Marcus Alaric

Being able to study at HKUST is not only a great honor for me, it also changed the way that I see things and taught me how to cherish the special moments.

Since I was a kid, and actually even before I started studying at HKUST, I had always dreamed of being a mechanical engineer. Due to my huge passion towards automobiles, I have read many car magazines, done plenty of online research, and also watched a lot of car programs. Sometimes, I can even recognize the car models by just hearing the exhaust tones! This just shows how much of a car fan I am. However, after studying at HKUST for the first year, things started to change.

During the first semester, I suffered a lot from poorly managing my time. This was because I was not used to managing things by myself up to that point. However, receiving encouragement from seniors and peers, I started to bounce back from the pain and began to treasure these low moments. Without these lows, I certainly would not have had those highs, and would not have appreciated the fact that I chose HKUST as the place to finish my Bachelor’s degree. By the end of Year one, I decided that I did not want to become a mechanical engineer. The main reason is that I began to have a clear picture about what I am particularly good at and where I can strive to improve, thanks to the courses I have taken. While having passion in one field is a great thing, knowing your own abilities is equally important. When I knew I could do fairly well in the field of Electronic and Computer Engineering, I decided to major in it. Do I regret my decision? Yes, and no. Yes, because the content is quite abstract and I really need to dig in to understand it. No, because due to the difficult content, it forces me out of my comfort zone and enables me to meet more friends and professors in order to get their advice. Ultimately, it has made me a better person in terms of how to deal with people and my academics.

I am very grateful to be studying in HKUST for great opportunities available, such as going on exchange, participating in various events, and here I am, becoming a new member of the Engineering Student Ambassador Program. I am determined to do my best and serve the HKUST community.