Adeel Malik
Students have started their new academic year and are surely doing give their best, or is that too early to call?
As 2018’s HKDSE’s results were given out in July, many attained excellent results, including Muslims in Hong Kong.
One of them was Ali Sakina Bibi. Her hard work paid off as she is now studying Bachelor of Arts in the University of Hong Kong.
We caught up with our bright young sister and asked her to share her experience so to inspire others in her place.
1) How do you feel getting those HKDSE results and offer from HKU?
Alhumdulillah, I was very satisfied with my DSE results.
The offer to study Bachelor of Arts at the University of Hong Kong was an absolute cherry on top since it was my first choice.
2) What made this all possible?
First of all, the unconditional support from my family was one of my biggest motivations because they have always told me to follow my interests rather than imposing their career paths on me and I have always been very grateful for that.
Frankly speaking, I wasn’t always among the studious bunch of kids at school but I decided to make my focus really clear on the 2 months of study leave we got before the HKDSE examinations.
Also, the fact that my teachers never gave up on me only encouraged me even further to work harder.
Another thing I would love to point out is that the stressful period of the DSE and university entrance also brought me way closer to Allah as I would seek calmness and assurance through prayers and making duas.
3) Any obstacles and how did you overcome them?
In the beginning, I was quite daunted by the fact that everyone around me was constantly studying and I still had a long way to go, especially for subjects like Math and History.
However, I soon realised that each one of us have our own effective way of studying and the most important thing is to not lose focus.
I also found it challenging to find my way to focus while studying since I would get distracted quite easily.
The way I dealt with that was as simple as just reminding myself of why I started and that was because I wanted to reach my goal of being admitted into my chosen programme at university.
4) How important it is for Muslims and those in the ethnic minority in Hong Kong to do well in their respective fields?
Personally, I think it is essential that they do well and strive for their goals and dreams.
We tend to come across quite a few stereotypes in Hong Kong and so in order to narrow the cultural gap, it is important that we maintain a positive image in the society.
One of the best ways to do that, in my opinion, is by our achievements.
Also, I don’t think that being able to achieve your goals depends on your ethnicity, gender or religion, but it rather depends on your hard-work and willpower.
5) Advice for future HKDSE students
I know the whole examination period can be extremely stressful but make sure you’re not overwhelmed by the stress because it could negatively affect your preparation process.
My advice on how to limit your stress is to not go too hard on yourself, remember to take breaks and days off from studying as a treat for yourself.
Also, I would suggest to take little steps rather than trying to cram the whole syllabus in one go.
Another important thing is to do your research before you confirm your university choices and try to set a goal which is slightly challenging so that you will be motivated to work for it yet remember to stay realistic.
Finally, I believe the whole process of getting a good spot in university is way easier than most of us think.
Push yourself a bit and never lose confidence within yourself because once the determination is there, you are already a step closer to success!
Hearing this and seeing such success of a Muslim, an ethnic minority of Hong Kong, a non-Chinese got to be awe-inspiring and shows anything is possible for us as long as we keep our trust in Allah Azzawajal and give our best in every single field we are in.
We ask Allah to continue to guide and grant goodness to our youth in their worldly and religious affairs.
