What a Thousand-Year-Old Elf Can Teach You About Exam Season

Some say university is an “Ivory Tower” where academics focus on theory and ideas that are disconnected from real-world concerns. Other scholars, however, use their knowledge, experience, and even hobbies to help those in need of advice, connecting their academic studies with the concerns of ordinary people.

Professor Stephen Chiu Wing-kai, Associate Dean (International Engagement) of FLASS, is one of them. He delivered career talks titled “Finding your own pace for your life” (走出自己的節奏), to senior-grade students at TWGHs (Tung Wah Group of Hospitals) Yau Tze Tin Memorial College on 29 June and Po Leung Kuk (a Hong Kong charitable organisation) C W Chu College on 3 July. The talks helped students prepare for the HKDSE they will soon take, as well as the study and career pathways that follow. The HKDSE, or DSE, is Hong Kong’s main public examination, and its results are used for university admissions and other further education opportunities. Many school leavers face their first major life crisis when the HKDSE results are released.

“While sociology teaches me a great deal about society and individuals, the world of animation has accompanied my life since childhood, bringing me fun, excitement, and occasional moments of inspiration,” the professor of sociology said. He used “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” (葬送的芙莉蓮), one of his recent Japanese manga and anime favourites, to share his core message during the career talks. The manga series, which began in 2020, quickly gained a strong following. The anime adaptation, which started in 2023, also became widely popular.

In the story, Frieren (芙莉蓮), the elf protagonist, continues her journey after the human hero Himmel (欣梅爾) and his party of warriors defeat the Demon King. The anime opens with Himmel’s funeral. As Frieren mourns at his grave, she realises that despite fighting side by side with him for ten years, she never truly understood him. This loss motivates her to begin a new journey, retracing the route they once took and trying to understand the people and events she previously overlooked.

“There are several characters in the manga who live different life paths,” the sociologist and anime lover told the students. Himmel, the human hero, lived a short but brilliant and resolute life. Eisen (艾冉), the dwarf warrior, wins people’s hearts with his steady and reliable character, and he protects his companions in his own way. Because Frieren is an elf and lives for thousands of years, her “learning curve” is extremely long, and she takes decades to understand a subtle feeling she once dismissed as insignificant. “Although the three characters live by different rhythms, the anime never suggests that one life is superior to the others,” the Chair Professor of Sociology in the Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies (SSPS) added.

Professor Chiu also noted that in a highly competitive education system like Hong Kong’s, many secondary school students view the DSE as their final trial: an ultimate verdict that will determine whether their lives will turn good or bad. “In reality, there are many factors influencing one’s performance at a public exam: family expectations, school resources, socioeconomic background, and even whether the students sleep well or not before the exam,” he said.

“More important, results of the DSE exam can reflect far less than people assume. Your DSE results may be a valuable addition to your CV, but they cannot define who you are. In fact, your life begins only after the DSE is over; and there are lots of things ahead for you to experience. Just like in the manga, Frieren’s story doesn’t end when the Demon King is defeated, the journey afterward is what matters most,” Professor Chiu continued.

He reminded the audience that life is not a 100-metre sprint, but a marathon, and emphasised that even students who cannot enter university immediately after secondary school still have a future ahead of them. “Beyond university study, Hong Kong offers a variety of pathways for school leavers, including different associate degree and higher diploma programmes, vocational training opportunities, and apprenticeships. In fact, some people choose to work for a few years first and then return to study later. These are simply different pathways that could and should not be compared,” he said.

Towards the end of the career talks, Professor Chiu reminded the attending students of the importance of equipping themselves with the skills and knowledge needed for their future adventures. “As you look ahead, these are the opportunities available to you. The four departments within FLASS offer a range of undergraduate programmes for first-year and senior-year entries. These include five-year double-degree programmes in personal finance, sociology, geography, and primary humanities, as well as two-year programmes in social entrepreneurship and development studies, and sociology and community studies for senior-year admissions,” he remarked.

In the popular manga and anime Frieren, the protagonist reflects on her learning and losses, and what it truly means to keep moving forward. The message resonates beyond the story. “If today you find yourself a little better than yesterday, that is already progress. As Eisen (艾冉), the dwarf warrior, puts it in the manga: those who have worked hard, in any form, are all warriors,” said the sociologist-cum-manga lover.

Please visit the faculty’s home page to understand various undergraduate and PGDE programmes offered by FLASS.