June’s topic 5 [8]

Dear Jessica,

How are you? I am glad that you have entered a university. It proves that it was worthwhile for you to spend much effort in preparing the exam over the past two years. However, I am surprised that you are in a dilemma now. Nevertheless, I am convinced that you will know how to choose your own way after I have shared with you my opinion.

It is time for you to taste the fruit. Do you remember the tremendous and intense stress caused by the public exams? During the past two years, you sacrifice lots of your leisure and entertainment and study in the self-study room from day to night. On weekends, you still tried your best to recite all the learning materials. The only reason for your hard work is to achieve your dream, entering university and enjoying university life. Now you succeed. Do you want to let your efforts to be in vain? In fact, there are many students who cannot achieve their dream each year. A university degree is something for which most Hong Kong students are now fighting. So you should seize this precious opportunity to enjoy the fruit you have sowed.

Nothing is impossible. I know you and your lover are very sweet now. He loves you very much. But it may be possible that the love between you and your husband will worsen or even disappear one day. I am not saying something to buffet your love. In my opinion, you should think completely before giving up tertiary education and getting married. If your marriage ended in divorce one day, you must return to society and find a job in order to earn a living. If that was the case, you might be in a weaker position when compared to other job seekers as you have not finished the tertiary education. In nowadays society, a university degree is a basic requirement for finding a normal job. Without such requirement, you may be able to find some low-paid jobs only. So I think you should finish tertiary education before marrying with your lover in order to provide a guarantee for your future if any unpredictable factors occur.

I think you should stand on your parents’ side to think about the issue. All parents want their children to be one who has both talent and virtue. In their mind, the only way to achieve this purpose is by university education. Besides, parents also want their daughters to have good marriages. You may say that you can fulfil the second one if you get married. Yes, you are right. But how about the first one? If you get married after finishing the tertiary education, the two goals can be achieved concurrently.

In fact, marriage brings responsibility. It may be too romantic to you now. But when you get involved in it, it may be the opposite. It is easy to marry, but it is hard to deal with the responsibilities and problems caused by marriage. So it is wise for you to wait for three year so that you can equip yourself to be mature and prepared for marriage.

Yours sincerely
June

Comment: Your points are persuasive and fluently expressed.