The transition from secondary to tertiary education is an important developmental milestone in one’s life. Secondary school students may not yet have developed a clear understanding of what their aspirations are and in what fields they would like to pursue further studies. To encourage secondary school students in planning their future pathway, CityU has set up a BOLD Buddy Scheme to help secondary school students gain insights into university education from first-hand interaction with CityU students.

The scheme was kick-started in October 2021. Form Three to Five students in local secondary schools (or equivalent year of study in international schools) were paired up with CityU undergraduates to form a Buddy Team. The mentor-mentee relationship gives CityU students leadership opportunities, in which they can be role models for the secondary school students. Meanwhile, secondary school students get a more all-round understanding of university life and education.

During the programme, secondary school students consulted their CityU buddies about their university application and interview tips. CityU students were generous in sharing their personal experience of how they prepared for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) and how they went through their university application process. The paired-up teams joined competitions and events together and the secondary school students reported that they learnt from the experience and widened their horizons through collaborating with their mentors. For CityU students, the experience of guiding and supervising the junior students was highly rewarding and can be used as solid evidence of leadership, positive attitude and interpersonal skills on their CVs.

Most importantly, both the secondary school students and CityU students agreed that the most rewarding part in this programme was the rapport and friendship developed between them. CityU buddies become like big brothers and sisters to the secondary school students whom they can seek advice from. Some have maintained contact with each other to share their experiences. It is believed that after joining this programme, the secondary school students would have a clearer vision and aspirations concerning their future pathway.