Thomas Hoi Hin

Like most local JUPAS students, I struggled a lot when making the choice for my university. I chose HKUST School of Engineering because I knew that this is a place where I can experience differently. HKUST is a university that provides a large degree of freedom for students to learn what they want to know. HKUST trains us not just to be an engineer but to be an industry leader, a game changer. That is the reason I chose HKUST School of Engineering.

I think of my university life as a dating relationship. Year one was like a first date with a girl I was attracted to but was not brave enough to make a move with. There were so many opportunities provided to me but instead I preferred to stay in my comfort zone with locals speaking Cantonese. In this local group, I met a lot of new friends. One invited me to join the Electric Vehicle Racing Group, a group that tries to build real electric vehicles (like Tesla) for Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) competitions. After this, I started to realize that getting out of my comfort zone was not as hard as I thought, and I got the courage to explore more. 

Year two was when my dating relationship with HKUST really started to bloom, full of excitement and craziness. In par with the theme of getting out of my comfort zone and experiencing new things, I joined the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) aviation Engineer Development Scheme, Head Start, and the Engineering Student Ambassador Program. By doing so, I have taken a step towards my childhood dream of entering the field of aviation, interchanged ideas, heard real-life success stories, and expanded my social circle. Currently, I am also working on a start-up with two of my friends in HKUST. We hope to make a STEM academy to teach kids how to use an electric vehicle to ignite their interests in engineering and science.