Alumni Reflections

Studying at university

Hei Man Kwok (Heiman) (Class of 2015)

Studying at university. You finally get to study to become that professional you’ve always dreamed of becoming!

You, yes you have been accepted and will be a doctor/ lawyer/ engineer!

You’re a year or two into university and then it dawns on you.

Your professional major doesn’t spark interest in you anymore.

Today, I will share the ups and downs of taking a leave of absence, transferring and leaving medicine, as well as how to discover paths and opportunities outside your major.

Hint: the world of entrepreneurship and startups!

Jamie Li (Class of 2019)

I just plan on sharing school life and the type of workload to expect when in Architecture. There's a lot of CUHK specific things too such as societies, High table events, and I hope by sharing this transition from Secondary to Uni, future students would get a better understanding of what it's truly like.

Masanori Wong (Class of 2019)

What's it like studying in the UK?

You might be wondering what’s beyond the gloomy weather and Boris J ❤️

I can promise you a whole lot of fun (but that’s if you know your way around)!

Freshers, dorms, making friends, night life, balancing school work, independence, money, scholarships, homesickness, transportation, grades, northern accents. These are a few things that might pop into your head when thinking about what awaits you in the coming years, they were also things that I had not a single clue about when I was in your shoes.

I’m here to tell you about my experiences: the ups and downs of studying in the UK as well as help you with any questions and unease you might have.

Aashna Kotwani (Class of 2019)

The session will start of by introducing myself and why I am studying my chosen subjects. I will delve into talking about social life and extra-curricular, leadership involvement and building connections, study lifestyle in terms of academics and lectures/tutorials. I will also talk about the anxious feelings and emotions I first felt about starting my life at uni and how I managed to cope with that.

Mia So (Class of 2018)

I'm currently studying Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) at UNSW in Australia. I'm planning to host my session on my overall journey from high school to uni with a focus on uni life, challenges, settling in, making friends, getting involved etc. I'm going to have multiple categories to talk about and implementing a Q&A session for the last 10 mins

Hellas Lee (Class of 2019)

As a current first-year at Berkeley, I’ve had amazing experiences in a new environment. I’m here to tell talk about various topics, whether it is about moving overseas to a new environment, potential opportunities, what it’s like pursuing a subject outside of the school curriculum, what it's like continuing your sport in college or some of the best advice I was given before I left HK. Ideally, my first session would be more about settling in while my second would be more about academics/sports but I am entirely flexible with these. I hope these sessions help you feel more comfortable moving forward so I am willing to talk about any topic regarding university and there will be a large allocation of time for Q&A!

Blossom Cheng (Class of 2019)

I am currently studying Sociology and Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice in the University of British Columbia. I'll be talking about the process of getting a study permit to Canada, as well as how to register for courses and plan your degree. My first year at UBC was the most fun and challenging experience I've had, I'll talk about life in university regarding making friends, staying healthy, getting involved on campus as well as give advice on how to maintain a good work/life balance.

Shing Chak Ng (Class of 2019)

Life in university, studies, getting used to things, what's different, what to look out for, advice

Trial by Fire

Lilian Luong (Class of 2018)

Lilian is a sophomore at MIT majoring in Computer Science and Engineering. In her session, she will reflect on making the transition to college life, pass on important life lessons from random people she met there, and offer her own advice on dealing with stress in a difficult academic environment. Further discussion topics will include exploring undergraduate AI research at MIT CSAIL, a college student’s inexplicable descent into meme culture, and the elegant art of being set on fire in public. There will be a Q&A period. Alternative title: How Anime Helped Me Pass Intro Biology.

Ardra Nair (Class of 2019)

Norwich University of The Arts, Norwich, United Kingdom

Fine Art

Kessandra Ng (Class of 2017)

Hi! I’m a third-year currently majoring in psychobiology and minoring in public affairs at UCLA. I’m planning for my session to cover the transition into college life - including what I had to do to prepare both before leaving HK and arriving in the USA, and how it all felt like. I also hope to discuss a bit about UCLA, the classes I have taken, and living in California as a whole. While I major in psychobiology, I have also taken English, computer science, classics, astronomy, and philosophy classes so feel free to ask me about them too! I will also focus on the ways that KGV did not prepare us for college and things you might want to do in preparation before that. I’m here for you and am super open to any questions you wish to ask.

Ishaan Narain (Class of 2018)

Major in mechanical engineering, and a minor in computer science and managerial analytics

Gladwin Ho (Class of 2017)

Have you ever wondered what life in medicine is like? Want to know tips and advice on how to survive your first year? Look no further. From academics to social events to tackling stress, this is an opportunity to ask any question you may have regarding studying medicine. Your future as a med student may hold uncertainties, but I hope I can shed a little light and let you know what to expect.

The surprising truth of studying in Hong Kong – things no one will tell you!

Diva Saha (Class of 2018)

People from across the world work hard to come here to study, its funny that we work equally hard to get out of here. I’ll take you through my journey so far, with global case competitions, friends from across the world and the joys of attending world-class lectures at 9 am after a crazy night out at Lan Kwai Fong. But of course, there are problems in paradise (at least that is what it is when I’m not pulling my hair out), and I’ll discuss my take on them and be willing to answer any concerns you may have as well! Because real independence is not just about doing your own laundry and sleeping in a tiny dorm room, but also finding your own way in a new environment and solving your problems yourself.

University life in Canada 101

Jimmy Wan

Jimmy is a KGV alumnus and he is currently the school counsellor at his alma mater. Jimmy worked in various student development positions in high schools and universities. He believes students thrive best academically, mentally, and socially when they are well integrated into their school communities. Jimmy coordinated one of the largest orientation and transition programs in North America at The University of British Columbia which welcomes over 8000 incoming students each year. In his session, he will share about how you can prepare for university life in Canada so that you’ll be off to a flying start.

The first few year as a Lawyer

Host by KGV Alumni - 1 hour Keynote

How to make the most of a gap year

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Studying medicine/law/business/
journalism/arts/etc?

Host by KGV Alumni

Studying in the USA as a Hong Konger

Host by KGV Alumni - 1 hour Keynote