by Dave Kenneth Cayado

I first visited the University of Hong Kong back in 2017 to meet some of the Filipino scholars who are already studying here. At that time, I was still a few months away from finishing my UG studies but the aspiring academic in me was already thinking of where I could do my postgraduate degree. Despite having a clear vision of what I want to do with my life, never had I imagined that studying abroad, especially in a high-ranking university like HKU, was a possibility. It is because most Filipinos I know who get to study here graduated from the top universities in the Philippines. I did not. I had set my mind that Philippine universities are the only choices for me. But that changed the moment I stepped into HKU. For some inexplicable reason, it felt like home to me. It felt like I was meant to be here. The Filipino HKU students have filled me with stories about the professors, the world-class supervision, and the generous support for international conferences and trainings – things we do not have in graduate schools in the Philippines. After this experience, a voice inside my head urged me to try my luck.

When I got back to the Philippines, I found myself searching, reading, and watching videos about HKU admission. I had been obsessed with the idea of studying at HKU for weeks until reality set back in. A few months after my visit I came across an article written by a Filipino student – Nic Guinto, a joint PhD student at HKU and KCL – about his journey to HKU. It gave me the motivation and confidence I needed to finally pursue my application. I got even more excited when I found out that the linguists who published the papers I read for my undergraduate thesis, Dr. Janny Leung and Dr. Ricky Chan, were both with HKU. By this time, I knew that HKU was the right place for me, but I was also aware of how competitive the admissions process is.

In December, four days after I submitted applications to two different departments, the School of English e-mailed me to schedule an admissions interview. I was nervous because I know speaking is one of the things I struggle with. Expectedly, I stuttered several times, had difficulty getting my thoughts in order, and missed some details of the methodology in my proposal. Despite that, I was still positive that I gave it my best. Sometime in January, I officially received a rejection from another department, something I had already expected as my eyes were fixed on admission into the SoE. But it still affected my confidence in my other application. It made me think that I was probably not good enough for HKU.

Three weeks later, I received an e-mail from SoE informing me that I got waitlisted and it will take a couple more months for the final decision. I was certain that there was no chance for me anymore; I began an application to a university in my country. Then in mid-June, while I was getting ready to submit my documents for an MA in the Philippines, I received an e-mail from Dr. Leung informing me that I got the place. The pessimist in me immediately thought that there must have been a mistake. Then came an e-mail from Dr. Chan, my primary supervisor, telling me that they wrote a strong recommendation letter for me after the interview and that a place was waiting for me in the School of English.

One year on, I can say that the months of waiting, the agony of not knowing and the rejections were all worth it. I am now being mentored by an expert on implicit learning (my primary research interest), who makes sure that my experiment is on track, and cares for my holistic improvement as a future academic. I still have a long way to go, challenges to face, and myriad failures and disappointments to overcome. But I can confidently say that all of these will mold me into the linguist and academic that I want to become in the future. When I first got rejected, I never thought that I would have a shot at this. But this whole experience has made me believe that when something is meant for you, it will be yours for as long as you are willing to pursue it tenaciously.

Published on: July 8, 2019 < Back >