He was well aware of burden it placed on his parents to support an overseas student on the meager income they earned at the time, and in his high school yearbook he wrote the motto, "Life is a struggle, not enjoyment."
他很明白，在那樣艱困的時局裡，以父母擔任教職的微薄收入，要支付留學費用十分吃力。在中學畢業特刊上，他寫下短短兩句話：「生活並非享受，而是奮鬥。」