16 Nov 2024
Every year's college application season is composed of countless early mornings of waiting, with the constantly updating emails serving as the last almost invisible barrier before meeting your dream school.
For Jessica, a graduate in 2024, mixed with the tension from the overseas university entrance examination season, this year's particularly long college application process finally come to fruition last week. She finally received an invitation from Cambridge University and an offer from University College London (UCL), followed by an offer from the University of Hong Kong. This article will share Jessica's application journey at the University of Hong Kong to provide a clear road map for junior fellow students to make their mark in the application season.
"Looking back now, I always feel that with the help of my teacher, I would not encounter any particularly big difficulties. Most importantly, when encountering any problem, I would first clarify my thoughts and then firmly tackle each one by one.＂
Like most preparatory students striving for overseas study, Jessica also started by memorizing the most basic academic terms and formulas upon her initial arrival. Due to the changes in teaching environment and thinking patterns brought about by international curricula, the early accumulation is also included in the planned adaptation phase, gradually internalizing relatively divergent and diverse academic concepts and ways of viewing problems, especially in subjects such as advanced mathematics and economics that require solid theoretical and logical foundations. Countless nights after completing academic tasks, Jessica continued to explore difficult points in the teacher's office, reinforcing new theoretical entries and theorem formulas.
"The strong academic atmosphere at HKU is very attractive to me, and my supervisor recommended various specialized programs at the graduate level, which I am looking forward to. Moreover, it is convenient for me to go home during holidays, and the future development across the Taiwan Straits will also be relatively smooth.”
Choosing the University of Hong Kong, ranked 26th globally, was a dream that Jessica had not dared to think much about when she first arrived, having initially given up Xiao Shi IB offer due to recommendations from friends. The average A*A*A* admission scores indeed deterred most applicants. However, based on Jessica’s initial academic performance and the comprehensive supervision from her advisory teacher, Mr. Wang found that the determination to make a commitment and a pragmatic and diligent spirit were her valuable qualities. Ultimately, encouraged by her counselor, Jessica gritted her teeth and planted this seed of hope in her heart.
It was also with this initial faint belief and the teachers' relentless companionship that, as the standardized modules were implemented one by one and the results of the unified entrance exams for studying abroad were announced, the shining A* and perfect scores on the transcripts gradually brightened up the light that Jessica had not yet clearly seen in his heart. Witnessing her seniors securing offers from world-renowned universities time and again, Jessica, who frequently visited the Guidance Office, became more proactive in understanding her future plans and strategies, gradually clarifying her direction of effort and becoming more determined in her steps toward her dream school.
"I really like this saying: 'Stay grounded and look up at the stars.'"
Envisioning the future is necessary, but it's also important to focus on reality and do well in what we can control. By learning diligently and improving ourselves, we pave the way for the future and make our dreams come true.”
Whether during regular classes or during the intensive training period for overseas study exams, Jessica always specify the additional time used for asking for help and practice based on the course schedule to maximize learning efficiency as much as possible. If Jessica was asked to share advice with her junior peers, proper time management would undoubtedly be a crucial aspect. Although the preparation process for Hong Kong University has been challenging, it has not turned out to be as lengthy as imagined, and every step should be treated with the utmost urgency. Now that Jessica has secured an offer from the UniversityHong Kong, she is well aware that this is just the beginning of her dream. To truly soar, she must continue to work diligently on every step during her overseas study period, remembering the determination she made when setting her future plans in the Guidance Office, and keeping in mind the lights that never dimmed in the study room during intensive training. We believe that Jessica, upon entering her dream university in the future, will meet a better version of herself at the pinnacle.
The above is the sharing of Jessica’s application experience. We hope that every dream chaser still running on the international track can be as fortunate as Jessica, working harder and meeting their dream school sooner, ushering in a new chapter in life!
