"My final year project (FYP) topic is about the evolution of steroid hormones in animals. I particularly focused the study on cnidarians, which is a group of animals including jellyfish, corals and sea anemones. I was interested in the biosynthetic pathway of steroid hormones in a chosen sea anemone species, Aiptasia pulchella and its physiological role in the regeneration of damaged tissues...Being a FYP student, I have learnt that self-initiation and time management are the two most important aspects in research... "

"Regardless of the difficulties, I would say that FYP is a rewarding experience. I started the whole project basically from scratch; eventually I was able to address the research questions and has discovered something new. There were numerous failures and hardships, but they were worth it. Additionally, this FYP provided me with opportunities to learn a wide variety of soft and hard skills, which would be useful in research, and this has definitely prepared me for my future postgraduate research degree...."

"Speaking of which, mentality is also essential. Being meticulous is the foundation of a successful experiment. I learned not to neglect the importance of every small step in each experiment, such as washing test-tubes, weighing chemicals, keeping the laboratory clean and writing lab log. If one makes mistakes in one of these small steps, he/she will be unlikely to get some good results. These qualities are not useful only in Science, but also applicable to other walks of life; scientific way of thinking is appreciated in different disciplines and industries..."

"My FYP was about the symbiotic relationship between soybean and rhizobium (a bacteria that live in soybean’s roots). In my project, genetic and molecular technologies, such as PCR, DNA extraction, and bacteria culturing, were used to find certain genes in rhizobia that help with such relationship. Like other FYP students, I received a theme from my supervisor-Prof Lam Hon Ming, and then designed my own research plan. What’s followed was to put through those experiments with the help from senior labmates..."

"FYP is an active learning experience whereas lectures are more passive. It is also more flexible in that students can choose their own approaches in addressing a scientific problem....I am going for further studies at this moment. My FYP training has equipped me with the molecular techniques needed to conduct my own individual research. Moreover, it enables me to think ahead and have better planning for my project, which is critical for any researcher to be successful.... "

"The topic of my FYP is Feeding Ecology of Yellow-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) in Hong Kong. During my research, I have designed varies surveys for collecting information about details of feeding and roosting ecology of the critically endangered Yellow-crested Cockatoo, for example the food types and feeding frequencies of the species..."

"The main difference between FYP and lecture is that FYP involves many practical actions. For example, you need to go into the field by yourself to obtain your own data. Also, you need to totally rely on yourself and there’s no one going to remind you when to do the things so time management is also very important..."

"I have to collect different species of portunid crabs. So I often have chances to visit different habitats in Hong Kong. Crab hunting is really a lot of fun because I have a chance to play with crabs and get in touch with beautiful wild environment. I also got an opportunity to work in a lab at the University of Regensburg, Germany for two months during the summer vacation. I had an enjoyable stay there..."

"When doing FYP, you can take your own pace, but you need to dive deeper into your area. It can be quite stressful, especially when you cannot fully express your stress to your friends who are not involved in the projects. In one word, you will taste the feeling of being an independent and responsible researcher... "