Rethinking Study, Success and the Meaning of Being Ordinary
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
With Hong Kong’s Diploma of Secondary Education results recently released, the SingTao Education column by Cheng Chun-ham revisits familiar post-exam doubts about being “ordinary” and about the purpose of studying. The piece draws on Lung Ying-tai’s essay “Why I Ask You to Study,” built around a letter exchange with her 21-year-old son, Andre, who appeared casual about his future and described himself as far more ordinary than his parents. Cheng says Lung’s response reframes study not as a narrow route to elite schools or admired jobs, but as a gradual accumulation of “keys” that may open choices later in life. The column concludes that exam results capture performance on one particular day, while a person’s life story is still being written
Key Points
- Cheng links the discussion to the latest Hong Kong DSE results release, noting that some students felt relieved while others stared blankly at their score sheets
- In Lung Ying-tai’s correspondence, 21-year-old Andre responded casually to questions about his future and called himself an extremely ordinary person compared with his parents
- Lung cited a painter named Timo, who loved art and studied translation, locksmithing and carpentry, yet remained unemployed for years and lived with his elderly mother
- The column says the value of study is not limited to entering a particular school or landing a prestigious job, but lies in building options over time
- Cheng highlights Lung’s reinterpretation of mediocrity, arguing that people should ask what life they want and what responsibilities they are willing to bear
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, especially students facing public exam pressure, the column offers a way to separate self-worth from a single set of grades. It also presents education as practical preparation for independence, caring for loved ones and choosing meaningful work, rather than only as a competition for status