“Don't be afraid to try out new things. Instead, be willing to embrace the unknown.”
ZHANG Zhiyu
School of Arts and Social Sciences · Psychology · Year 4
When first coming to Hong Kong, Zhang Zhiyu was happy to find that he was fitting in alright in the new city. “I am from Chongqing, which also locates in the southern part of China and shares a lot of similar customs with Hong Kong.” But in school, things are quite different. “In the Mainland, students of the same class stay together all the time. But here, everybody is an independent individual and has their own places to go. Students of the same major do not get much chance to meet and know each other.”
He also noted that in Hong Kong, one must take the initiative to seek help when needed, which is in stark contrast to the practice in mainland China, where one class teacher will be assigned to take care of a particular group of students.
He quickly oriented himself to the new way of learning and socialising, and began to discover the beauty of university life. “I was free to choose from a wide array of activities to keep learning new things and making new friends.” He attended psychology-related workshops and acquainted himself with mental health first aid, treatment for gambling addiction, and horticultural therapy. He feels lucky to have had the chance to try several unusual but nonetheless exciting group activities too. “I tried playing wheelchair handball! This is one of my most unforgettable experiences at HKMU that made me understand people with disabilities more.”
In his final year of studies, Lam received the Youth Arch – HKMU Improvement Award in recognition of his remarkable improvement. “I did not fare well in the first two years. I reached out to the Student Affairs Office for counselling support, which helped me immensely. They invited me to join a study workshop where I met the workshop instructor who ran regular checks on my study progress and taught me useful study skills such as how to properly comprehend course outline. Without the Office's help I would not have been qualified for the Award.”
