By Angela LIU (Hall 9)

“You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” Not until almost the end of the final year of my undergraduate study do I realise the truth of this quotation from Steven Jobs’s speech at Stanford University.

“Busy, frustrated, and confused”, this was my exact physical and mental status in the first two months of the final year. On the one hand, I had to cope with the heavy workload of my courses and the Final Year Project; but more importantly, I also needed to make a final decision on my future: work or study? Hong Kong or overseas?  At that time, I was confused by lots of choices, but also frustrated by cruel reality. The competition in what I would like to pursue was so fierce that it would be extremely hard for me to achieve it. Considering this, I thought maybe I should enroll for something with a higher chance of admission, but would I be happy to do what I am not that interested in?  

After hearing my concerns, my programme leader told me “Pursue what you want, prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” His words were like a signal that woke up my confused mind. Yes, at this turning point in my life, if I did not try to achieve a difficult goal, I would spend the rest of my life regretting it. But if I made the attempt, even if I failed in the end, I would have gained valuable experience. So I devoted great efforts to applying for both jobs and the master programmes of my priority and also a few others as backups. At last, I have received two offers from the top two favourite companies and admission to a desired master programme at my dream university.

Reviewing the whole application period, I am so grateful to my teachers and friends for their support, as well as for the opportunities that the University has offered me. I have been a reporter for ResLink for two and half a years and through this I have not only accumulated work experience, especially in teamwork, but also enhanced my language proficiency and communication skills. I have also been on an overseas exchange and was a volunteer in a few events. All these experiences, seemingly ordinary, may be unexpectedly helpful in my future life.

When asked to give some suggestions to future final year students on how to make the right choice for the future, my advice is simple: cherish your beloved extra-curricular activities in CityU, be appreciative towards people around you, pursue bravely what you want, prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Just remember, “You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”