Seize the challenge

Effective time management, positive thinking and a genuine interest in the subject all help people make the most of their part-time studies, writes Amy Mok

Over the years, after getting my first degree, while I have spent my free time at family gatherings, meeting friends or enjoying other pastimes, I have set myself another important objective: saving time for studying. This seems to have become my major hobby and my family has accepted that working and studying at the same time is my mode of life.

The University of Hong Kong's part-time Master of Journalism programme posed a particular challenge, as I had to devote more time to attending regular classes and finishing assignments than I had on other short courses. What made it even more difficult was that I had to go on business trips during this period.

There is no better solution than good time management. I must confess that I am still learning how to balance work and study schedules better. We always feel under pressure because there are so many deadlines and so many tasks. I am trying to be more relaxed, think in a positive way and attempt not to procrastinate and to minimise the pressure of worrying about being bombarded with deadlines.

When all the assignments from work and school and my family commitments come together, studying also tests how I handle frustration. As I cannot give up any of them, I have learned not to be afraid but to set priorities and, most importantly, not to make promises that I am unsure I can deliver.

The impetus behind my studies is that I have had a genuine interest in all the courses I have taken as well as a clear understanding of why I took them and whether they were for professional enhancement or personal growth. I did not use them to kill time.

This applies to the journalism course. Although public relations is my profession, journalism and media studies have always captured my attention and media relations is also a component of public relations work. To me, studying widens my view of journalism and complements what I perceive in my media contact at work.

It is invaluable when classmates share their work experience. Thanks to his better news sense, one classmate, a journalist, pointed out that our master's degree started right after the 9/11 tragedy and finished during the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong. This reminds me of how vulnerable we are and how we need to live life to the full. Studying offers me more chances to think and to dig into issues more deeply.

Giving presentations, writing documents and making business contacts has become a daily routine. It is always good to go back to school, be a member of a class and listen to professors' presentations and guidance in studying my favourite subject.

My studies also divert my attention from my work. In order to attend classes, I have to leave my workplace, go to school and put aside any difficulties at work and concentrate on studying.

Studying can offer me academic qualifications, but it may not lead to a salary increase or promotion. However, it enhances my personal growth and opens my eyes to what is around me. I also enjoy having a good time with my classmates, who come from diverse backgrounds but share similar goals.

In addition, I treasure the experience of studying in a supportive learning environment created by my professors, classmates and myself. I have learned to appreciate my dedicated and diligent classmates. Studying can be as simple as this.

Taken from Career Times 2003/10/24
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