No mountain is too high for Lau Shui Wai to scale. Although he graduated from a Chinese-medium secondary school, he wasn't deterred by the prospect of having to learn from English textbooks once he started the nursing programme at OUHK. “I was willing and determined to go the extra mile to ensure I would fully understand whatever the professors taught us,” he says. “So, before each class, I forced myself to do extra preparation by reading through the relevant chapters in the textbooks and the other recommended reference materials. Even though understanding all the English vocabulary was a big challenge, I tried my best and managed to deal with it.”
Lau's exceptional self-discipline is also reflected in his commitment in other areas. For instance, for most of Year 2 he had to study from home and take classes online. “There were a lot of distractions at home,” he says. “But as the workload for different assignments increased, I realised I had to be more focused and better organised. So I drew up study timetables for each subject and realised that, in fact, the most important thing was perseverance. Having that, I was able to stick to the timetables no matter what distractions there were. During the week, I would spend two to three hours every day preparing for the online classes. Then, every weekend, I spent on average 10 hours to complete my reading and assignments.”
The Youth Arch Award is due recognition for Lau's efforts and self-motivation. “It is significant because it proves to me that great effort leads to progress,” he says. “The award will also help my family in a financial sense. It will allow me to devote more time to study and do more extra-curricular activities on campus. In particular, I plan to participate in some value-added workshops which will enhance my employability.”
