Korean

나는 HKU SPACE에서 한국어를 배운지 4년이 다 됐다. HKU SPACE에 다니기 전에 다른 학원에 다녔는데 여기 와서 보니 느낌이 완전히 달랐다. 수업에서는 책을 읽고 게임도 했다. 게임을 통해서 내용을 잘 기억할 수 있었는데 재미있었다. 선생님들과 친해졌고 지난 4년을 정말 즐겁게 보냈다.

나는 중간에 임신했는데 그래도 수업을 계속 듣고 발표도 하고 시험도 봤다. 좀 힘들었지만 아들과 같이 한국어를 배워서 정말 신기하고 행복했던 것 같다. 그리고 피곤했지만 끝까지 완성해서 나는 정말 대단하다고 생각한다. 아들을 낳고 나서 시간이 없어서 한 학기를 쉬었는데 3년 동안 같이 배운 반 친구와 같이 배울 수 없어서 좀 아쉬웠다. 나는 입문 반부터 고급 반까지 배웠는데 올해 벌써 졸업해야 돼서 정말 아쉽고 계속 배우고 싶다.

HKU SPACE는 내 다른 집인 것 같다.

English

I have been studying Korean at HKU SPACE for nearly 4 years. I had studied at other centres, but HKU SPACE gave me a whole new learning experience.

In addition to reading textbooks, we also learned through games which really helped me to memorise words and phrases and improve my speaking skills. I also built a good relationship with my tutor throughout my four years of classes which were a genuine joy for me.

In the middle of my studies, I learned I was pregnant. Even though it was quite tough and tiring, submitting homework and test papers with a baby boy in my tummy, it was still a magnificent experience for a mother-to-be. Eventually, I managed to complete the whole course, before giving birth to my little son.

My maternity leave forced me to postpone my studies for a semester, which meant I split up with my old classmates, and we could no longer take the same classes together which was a shame as we had become good friends.

After graduating with a higher certificate this year, I am really sad to say goodbye to HKU SPACE , but I’m sure I will study with them again as it feels like a second home to me now.

There’s an old saying, the time is money. But Dr Nip Kam-fan, an Honorary Fellow of the School, has taken this idea further by depositing time into a golden “bank book” of extraordinary academic achievement.

Now over 80 years old, Dr Nip still carries his bank book which reveals its dazzling record whenever it is opened. “Every time I read a book, I mark down the name of the book, the time I start reading and the time I stop. Then I compare these figures on a monthly basis to find out if I have used my time profitably. In this way, I encourage myself and spur myself on,” Dr Nip said.

Before he retired, Dr Nip was the Director of the Territory Development Department in the Hong Kong government. After gaining his first degree from The University of Hong Kong in the 1950s, Dr Nip embarked on a path of life-long learning and spent a total of 35,650 hours between 1956 and 2012 educating himself to a truly astonishing level. With his background in civil engineering, Dr Nip started with a career-related discipline by gaining a Masters degree in Engineering. Then he went on to gain degrees in mathematics, economics and theology. Even after his retirement in 1992, Dr Nip continued learning and studied Western literature and Chinese literature, pursuing more than 9 degree studies.

Having attained degrees in the arts, science, commerce and theology, Dr Nip considers his time well spent as as time can never be turned back. Learning is not only about winning or losing, but also about seeking self-satisfaction.

In Sept 1978, Mr Lo In-nin, a former student of the Department of Extra-Mural Studies (DEMS), was interviewed by a reporter from the HKU publication “Interflow”. Mr Lo had enrolled in the DEMS course on Journalism at the age of 86 in 1974, and completed the course in 1975.

Mr Lo was one of the most diligent students as he attended the lectures ‘not for any practical purpose, but rather for his personal interest’.

When Mr Lo was interviewed, he was already 90 years old and had 65 grandchildren. He had a wide range of interests and great curiosity. Journalism was just one of his interests. He attributed his good health to always: ‘Be cheerful and kind, and don't drink or smoke’.

Mr Lo’s didn't look his 90 years. His eyes were sharp and spirited, proving that age is not a reason for you to stop learning. Instead, once you are freed from the daily stress of work, you can choose what you want to learn, and live a more fruitful life.