The bridge Past Review
By Bradley M (Pace University) - abroad from 01/05/2012 to 05/23/2012 with
Hong Kong Baptist University: Hong Kong - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained a greater Chinese language skill. I've explored the land. I've made great friends. This program is something that I'm glad that I did.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enjoyed my study abroad experience because of the people that I've met. I chose to study in Hong Kong because I love Chinese culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The professors and the study abroad directors at HKBU were very supportive and they were very informative. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Guests could not stay past 11pm. Other than that, the rooms were decent sizes. The downside to living in this dorm was that I had to pay for turning on the AC. |
| * Food: |
There was good food around the campus and in the malls but in the canteen there are very few good dishes. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I've made a lot of local friends and traveled the islands of Hong Kong with them. They invited me into their homes and I spoke both Mandarin and Cantonese with them and their family. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I was very sick once during this trip and I was not able to get proper medicine. The on campus doctors are unable to help if you are very sick. On the other hand, you are able to buy strong/good medicine in the medical stores or 7-eleven. |
| * Safety: |
You were able to go out late at night and nothing bad would ever happen. Keep in mind that HKBU is in Kowloon Tong which is a rich area so crime in this particular area is low. |
| 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) |
The food is relatively cheap. You can get a full plate of food for about $3 USD. I found that it only seems to get expensive when I went out to party at night. If you don't party then you should be able to live on $100/week if you spend conservatively. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About $150 USD |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy food at the canteen. It's cheap and good. |
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 |
I was learning Mandarin during this program. I was encouraged to speak Chinese all the time but I found it difficult to utilize my Chinese language skills due to Hong Kong people being able to speak English. Cantonese is their first language and English is their second. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I took a year in High School. |
| 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? | Make friends with locals and converse with them in chinese. This is the best way to learn a language. |
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?
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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? | Nothing in this program was a surprise to me. I did everything that I wanted to do and I would not do anything different. |
