Ricko Tang Cheuk-yin can easily recall the disappointment of learning that he scored just four points in the HKCEE four years ago. The road to a university degree seemed closed to him.
With the encouragement of his mother and aunt, he repeated Form Five in a private school. His score rose to eight points - still not enough to earn a chance at a sixth-form place.
Undaunted, Ricko enrolled in a one-year pre-associate degree programme in business studies at Lingnan University.
It was then his attitude towards his studies changed. 'Compared to mainstream schools, we had more opportunities to interact with the teachers in Lingnan, whether it's in or outside class.
'Because of the environment and the teaching style, I felt like I was already a university student,' he said, adding that the programme did not require him to recite things, which was what he hated most in earlier classes.
The courses he took were credit-based and the assessment gave equal weight to examinations and course work, which included presentations, and group and individual projects. 'When I was in the mainstream school, I focused my energy on end-of-the-term exams.