BEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE!!!! Past Review
By Dominique M (Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 09/01/2015 to 12/23/2015 with
Chinese University of Hong Kong: Hong Kong - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained a deeper understanding of the people while I was there. I learned so much about the culture in Hong Kong and even learned some of the language. It was a great experience and definitely worthwhile.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It depends on which dorm you get into on campus! Wu Yee Sun was a great choice! |
| * Food: |
It may take a little time to get used to it, but the food is delicious! You just have to be willing to get outside your comfort zone and try it. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Hong Kong is a very international city. After a few weeks, it'll feel like home. I suggest picking up a little of the language. It will help you immensely. The locals love it when you try to make an effort and are more willing to help you. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
At CUHK the healthcare was free for students and the wait to see a doctor usually was less than an hour. |
| * Safety: |
Hong Kong although crowded with tons of people, is relatively safe. Just be mindful of your belongings. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Hong Kong is such a beautiful place! There are some many things, I didn't get to do or see. Although Hong Kong is a small place, it has so much to offer. |
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) |
It's very easy to live cheaply in Hong Kong. Your expenses can add up though quick if you're eating out everyday. With the exchange rate it can be hard to gauge how much you've spent so pay attention. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $125 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure to know the exchange rate, it's easy to spend a lot. Don't eat off campus everyday, the canteens on campus have good food you just have to find the one that fits for you. When planning trips to other countries make a budget of how much you want to spend and STICK TO IT. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Don't be discouraged by the tones and to fully understand their language you have to essentially ignore the language structure from English. Cantonese is more of a spoken language so the structures are completely different. It would be beneficial to go into language learning with no bias of grammatical structure, etc. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | In Hong Kong, a great amount of people speak English. Still I encourage you to learn the language, even if just the basics |
