Hong Kong, the Concrete Jungle Past Review
By Ka Yu C (undecided, State U) for
Chinese University of Hong Kong: Hong Kong - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Yes, it was definitely worthwhile! Living in a culture different from one I'm used to takes patience and an open mind because there is a difference in priorities, attitudes, way of life, values and customs. There is a lot to see, learn and appreciate.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was all right (just lots of reading; five weeks is a very short time!) but it varies from class to class. The grading system is different because there is a set grading curve (percentages of students getting As, Bs, Cs, etc. are already established), from my understanding. Hours are longer as well. My classes were almost three hours a day, three days a week. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administration is eager to help but sometimes is a bit disorganized. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Lived with family so don't know anything much about the housing situation. |
| * Food: |
There are several places to dine on campus with quite the selection, and not just Chinese food although that is the more common option. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
CUHK organized a welcome dinner, weekly field trips (four in total) and a farewell dinner. The cultural tours are a good venue of seeing the more popular sites in Hong Kong but time is certainly a constraint and sometimes the planned events tend to fall behind schedule. Usually a big portion (meaning hundreds of students) of the program's students will attend so sometimes it can be a little disorganized. All of this is already included in an "administration fee" up front but it is entirely your option to go or not. You don't get a refund if you don't want to participate in any of the above-mentioned activities. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Health services and precautions are outlined at the orientation and the program director sends out notices about the weather warning or anything we should be wary about. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Don't stick with just the people you know, either from your school or country, but get to know other people. Just go out and have fun! (Of course, exercise wisdom when going out and having fun.) Eat some things you would never eat back home. ;) Also, before leaving for your host country, briefly read up on some basic cultural background so you won't offend anyone. |
