Life planning for local teens
Planning for one’s future was the topic for discussion at a programme organised by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) on 14 April.
More than 100 senior secondary school students learned how to set goals for their future lives, and in the process they had interactions with CityU students and found out more about the University’s academic programmes and learning environment during visits to teaching and research facilities.
During the 1-day programme, which was titled “Setting goals today for a brighter future”, guest speakers from different sectors shared their success stories and encouraged participants to set life goals.
CityU was hosting this popular programme for secondary school students for the 8th time.
In his welcoming remarks, Professor Samuel Ho Mun-yin, Associate Provost (Institutional Initiatives), introduced CityU’s Discovery-enriched Curriculum, saying that predicting the future in today’s ever-changing world was a tough call but that students should be bold enough to explore new areas and take on fresh challenges.
“CityU’s unique Discovery-enriched Curriculum aims to develop the students’ mindset, help them to make discoveries, and enable them to learn how to innovate, and exchange and present new knowledge,” he said.
Mr Quinn Lai, founder of the local watch brand EONIQ, shared with the students how he quit his job in investment banking and started up a successful business based on his personal interests. He encouraged students to clearly identify their own interests and unique attributes, think about their life and then set their goals.
“Are you willing to get out of bed in the morning? Is there anything that really motivates? Every morning when I wake up, I genuinely want to rise up and look forward to my work for the day,” he said.
He started his own business because he wanted to create a unique path. Even if that path was tough at times, the struggle had been worthwhile. He said his inspiration was found by paying attention to the world around him.
Other guest speakers at the roundtable sharing session in the afternoon included Mr Tommy Chow Wing-lok, a member of the Hong Kong Rope Skipping team that won the individual freestyle gold medal at the 2016 World Rope Skipping Championships; Ms Wingki Kwok Wing-ka, a renowned illustrator and former journalist; and Mr Kenneth Kwok Kar-lok, a member of the coaching staff for the Hong Kong football representative team and a CityU alumnus.
They discussed how young people could set goals and shape their futures. Their words inspired the audience to proactively plan ahead and set a direction for their professional development.
In addition, students divided up into groups and visited the advanced teaching and learning facilities at the seven colleges and schools at CityU, including the CityU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, the Gateway Education Laboratory, Omnimedia Digital Newsroom, the Underwater Robotics, and the moot court, among others.
Law Hei-lun, a student from Wah Yan College Kowloon, said the guest speakers offered him insights into life planning. Interested in the School of Law, he got hold of lots of information about law programmes during the event, he added.
Wo Cheuk-kiu, a student from Sha Tin Methodist College, said CityU’s teaching facilities had exceeded her expectations. What’s more, the interactions with CityU students had revealed details of the many overseas exchange opportunities on offer while the day’s activities had deepened her understanding of CityU and how to better plan for one’s future.
