- Former DSE top scorer Icy Ku hopes to help other students tackle the feared Chinese paper with her new book of writing tips
- Every week, Talking Points gives you a worksheet to practise your reading comprehension with exercises about the story we’ve written
Icy Ku poses with her new book of study tips for the Chinese paper on the DSE exam. Photo: HandoutAs Form Six students in Hong Kong begin preparing for their university entrance exams in April, many are nervous about the Chinese paper, which is known for being difficult. But a top-scorer from 2023, Icy Ku Ping-sum, hopes to help them with her new book, My Road to Scoring 5** in Writing.
“As I spent a lot of time exploring the ways and structure to improve essay writing during Form Six, I hope I can share my methods with other students so they don’t need to spend a lot of time doing the same thing,” Ku said.
The 19-year-old received top marks in eight subjects of the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams last year and is now a medical student at the University of Hong Kong.
Published in July and exhibited at the Hong Kong Book Fair, Ku’s book features 28 of her Chinese essays from Form One to Form Six as well as essay planning tips.
Don’t fear the Chinese paper
When the publishing company first approached her about the book, Icy knew she wanted to focus on the Chinese subject, dubbed the “paper of death”. It took months for Ku and the editorial team to collect and edit her writing from secondary school.
“Everything went on at the same time to bring this book to life,” she said, explaining that the editing, design and marketing were all done together.
Ku added that she spent time perfecting her essays before sending them to publication: “I had a high standard for myself since it was my first book, so I wanted to make sure the content was well written.”
The author also had to balance the publishing process with her studies.
“University exams are much more stressful than the DSE ... You have time to prepare for the DSE, but in medical school, you learn and revise at the same time.”
Tips for DSE candidates
The teen’s favourite essay in the book is “秘密” (Secret), which discusses how students hide the pressures they face, including mental health issues like depression.
“This is relatable for DSE students. We tend to hide our stress so we don’t affect each other with negative feelings while preparing for the exam,” the author explained.
Ku hoped to encourage students to share their feelings with people they trust so they can receive the mental support they need.
In addition to memorising passages and studying the works of authors featured in past papers, Ku recommended examining ideas through a unique lens when writing practice essays.
It is also important to rest and relax. This can help you avoid burnout. Taking breaks improves students’ ability to recall information during exams.
In addition, give yourself some positive encouragement: “Telling yourself you are doing well can also be helpful,” Ku said.
Finally, she advised incoming university students to “consider how you are scheduling your studies.”
“Don’t expect there [to be] a lot of time to revise at the end of the semester ... try not to pack everything at the end.”
To test your understanding of this story, download our printable worksheet or answer the questions in the quiz below.
exhibited 展出
publicly shown or put on display
relatable 共鳴
feeling like you can understand or connect with someone or something
memorising 記下
to learn something so you will remember it exactly
burnout 疲勞過度
to become too tired or unable to work