Tsoi Siu Ham

On the Road to the Stars

Reading is like a long and tortuous mountain-climbing journey. Only by following the path up the mountain can you know how rugged the road is. Perhaps the dark clouds above obscure the brilliance of the stars, and the thorns under our feet block our steps. As long as we have stars in our hearts, there will be a beam of light in front of us to guide us forward.

For me, the first step in pursuing my dream of reaching for the stars is to build a star-reaching structure with a solid foundation. If the foundation is not solid, the earth will shake and the mountains will tremble. How can you talk about reaching for the stars? Doing everything down to earth is the key to achieving good results. Taking Chinese as an example, my teacher often said that the model essays in Part A of Paper 1 are the easiest to score in and also have the biggest score gap. To review these model essays well, one needs to memorize the text, word explanations, article structure, writing techniques, and thoughts and feelings. It is a big project. Reviewing a thick stack of notes just before the exam is really difficult. Language subjects require daily accumulation. Spending half an hour every day reviewing classical Chinese is far more effective than spending three or four hours cramming before an exam. We also enjoy the process of "learning and practicing it from time to time" rather than viewing review as a painful task. Thanks to the teacher's wonderful classes, as well as regular dictation and small tests, I was able to keep pace with the teacher and do each link well. Gradually, I reviewed every ancient Chinese article thoroughly, making it a fixed memory, allowing me to handle exam questions with ease.

Regarding the Chinese writing paper, I am very grateful to the Chinese group for their weekly arrangements, which ensured that we didn’t forget to pick up a pen during busy studies and invisibly trained our writing skills in different genres while completing our homework carefully. On the road to preparing for the exam, it is undoubtedly hard to stick to a review plan every day. If we feel tired, it means we are on the uphill road. If we maintain a persevering attitude, we will eventually reach our ideal destination.

Interest is the best teacher; it inspires us to learn independently and drives us forward. For me, unlike practicing science questions, learning Chinese is a very relaxing process. After studying "The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital," I wanted to read "The Memorial to the Emperor on the Death of My Father" to understand the literary genre of "petition." After learning "The Yueyang Tower Inscription," I wanted to read "The Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" to appreciate another famous tower in the south of the Yangtze River through the text. A large amount of extracurricular reading has enabled me to master a lot of classical Chinese knowledge. When it comes to reading, it is not just for completing the reading report assigned by the teacher; it is to enrich one’s knowledge and make the soul feel rich. Long-term reading is beneficial for improving comprehension and writing skills. During the holidays, take some time to calm down and read your favorite books.

We are not alone on the road of learning; we have classmates to accompany us. "When three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher." By communicating with classmates, we can learn from others' strengths and make faster progress. We can find classmates with better Chinese writing skills, appreciate their essays for reference, learn their choice of words, writing style, and depth of content, and then apply these lessons to our own essays. Students can also discuss with each other and perhaps come up with new ideas. The General Studies class in Form 6 left a deep impression on me. Teacher Hong asked us to practice questions with a timer and then invited different students to the podium to share their answers. Each student had their own answer and its merits, giving me a new angle to consider the problem.

Instead of looking up to the sky, it is better to pursue your dreams and reach for the stars. Setting goals is the beginning of action. Every student has their own shining point and should bravely establish their dreams, allowing their goals to become a steering wheel. Starting from Form 4, my teacher would sometimes share successful examples of our seniors after class. My classmates would look at them with envy, and I was no exception. I often felt like just a mediocre student, and reaching for the stars seemed unattainable. Later, I became the head of the Chinese department. My teacher gave me great confidence and enabled me to set the goal of achieving excellent results in the Diploma Examination. This goal became my motivation to persevere in my preparation.

The darker the sky, the brighter the stars. When you are lost in the darkness, the stars in your heart will give you strength. Grit your teeth and climb upwards, and you will find that the stars are right in front of you and can be touched with your fingertips. In fact, reaching for the stars is not as difficult as you think. No matter what the result is, you who never give up are already the brightest stars! Here, I would like to thank the teachers who have guided me on this journey, as well as my classmates who have walked with me towards reaching the stars!