Preisha

From the moment I started thinking about further studies, I knew I wanted to study abroad and experience living in a different country. Hong Kong, with its diversity and rich culture, was the best place for me. I have known I wanted to pursue engineering ever since I was in middle school. HKUST has been both challenging and transformative for me. I was undecided about my major during my first year, but I knew I liked math and coding and wanted to figure out how they fit together to help me make sense of the world. This led me to discover IEDA, my major, which is an amazing fusion of both subjects and so much more. Living in a different country also tested my resilience and took a toll on my mental health, but HKUST introduced me to the most amazing people I have ever known, and everything gradually became manageable.

I relate to Markov’s principle and the idea that our present shapes our future independently of our past. HKUST has provided me with an education that extends beyond textbooks, pushes my limits, and reveals aspects of myself that I would never have discovered had I studied elsewhere.