Student feature – students from the Class of 2020 share their experiences of studying at SISHK and IBDP.
Justine Chan – Class of 2020, IBDP
Justine Chan
- President, Student Council
- President, The Armchair Specialists
- SISHK IBDP Scholarship recipient
- SISHK Leadership Award winner
- Harvard Book Prize, 1st Place winner
- South China Morning Post (SCMP) Student-of-the-Year Award, Best Devotion to School, Finalist
Q. How long have you been studying at SISHK?
14 years
Q. What is your advice for students who want to join or currently studying in the IBDP?
Always plan your Internal Assessment (IA) journey ahead! It’s never too early to start thinking about your IA topics.
Q. What was the highlight of your IB journey at the school in the last two years?
Getting to go with my friends and teachers on a CAS trip to service a community in Cambodia. It was an amazing experience!
Q. What is your studying strategy?
Dividing revision needs into smaller tasks, and setting time limits for each item that I need to study helps me to remain productive and on tasks.
Q. What are some of the mistakes that you have made that you would not make again?
Spending too much time on one task, and not dividing my time effectively across different subjects and assessments.
Q. How did the teachers support you during the IB programme?
My teachers were invaluable during my IBDP journey. Not only did they support us academically, answering any questions we had, they also helped us to grow as students into the people we are today. I will always be grateful to my teachers.
Q. How would you describe the student life and student leadership opportunities in SISHK?
Student leadership opportunities are extremely abundant at SISHK. If you want to and have the drive and ambition to do it, there will always be some chance for you to step up and lead your peers.
Q. How did the IBDP mock exam and its predicted grade help you with university admissions?
You need the predicted grade to apply to different universities. The mock exam is not as relevant to admissions, but it helps to prepare you for the final exam, which is necessary to meet the conditions of any conditional offers.
Q. Can you share more about your university admissions experience?
It was definitely a stressful period but I was very grateful to have the help and support of our school’s university counsellors Mr D and Ms Chanel, who supported my applications to diverse regions.
Q. What is the one thing that you will miss after leaving SISHK?
I will miss the teachers most of all, and the easy camaraderie I enjoyed with my friends and schoolmates.
Q. What are you planning to study after IB?
I hope to study medicine.
Q. What is one part of the school that you would like to see preserved and not changed?
The willingness of student leadership bodies to accept students and help them grow into leaders themselves.
Q. Any last words of advice for your juniors?
Don’t be afraid of signing up for leadership opportunities, there are so many chances for you to take as long as you are willing to try!