Do you plan to study overseas?
Pulcheria Chung, 18 St. Mary's Canossian College
No, I don't plan to study overseas. The first and foremost factor is money. I am not from a superbly rich family, but thanks to my parents, I have lived an affluent life. To study in the United States would cost my parents US$15,000-$30,000 per year.
However, assume that I had enough money. My mother would not let me go as she would worry that I wouldn't be able to take care of myself. I partly agree with her.
I'm still trying to get over my fear of fire and switching on the stove, so without having someone to turn on the stove for me, I would not be able to cook - not even instant noodles.
Also, I'd get homesick if I had to leave my parents to live in another country. When I'm sad, my mother is always by my side. If I left home, I may not have someone to listen to me.
But all in all, I'd prefer to study overseas than in Hong Kong. I do want more exposure to the world, meet more people of different cultures and of course, polish my English ... if I had money. So studying overseas, to me, is a dream, but not a plan.
Oliver Kwan, 17 Delia School of Canada
After I graduate from high school, I plan to study overseas in Canada. Though I do see the virtue of studying in Hong Kong, I believe I can get more out of life by going overseas.
Times have changed. Success doesn't come from being purely good at school or studying hard. Now, you have to be able to adapt to different situations to be efficient. One day, your company may be owned by one group of people, the next day, an entirely different group of people may take over. If you haven't experienced having to adapt to different situations, you won't be able to adapt, and you'll be out of a job. What better way to learn to adapt than going to a different country?
You'd also be exposed to new things overseas such as to new cultures and ideas you wouldn't have otherwise known.
It's arguable that you could learn all of that in Hong Kong. After all, this is a multicultural city, and adaptation could be experienced here. But I believe that's a rather cut-and-dry way of learning - I could learn about India's culture through a book, but until I've been there, I won't experience anything remotely close to what I would learn if I went there.
