lot. Waiting hurts. It really does. Sometimes I so get nervous I am briefly incapacitated when I think about the long, long time to wait.

This is also my first time experiencing this kind of “waiting marathon”. At home, and even though I know it’s not a big deal, when the Internet Explorer’s loading 20 per cent slower than it usually does, I get miffed. At school, I get to know my test and exam results within weeks. But now we’re talking about four months…

But then on second thoughts, the art of “waiting” is in fact a lifelong lesson I’m now learning. Waiting 101: I’ve to learn to be patient despite being nervous about the UCAS application. Impatience is like quicksand: keep telling oneself how bad it is to wait and one only keeps sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss of impatience. Therefore I always remind myself that I should shift my focus from pondering and worrying about the application to concentrating on my studies to best prepare for my public exams in March.

As long as I learn to cope with them, my worries can actually turn into some kind of excitement. Think about the good side: this time next year I might be spending my Christmas in the UK!

Running...Out of Time

The other day I went to the cinema to watch In Time. One common goal that Will Salas, the protagonist of the film, and I grudgingly share is: Can I have more time? The clock of UCAS application keeps ticking and ticking but I have not submitted by UCAS application. University choices? Check. Personal Statement? Check. Required English Tests, at least for those of us who need them? Check. So what exactly am I waiting for?

If you still haven’t submitted your UCAS application like me, here’s one quick suggestion: it may be helpful to leave yourself with a cooling-off period so that you can reconsider and re-evaluate your decisions before the ultimate, finalized application. Let’s admit it: at times we are rather impulsive when making decisions. We come up with silly and reckless ideas that we might regret or reject with clearer thinking.

The cooling-off period is probably a good time to have deep(er) conversations and seek final advice, especially from parents and possibly from professionals. It could actually be surprisingly helpful. I’m lucky to have at school teachers who offer concrete and useful advice for my university choices and provide various solutions for any of my enquiries.

Thanks to the “mentor programme” of my school, I have been assigned a mentor who is a journalist, just as one day I hope to be. And of course, I’ve been constantly asking my parents and friends for their opinions. Googling the most updated information about universities helps a lot too. Most of my friends have been glued to their computers, going through every single article related to tertiary studies both locally and overseas.

But at the same time, I’ve got to keep in mind that other people’s advice is merely helping me with the finalization of my application. I’m trying to take the good and reasonable advice, but when it comes to my aspirations, I know I need to stand firm in what I’m passionate about doing and not be daunted by conflicting opinions. I’m going to stay true to myself and believe in myself. I hope you will too!

Notwithstanding it’s still two months from the official UCAS application deadline, I must bear in mind that there isn’t much time for lingering without making any actual progress. I hope to make up my final decisions and submit my UCAS application within one week or two. How about you?

A Long Way to Go

‘NO.’ Simple and clear. That’s what my dad said when I raised the question of pursuing my tertiary education in the UK. It was a money issue.

For the next few months I tried every possible way to persuade him to change his mind. I nagged. I coaxed. I listed out the all the pros and cons of studying in the UK. I talked about I how much love British culture. I explained how I hoped to learn in an English-speaking environment. Under the seemingly endless son-to-dad “pressure”, well, he agreed to give me a chance under the condition that the university is good enough.

Studying in the UK, regardless of the depreciation of the British pound, is still more of less a luxurious good for a student in Asia. The cost of living in the UK is high by anyone’s standards. And on top of that, the tuition fee is another concern for my middle-income family. After all, studying abroad is not something that everyone could afford.

But at the same time, studying in the UK is an absolutely invaluable lifetime experience for me as an international student. Not to mention it would be a whole new environment, but the UK also has some of the world’s finest universities. What’s more is that I truly enjoy British culture. So much so that I’ve been trying very hard but failing to imitate Daniel Craig’s James Bond accent.

Now I have the chance of applying for universities in the UK. However, despite a clear goal, there’s still a long way to go until I get to study in the UK. My brain is twisted and tangled as I am typing this piece, deciding on which five university choices I should fill in my UCAS application.