Chasing dream: From video game to information technology
Video games are now part of our daily lives. Children, teenagers, adults and even the elderlies are playing video games everywhere, on the street, in the transport modes and at home. But has anyone ever thought of becoming a game programmer to create a video game?
Year 3 student Lee Chun Hang Hugo has a great interest in e-game development and dreams to be a game programmer. When choosing major subject, he deliberately went for relevant course, computing. The road to success is not easy to navigate, especially for Hugo, who has a moderate hearing impairment. He needs to have a stronger drive and work harder than others, but he is very happy and satisfying when recalling his past two years at PolyU.
In Year 1, the Department of Computing provides a wide variety of subjects for students to choose from, such as AI, data science, financial technology, etc. This is to let students explore different fields in IT industry. After completing Year 1, Hugo realized that there was still a lot for him to learn and discover, other than game development.
After this, Hugo started to study basic computer science concepts including data science, various programming languages and their uses, operating system, and computer organization and architecture. He particularly enjoyed two subjects, Computational Thinking and Problem Solving as well as Seminars and Topics in Information Technology. It was because that was his first time joining a programing course, and his first time completing an IT group project.
Other than study, Hugo actively participates in various student activities both to enrich his campus life and to help others. He has served as a student helper in a special school for 6 months to conduct STEM course for students with intellectual problems. He also serves as a student ambassador to promote inclusion and disability awareness on campus.
Preparing for future, Hugo has joined 2 internship programmes. After year 1, he worked at Civil Service Bureau as an IT summer intern for 2 months. His main duties were web programming and designing training materials. Through this attachment, he has a good understanding of the practice and culture within the government’s workplace. In Year 2, he worked at a private aviation service provider as an IT summer intern and has been involved in the development of 2 applications by using Microsoft Power Platform for the company’s Safety and Commercial department. These two internship experience has helped lay a good foundation for his future career.
Hugo is grateful for the support from PolyU, especially SEN Officers and Student Affairs Office. Moderate hearing impairment inevitably has some impact on study, but PolyU provides him and other students with hearing impairment great support in different aspects. In order to facilitate them to take notes during classes, PolyU makes available different useful software such as Sonocent Audio Notetaker for them. Caring and considerate, the SEN officers keep in touch with them regularly to understand their needs. Financially, the SAO provides him with information of different scholarships and eventually he got 2 scholarships. The first one was the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund - Endeavour Merit Award and the second one was The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship, which is for 4 years. SAO also encourages him to participate in different student activities, such as virtual visit to The University of Queensland in Australia to learn more about support for students with special educational needs and events organized by “Limitless” ambassador for campus inclusion. To him, it was also quite challenging to get an internship opportunity, but PolyU provides him with career advising, helps him review his CV and prepare him for interviews.
After graduation, Hugo hopes to join a software engineering company and engage in assignments to enhance overall software quality, and at the same time, he plans to study a part-time IT Master course to further enhance his knowledge in computing science.
追夢 - 從電子遊戲到資訊科技
電子遊戲已經成為我們日常生活的一部分。兒童、青年、成年人甚或長者，無論在街上、在交通工具上、還是在家裡，都是專注地玩電子遊戲。但是，有沒有人想過要成為一名開發電子遊戲的遊戲程序設計員？
三年級學生李俊亨Hugo對開發電子遊戲非常有興趣，他的夢想是要成為一名遊戲程序設計員。在選擇主修科目時，他特意選擇了相關課程——電子計算學系。但要達成夢想並不容易，對於患有中度聽力障礙的俊亨來說尤其困難。他必需要比別人更有衝勁、比別人更加努力，但回望過去在理大的兩年，俊亨感到非常高興，也相當滿足。
在大學一年級，電子計算學系提供了各式各樣的科目供學生選擇，如人工智能、數據科學、金融技術等，讓學生探索資訊科技行業不同領域的知識。完成第一學年後，俊亨意識到除了開發遊戲外，還有很多範疇可以供他學習和發掘。
之後，俊亨開始學習電子計算學的基本概念，包括數據科學、各種編程語言及其用途、操作系統、電腦組裝架構。他特別喜歡兩個科目——計算思維及解難，以及關於資訊科技的研討會與專題項目，因為那是他第一次修讀編程課程，也是他第一次完成一個IT小組項目。
除了上課，俊亨還積極參與各種學生活動，既豐富自己的校園生活，也可以幫助別人。他曾在一所特殊學校當學生助理六個月，為有智力問題的學生講授科學、技 術、工程與數學（STEM）方面的知識。他亦擔任學生大使，在校園內推廣共融和促進對弱能人士的關注。
俊亨參與了兩個實習項目，為踏足社會做好準備。第一學年結束後，他在公務員事務局做了兩個月的IT暑期實習生，主要工作是網絡編程和設計培訓材料。透過這次實習，他對在政府架構工作的模式和文化有一定的了解。在第二年，他在一家私人航空服務營運商當IT暑期實習生，參與利用微軟Power Platform開發兩個供公司保安部和商務部應用的程式。這兩次實習的經驗為他日後的工作奠下一個良好的基礎。
俊亨非常感激理大的扶持，特別是特殊教育需要關懷小組的職員和學生事務處。中度聽力障礙難免會對學習造成影響，但理大為他及其他有聽力障礙的同學提供極大的支援。為了方便他們在課堂上做筆記，校方便為他們提供了各種實用的軟件，例如“Sonocent Audio Notetaker”。特殊教育需要關懷小組的同事對他們照顧周到，定期與他們保持聯繫，了解他們的需要。在經濟上，學生事務處為他提供很多關於獎學金的資料，最終他獲得了兩項獎學金。第一個是香港特別行政區政府獎學基金--奮進優異獎，第二個是香港賽馬會獎學金，為期4年。 學生事務處還鼓勵他參加各式各樣的學生活動，如虛擬訪問澳洲昆士蘭大學，了解如何為有特殊教育需要的學生提供支持，以及由「Limitless 」大使組織的活動，促進校園共融。對他來說，爭取實習機會也是相當大的挑戰，但理大為他提供就業輔導，並幫助他準備履歷和面試。
畢業後，俊亨希望能加入一家軟件工程公司，從事提升整體軟件質量的工作，同時，他還計劃修讀兼讀制的資訊科技碩士課程，進一步提升自己在電子計算學方面的知識。
