Academic Advising: Your Guide to Success at HKU

1. Induction Session: Academic Advising (2014-15 Intake) Dr. Tao Lin School Academic Advising Coordinator August 25, 2014

2. You will learn about: • What is Academic Advising? • Academic Advising @ HKU • Expectations and Responsibilities • Check out the resources • Plan for your study years

3. What is Academic Advising? A developmental process in which you are provided with support in clarifying your academic, career and life goals, developing plans to achieve these goals, and evaluatingyour own progress. A process in which you are empowered to think critically, explore available options, and take personal responsibility for decision-making with the guidance of your teachers and academic advisers. You will have greater satisfaction with your academic experience, better self-understanding and a sense of success in the achievement of personal and academic goals.

4. HKU Academic Advising System

5. Faculty Academic Advisers Faculty-based Academic Advising All first-year undergraduate students will be assigned to a Faculty Academic Adviser upon registration. The relationship between Adviser and Advisee is one of shared responsibility and two-way traffic. You are required to meet with your Faculty Academic Adviser once every semester in your first year of study to discuss different academic issues.

6. Student Information System Self Services > Student Center > Adviser section

7. Your Responsibilities Things your Adviser expects from you: • Take the initiative to contact your Academic Adviser: you are required to meet with your Adviser onceevery semester • Have a basic understanding of the requirements of your Curriculum / Degree / Major / Professional Core • Be well prepared prior to each advising meeting: • think about your educational, personal and career goals • consider your study plan / intended course enrollment for the coming terms and beyond • check the prerequisites for each course you intend to take and consider how they will affect the sequencing of your courses • prepare a list of questions or concerns that you would like to raise • Be on time for the scheduled appointment with your Adviser Accept responsibility for decisions and take ownership of your academic plans.

8. Faculty Academic Advisers Expertise: • Course selection • Major and minor programmes • Guide you in developing your academic goals and study plan • Discuss your academic performance and the implication of it to your future plans (career or postgraduate studies) You shall check the contact information of your assigned Faculty Academic Adviser and initiate meetings. Office of School of Economics and Finance Room 908, K.K. Leung Building Tel: 3917 1058 E-mail: enquiry@sef.hku.hk Website: www.sef.hku.hk

9. Academic Advising Office Expertise: • Help you guide through degree requirements, academic regulations and procedures • Provide you with information about cross-faculty learning opportunities Room 7, Upper Ground Floor, Knowles Building, HKU Tel: 2219 4686 Fax: 2858 2317 Email: aaoffice@hku.hk Website: http://aao.hku.hk

10. Resources at AAO Website http://aao.hku.hk

11. Resources at AAO Website Just to name a few: • Study Tips • Learning Opportunities Outside Classroom • HKU Scholarships • University Regulations, Degree Regulations and Syllabuses • Grading System • Honours Classification

12. Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS) Expertise: Campus Life Section (tel: 2859 2305; cedars@hku.hk) • Financial assistance, accommodation needs, visa formalities Careers and Placement Section (tel: 2859 2317; careers@hku.hk) • Career planning resources, career preparation, recruitment talks Counseling and Person Enrichment Section (tel: 2857 8388; cedars-cope@hku.hk) • Counseling services on personal, emotional or non-academic issues; person enrichment workshops Student Development Section (tel: 2857 8387; cedars-programmes@hku.hk) • Leadership development, service learning opportunities CEDARS Office 3/F & 4/F, Meng Wah Complex Website: http://cedars.hku.hk

13. Plan for your study years The University is the place for your: • Intellectual development • Acquisition of knowledge • Personal and socialdevelopment Some tips for you: • Develop your academic goal • Profile type of students • Tips on studying • Plan for further studies

14. Develop your academic goal Set an overall goal: What do you want to achieve in 4 years? • Be enlightened by the wonderful insights of economics and finance? • Be admitted to top graduate schools? • Be recruited by prestigious investment banks and corporations? • Set up your own business? Set short-term targets: What do you want to achieve in a semester / year? • Something to learn? • Some books to read? • Some programs to join? • Some GPA to attain?

15. Develop your academic goal Be Practical in Your Plans • What matters is output and not input, and not the thrill of thinking about possibilities • Impractical to aim too high but end up with only a little • Importance of learning by doing in the process A Balanced Portfolio • Check out and choose from the rich variety of knowledge exchange and experiential activities offered by HKU • Time management is very important • More tips: http://gregmankiw.blogspot.hk/2006/05/advice-for-aspiring-economists.html

16. Which profile type are you? The High-Achievers Good grades, leadership roles in activities, exchange and internship experience, fluent English, excellent social skills and other personal attributes, i-bank or consulting to start career, CEO as target, own business The academic type Very good grades, superb technical skills, exchange experience, know the names and work of world renowned scholars, already taken or will take GRE and TOEFL soon

17. Which profile type are you? The Still-Searching Type Some interests but not so much interests in Economics and Finance, do not have a clear idea what to do yet, take part in some activities but not very involved, may go for a master degree, may take one year off to work… The “HEA” (Too-Relaxed) Type Completely lack of direction and focus, except day-to-day or immediate piece-by-piece optimization

18. Academic Study at HKU Lectures • 3 hours of lecture per week for each course Tutorials • mostly one hour each week for each course and adopt an interactive approach • some very small classes may not have tutorials • students sign up their choices of tutorial sessions during lectures in the first week Full attendance in both lectures and tutorials is important. Englishis the official language used in all lectures, tutorials, assignments, tests and exams.

19. Academic Study at HKU Course work and final exams • Various forms of assessment: attendance, assignment, project, presentation, tutorials, tests, term papers, mid-term exam, etc. • Assessment methods and their percentages in the final grade will be announced by teachers during classes • Final exams at the end of each semester (in December and May respectively) to be arranged by the HKU Exam Unit

20. Grade Points

21. Grade Point Average (GPA) Semester GPA (SGPA) • the weighted average grade of all courses attempted (including failed courses) during a semester Year GPA (YGPA) • the weighted average grade of all courses attempted (including failed courses) during a given academic year Cumulative GPA (CGPA) • the weighted average grade of all courses attempted (including failed courses) at the time of calculation

22. Honours Classification Determined by the Board of Examiners for the degree in accordance with CGPA scores and at its absolute discretion:

23. Dean’s Honours List Criteria • Achieving a YGPA of 3.6 or above; and • No failed course during that academic year, inclusive of courses which are non-graded as “Fail”

24. Study Tips What matters first is understanding: • Learning by memorization is a dead-end road • How do you know that you understand the materials? Applicationis an effective way to learn: • Think through and explain to yourself and others • Form discussion groups among yourselves • Doing exercises again and again on your own

25. Study Tips Learn how to read • Not all the chapters and paragraphs are equally important • Grasp and relate the main points Get rid of the habit of relying on “standard answers” or “summarized materials” • Given materials are dead materials which will suffocate thinking, imagination and innovation • Prepare notes yourself and you will understand and learn in the process

26. Study Tips Beware of course progress and the calendar • Compared with secondary school, the semester in the university is shorter, but each course covers a lot more materials • There will be much to catch up if you fall behind for one or two weeks, especially so if you are behind in a few courses – Do not put yourself in such a situation • Last minute scramble in the study of economics and finance will only lead to mental indigestion

27. Exchange Programmes HKU Worldwide Student Exchange Programme http://www.als.hku.hk/admission/exchange/outgoing-students/programmes/hkuww FBE Exchange Programme http://www.fbe.hku.hk/Programme/Undergraduate/enrichment/index.asp?doc=exchange HKU Worldwide China Programme http://www.asa.hku.hk/admission/study_tours.htm Asia Institute for Political Economy (AIPE) http://www.als.hku.hk/summer/content.php?id=VmtaYVUxSnRWbTQ

28. Exchange Programmes Common Selection Criteria • Academic performance • Extra-curricula activities • English proficiency • Personality Shall you go for an exchange in Year 2, 3 or 4? 1 semester or 1 year?

29. Internship, Competitions &Other Enrichment Opportunities Check out enrichment opportunities FBE: http://www.fbe.hku.hk/Programme/Undergraduate/enrichment/index.asp?doc=enrichment CEDARS(Student Development Section): http://cedars.hku.hk/showext.php?id=sd Economics and Finance Society: http://www.efs.hkusu.hku.hk

30. Plan for Further Studies Students who plan for further studies in economics or finance are advised to take theory courses in our MEconprogramme, as well as more math and statistics courses • MEcon: Microeconomic Theory, Macroeconomic Theory, Econometric theory I and II, Game Theory and Applications, Selected Topics in Microeconomics etc. • Math: Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus, Introduction to Mathematical Analysis, Algebra I, Analysis I & II, Differential Equations, Probability Theory; Intro. to Optimization • Statistics: Probability & Statistics I & II, Statistical Inference, Advanced Probability

31. Plan for Further Studies Preparation for PhD studies: http://gregmankiw.blogspot.hk/2010/03/choosing-graduate-program.html

32. Last but not least… Equate marginal benefit with marginal cost: • There’s got to be an optimal time to start/stop doing something • Learn to be wise to start/stop Maximize return to your effort: • Work hard and play hard • Aim at quality output

33. Q & A