Teen volunteer: Mok Ka-hei, 22, is pursuing an associate degree in Applied Youth Studies at Lingnan University. He was a hotline volunteer in 2005 and will join the service again this year.

'Volunteers must attend eight training sessions before managing the hotline. Last year, I worked from August 8 to 14. The day before and the two days following the release of the HKCEE results were the busiest. We received over a dozen of calls during a single shift, which lasts for about four to six hours.

'We work in pairs because the callers often need emotional support and information at the same time. We cannot ask them to wait on the phone, so one hotline volunteer must do the research while the other counsels the students or parents.

'I once received a call from a tearful mother who was very worried. I comforted her and asked her to tell her son to call me back. When I talked to the student, I found that he had some ideas about his future. He wanted to study at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education but his family didn't want him to.

'I told him to explain his ideas to his parents and taught him ways of doing so. Usually parents will become more relaxed if the students can talk to them about their plans in detail.

'When the student callers say they are anxious, I will share with them my experiences in handling the situation or tips on subject selection. People - both parents and students - always feel more relaxed after they have had a chance to talk about their worries.'