I CAN STILL REMEMBER where I went for the interview — the then Town Centre — which was just next to a secondary school. I was elated when I got the notice of admission, as I have wanted to become a teacher ever since I was child. At the same time, however, I was disappointed by the prospect of having to attend class in a building not dissimilar to a secondary school. The mere thought of – "I am still stuck in the secondary school environment even though I am now studying in a tertiary institution. If only I could be in one of those beautiful and spacious campuses just like the others…", was really rather upsetting.

Fortunately, I didn't have to wait very long for removal to the new campus. I started as a student of the Certificate in Primary Education programme, and was amongst one of the five males in a class of more than forty. I need not have presumed that "rare species" like us would enjoy special privileges. Instead, we were often "treated" to no-pay errands such as heavy moving, couriering and running around for our fair classmates. None of the five big boys was spared. Nevertheless, the hardest challenge to me was the need to travel a very long way from North Point to Tai Po. As student hostels were still under construction at that time, I had to leave home very early every morning to be on time for class.

Time flew. Two years had passed and I was still longing for hostel life. Graduation was imminent and I began to grumble. Just at this point, the Institute announced a pleasant surprise - it was going to launch degree programmes. As a result, by the end of that summer, I became one of the first cohorts of the full-time Bachelor of Education (Primary) Programme and hence I achieved my long aspiration of experiencing life in the hostel.