Ian Chiu said he was surprised to have become the first student at Po Leung Kuk Tang Yuk Tien College to get the highest grade in all seven subjects he took for the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams.
The student said he wants to study quantitative finance at the University of Hong Kong because he likes maths and economics.
Chiu told reporters that he did not attend private tutorial classes because he felt that his school was providing enough support, even during extended periods of online classes amid Covid outbreaks.
“Some teachers made videos or arranged extra zoom classes for us, and I and some classmates would use online meetings to do revision together to help and encourage each other,” he said.
But Chiu said he did not devote all his time to schoolwork, saying he enjoyed extra-curricular activities like dancing and debating in English.
“I think you shouldn’t confine yourself to your studies and put too much pressure on yourself,” he said.
Another top scorer, Serena Yu of St Mary’s Canossian College, meanwhile, said it took a lot of self discipline to learn from home during the pandemic.
“To perform well [in the exam], there must be some pressure. This is especially important during the pandemic because online learning requires much self-restraint. I have learnt how to use my time well during the pandemic,” she said.
Yu, as well as several other high-fliers in the university entrance exam, plan to study medicine at university.
Jodie Chan of St. Stephen’s Girls College and Martin Leung of Queen Elizabeth School both said they want to get into the medical school at Chinese University.
Lee Cheuk-lam of Diocesan Girls’ School, meanwhile, said she will read law at Cambridge University.
