The overlooked merits of a university education

HKU organizes some very meaningful extracurricular activities, including volunteer and charity organizations, cultural activities, and sports. Furthermore, these activities are well-organized and easily accessible, though I feel that sometimes, some courses and events fill up a bit too quickly, yet other times, not enough people participate in some of the relatively obscure but very interesting activities. Most of the sports recreation courses I've signed up for, for example, are full. This semester, I'll be taking "Learn to Swim - Breast Stroke", "Muay Thai" (Beginner), "Social Dancing" (which is ballroom dancing), and "Tennis" (Beginner).

I really appreciate HKU's attempts at "whole person education". For too many, university is vocational training, mere preparation for the job market. If that's all people expect and if that's all they aim to accomplish, I really pity them.


I believe that people can acquire more than mere vocational training with a university education; instead, they should be able to: 1. acquire skills and knowledge that may (or may not) be useful in my future occupation(s), 2. widen their social circles, and 3. improve themselves in all aspects, including (4.) intellectual and spiritual development (i.e. self realisation).

The first involves what we learn in the classroom. We go to classes, read some textbooks, write some exams and papers, then we graduate. Why? Sometimes, we learn things that may be useful in our future careers, but while some programs (such as pharmacy and accounting) are more practical and career-oriented, other programs really don't provide anything immediately useful for any job. On the other hand, learning skills such as critical and analytical thinking, public speaking, and the ability to write clearly and concisely are useful in both our everyday lives and for any career.

University is a great place to meet people, whether in classes, student societies, dormitories, or anywhere on campus. Even if we were unpopular in high school, we're given a relatively clean slate at university, and can even reinvent ourselves year after year. Sadly, I've encountered many unfriendly people at university. Many people give the impression that they have enough friends, and that meeting new friends is a sign of weakness, of not having enough friends. It's really their loss - the people we meet at university may be our future co-workers, clients, friends, or even spouses, and they're no good to us if they remain strangers.

University is a great place for overall self-improvement. We learn social skills such as how to make friends and how to deal with people. We can play sports to become more physically fit, and can make friends in the process. We may be forced to learn skills such as time management and to adapt characteristics such as the willingness to take risks, as well as self-control. As life usually becomes more complex during our university years, we may be faced with more challenges, and most of us emerge stronger in the process. This is important because the next stage in our lives is usually even more complex.

I've come to realise that university is a place where I can broaden my horizons, to understand the world in which we live, and to understand myself. I've been granted the privileged and precious opportunity to read and discuss the works of the world's great thinkers, to hear the opinions of world-renowned experts firsthand, and to have access to all of the ideas that have ever been written down. The terminology isn't important, but our understanding of things is. At the very least, we should try to understand human behaviour, to be able to put ourselves in other peoples' shoes, and to understand our own motivations and characteristics. If you can understand the intricacies and machinations of international finance, behavioural psychology, organic chemistry, classical drama, etc., then even better. Sadly, few people are interested in the world around them, and just as few are willing to take the initiative to learn and to understand.

You can't put a pricetag on these things. In fact, a university education can be quite a bargain if you make the best of it. Sadly, most people don't get value for money, and it's entirely their fault.