bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Have you got a question for Jaime? E-mail her at free@scmp.com

I'm worried about my future. After passing the HKCEE exam and moving to a new school, I'm finding it hard to settle in. I can't seem to handle all the work at this school. I study hard but I never get full marks. My parents think I will be going to university soon and I don't want to disappoint them by failing to get in. How can I find some hope?

Laiwa

Hello Laiwa,

I am sorry to hear how worried you are. It must be very difficult for you. Well done for passing your HKCEE, that's awesome. I know how hard it can be.

A new school is always a difficult adjustment to make with new teachers, new friends and a new way of learning.

Do you have a year adviser or school counsellor you can talk to? They may be able to share some ideas on how you could improve your study skills.

It might also be a good idea to ask your teachers if they think you are on schedule. If they say you need to work harder, ask them what you need to focus on.

The truth is, none of us understands everything, but we can always find hope in the fact that we all have our own destiny.

Think about what you really want to do in life. What do you love? What brings you the most happiness and joy? When you do the things you love and are good at you will feel like you are achieving something and are more likely to succeed.

I am sure your parents really care about you and want you to enjoy your life and love what you do. Talk to them about this and tell them what you really enjoy. Often the things that we enjoy are the things that bring us the most job satisfaction.

So when you are thinking about university and what to study, don't forget to include your desires and passions.

I live in a very small flat with my family and don't have any privacy at all. When my friends phone me I know that everyone at home can hear what I am saying. To make things worse, I can't study in the flat because its so crowded and the TV is on all the time. That means I can't study until after midnight. I really want to drop out of school altogether and find a full-time job. What should I do?

Sally

Hi Sally,

The worst time to make a decision is when you are under pressure.

So now is probably not the best time for you to make a big decision like dropping out of school.

It sounds like you need to change your homework routine. You need to find a time and place that will work better for you.

Have you thought about going to the library after school? Do you have a friend or relative whose place is free from distractions where you could study?

This could give you a few hours to get some homework done so that when you get home you don't need to study. In this way, you could get your body back into a healthier routine by going to bed earlier.

Another idea is to have a meeting and tell your family how much it would help if they made an effort to be more considerate of your needs.

For example, you might be able to agree with everyone on a schedule for watching

TV so that it is not always turned on. This would give you some peace and quiet for studying.



free to be me