PolyU is a place for students to discover their interests and develop their strengths. Four years ago, when I went to the PolyU Education Info event, I had two burning questions: what can I gain? And what will I be? I have gained a lot in the course of my studies. I have learned so much about chemistry – not only theoretical knowledge and practical lab skills, but also how to approach challenges in a logical way. Developing critical thinking skills has been important in other aspects of my life, too. During my work experience at McGill University, Canada, I made friends from other countries and I tried my best to communicate in English. I became independent.

Life at university is totally different from life at high school. You have to study hard, sometimes late into the night, due to the workload of assignments, tests, examinations, and presentations. However, there is also much more freedom at university, so it is important to foster time management skills to balance your academic and social lives. In this way, you can fully enjoy all the valuable experiences that the university has to offer.

The Chemical Technology programme includes a lot of practical lab work. This experience has helped me acquire the technical skills and preparation for my future path. Within the scope of the many hands-on opportunities provided by PolyU, I studied at the Georgia Institute of Technology (USA) and worked as an intern at Tokyo City University (Japan). These experiences helped me become more independent and will certainly make me a desirable candidate for future job prospects.

Chemistry was my favourite subject at school. As a Chemistry Major, I learned that Chemistry underlies many technological innovations that have improved the well-being of humankind. It is my aspiration to be a professional chemist and deliver innovative technologies for synthesising pharmaceuticals that will be affordable to underprivileged families in a sustainable manner.

However, for now, I have chosen to pursue a higher degree. To gain more solid research experience in organic synthesis, I have joined Prof. Wing-yiu Yu’s research team as a Student Assistant. Working closely with the research students, I developed a research platform into compounds that have extensive medicinal uses. The guidance and inspiration I have received from Prof. Yu and the team have further enlightened me to the power of Chemistry.