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SCMP Reporter

Believe in yourself and succeed
You should never undermine yourself, as confidence is the key to success. Successful people never show their self-doubt in public.
If students get depressed because they fail a test or challenge, they will not improve in the future. Do not focus just on your marks. If you understand why you made mistakes, you can study more effectively.
Even if you feel jealous of them, you should consult capable people. Remember, Confucius learned from his mistakes. His modesty allowed him to ask questions and therefore learn.
I believe that every student wants to get good results in examinations, so never be daunted by small failures. If you waste time feeling inferior, no miracle is going to happen.
Eunice Cheung Hoi-ching, Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College
Attracting success
We all want success. We want success at home, in business, and in our relationships with others.
And a positive attitude is the most important single factor in guaranteeing success. Without it, success is not possible. Just as a magnet attracts anything metal, our minds attract the things we think about most. A man becomes what he concentrates on.
Every one of us has two minds, the conscious and the subconscious.
The conscious mind uses logic, deduction, reason and sound judgment to make its decisions. Your choices in life are made by the conscious mind.
Vijay Varma, California School
Treasure your life
You never know what will happen to you. You may die before you've finished your life's work.
Natural disasters, disease and accidents can all end our lives. We must use our lives to accomplish something: by loving and caring for our families, by treasuring our friendships or by achieving success in our enterprises.Time is limited and valuable, so use your life to do something meaningful.
Kammy, Leung Shek Chee College
A person I admire
The person I admire the most is my father. He is a disabled person and grew up in an unhappy family.
My grandparents divorced then remarried when he was young, and my grandfather needed to take several jobs to earn money. As my father is the eldest son in the family, he had to look after his brothers and sisters. He couldn't concentrate on his studies and finished school in Form Three.
I admire the fact that he is very hard working - he is never late for work and always comes home late. After he found a job, my father resumed his studies in his spare time. Although it was very hard to get good results, he studied until he finished Form Five.
I also admire the fact that he is very tolerant. Although I am very naughty, my father always forgives me and does not punish me severely. If my mother gets angry, he will help her to calm down.
And he is funny and always very happy. He cheers me up when I am sad. He tells me jokes and makes me laugh.
If I learn from my father, then in the future I can be a good father to my sons or daughters, and help create a happy family.
Wong Hin-chung,  SKH Lam Kau Mow Secondary School
The importance of good relationships
Human beings are group animals. We need help to achieve anything. We can start to develop good relationships in childhood. In kindergarten, and from Primary One to Three, we can share things, like sweets or stationery, with our friends.
A child's heart is pure and their thinking is not complicated. Building good relationships at this stage will help us to make many more friends.
In our teens, from Primary Four to Six and from Form One to Seven, if we are lively and sincere we will attract many friends. We should be wholehearted and enthusiastic in our dealings with our classmates and friends.
Such behaviour will also impress our teachers. At this stage, good relationships will make our school life happier and will help us find friends who understand how we feel or who may assist us with our homework.
Adults need the most help. When you work, you will meet different kinds of people. Your modesty, your knowledge and the way you speak  will help make you and your clients good friends. This will result in more business and higher earnings - 'half effort, double results'.
Good relationships are the key to success, so work hard and put your dreams into practise!
Shum Wing-yan, SKH Lam Kau Mow Secondary School
It's not cool to be a fashion victim
Many fashion-conscious adolescents spend a lot of money buying expensive items like clothes,  handbags and other accessories.
They will queue up when a  new boutique opens.  Some  will stay on the street overnight to wait for  so-called 'limited edition' items. These teenagers are clearly going too far and are under the influence of the pop stars who promote expensive clothes on TV and in magazines.  They want to copy what the stars wear.
Peer pressure is another cause. If all your friends are 'fashionable', you may feel you need to be as well. Otherwise, you will be regarded as a fool, or become isolated. To be accepted you are required to join the 'game'.
It is understandable that youngsters want to be cool, but they must ensure that their daily life is not affected. It's not clothes that make you cool, but your mind, behaviour and actions.
Clarence Cheung, Tak Sun Secondary School



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