I joined the HKUST Case Analysis Team (CAT) during my freshman year. I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to practice my presentation skills; little did I know that CAT would play such a pivotal part in shaping who I am as a person and become such an integral part of my university life. 

CAT is demanding. It was challenging to assimilate to being a university student, have a social life, manage my academics, work a part-time job, and attend multiple workshops as well as weekly 5-hours, 12-hours and 24-hours case training as a CAT member, especially during COVID-19. Honestly, I was terrible at casing and have even thought of quitting. Still, the opportunity to represent HKUST at the HKU-NWS Joint University Case Competition (JUCC) quickly changed my mind. 

CAT is rewarding. In 2021, I participated in JUCC with my fellow Global Business (GBUS) seniors. After an intensive four-week screening, training, and research, we competed in the case competition with the theme of "I4.0: HOW NWS LOGISTICS INNOVATES FOR A SMART FUTURE" and were crowned Champion Team. I was also honored to be recognized as Best Speaker, which I dedicate to my teammates' endless support and kind words of encouragement. 
 

CAT is all about "give-and-take". The skill-based workshops and case training that members receive are led by the strong community of CAT alumni, the Head Committee, and Professors from the School of Business and Management. In 2022, I also gave back to CAT by mentoring the year's HKUST representatives at JUCC, judging their performance, and providing feedback in rigorous case training. This give-and-take culture makes CAT unique and enables us to achieve brilliant results in both local and international case competitions. 

Not all CAT members are from GBUS, and not all GBUS students are in CAT. But, in my opinion, CAT members and GBUSers share similar characteristics: most of us, if not all, are excellent tryhards. We put in a lot of effort, and we try really hard. We persevere in demanding situations and accept constructive criticism. We don't always succeed, but we always learn from these priceless experiences and bounce back from failure. 

So, here is my piece of unsolicited advice to anyone who wants to become a part of the GBUS community - be a tryhard who is excellent in your own way. At the end of the day, your excellent representation of GBUS should speak for our outstanding program, rather than allowing our program's excellent reputation to speak for your excellence.