給附屬學院新同學們的信

親愛的各位同學：

歡迎你來到我們港大附屬學院的大家庭。在這個大家庭裡，你會遇上許多全心全意培育你們成材的師長們。他們把全部的工作時間都放在教學上，放在你們身上，不必為做研究和寫學術論文而分神。這種情況跟美國一些以教學為主的學院頗為相似：老師的主要精力用於教學，用於幫助同學們成長。

當然，我們的附屬學院尚可改善的地方仍不少。港大專業進修學院董事會的新任主席陳坤耀教授，鼓勵我們把附屬學院辦成地區內一流的學府。我們正朝着這個方向努力。

在我們的新同學當中，有些人可能在文憑試中發揮得未如理想，因此未能考上政府資助的大學，心中難免有點挫折的感覺。我想告訴大家：這一點點的挫折，不一定盡是壞事。人生路上，難免有起有落。經歷過挫折後，人會變得更堅強更有能力，日後才會更成功。就讓我在這裡和大家分享一個小故事。

話說有位年青人亞偉，追隨自己那位當木匠的父親學師，每天到父親的木材店裡幫工。一天，亞偉正幫著父親刨木板。突然，木刨在一個木結處被卡住了，無論怎樣使勁也刨不動它。

「這木結怎會這樣硬的？」亞偉不禁問父親。

「因為它受過傷。」父親回答說。

「受過傷？」亞偉沒有聽明白父親的意思。

「這些木結，都是樹木受過傷的部位。結疤之後，這些受過傷的部分就會變得更堅硬。」父親解釋說：「人也一樣，遇過挫折，受過創傷，會變得更堅強。」

是的，正是因為有了傷痛，人才會在傷痛的刺激下覺醒起來。也正是因為有了挫折，人才會在挫折的磨練下變得堅強起來。挫折與磨練其實是人生最好的學校，能令人奮發向上、自強不息。

正正是這樣，我們附屬學院的許多畢業生，經過一番努力後，都能奮發向上、成功地考上他們心儀的大學，完成學位課程，並取得優異的成績 (包括成為香港大學的一級榮譽畢業生、碩士研究生、博士研究生等)，日後都有自己美好的前程。這說明一切事在人為。就如貝多芬所講的：心是一切偉大的起點；只要用心做好自己的工作，讀好自己的書，你的夢想就一定能夠實現。

在這裡，我們附屬學院的全體老師和同人，衷心祝願同學們在學院期間生活愉快，學業有成，日後都能圓大學和事業的夢，活出生命的彩虹！

李焯芬
2013年9月

Letter to New Students of our Community College

Dear students,

A very warm welcome to our Community College! You will find here a team of teachers fully dedicated to teaching and to nurturing yourself. Like teachers at many of the acclaimed liberal art colleges in the United States, they devote the bulk of their time and energy to coaching you, as compared to doing research and writing research papers.

Of course, our Community College still has rooms for improvement. In fact, Professor Edward Chen, our newly appointed Chairman of the Board, HKU SPACE, has inspired us to develop our Community College into a first-class institution of its kind in the entire region – a goal that we are striving to reach within the next few years.

Some of you might feel a little hurt, for not being able to make it to a government-funded university of your choice. However, we can perhaps look at this set-back a bit more positively. There are always ups and downs in life. A bit of set-back can make you stronger and more determined to succeed, thus helping you in the long run. Let me share a little story with you:

A young man by the name of Ah Wai is learning carpentry from his father, who is a skillful and experienced carpenter. One day, when Ah Wai was trimming wood, his trimmer was stuck at a knot on the wood panel, making it difficult for him to finish his trimming job.

“How come this knot is so hard?” Ah Wai could not help asking his father.

“It’s because the wood was hurt before.” His father replied.

“What?  The wood was hurt before?” Ah Wai could not understand what his father saying.

“Knots are actually where the wood got hurt before.  They became scars and are thus harder.  This also applies to human beings.  We might also get hurt occasionally.  However, after we recover from such set-backs, we actually become stronger.”  His father explained.

Yes, when we overcome difficulties and recover from set-backs, we actually become stronger.  This enhances our capability and our chance of success in the future.

And this is exactly why many of our graduates excel in their studies, eventually gaining admission to universities of their choices.  Some of them went on to become First Class Honours graduates and Ph.D graduates of The University of Hong Kong.  It is all in your own hands.  If you keep working on it, your dream will become true.

My colleagues and I wish you every success in your studies. We firmly believe that you can excel and shine in the days ahead.

With our warmest regards,