Exploring a beautiful city and culture but the administration was not up to par Past Review

By (Birmingham-Southern College) - abroad from 01/09/2019 to 05/20/2019 with

Hong Kong Baptist University: Hong Kong - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned about many different cultures I visited and learned that I might want to live outside of the US once I graduate college.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Less academically rigorous than I expected, and allowed me to focus on travelling

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Scheduled events and kept students informed

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My requests concerning rooming were ignored as I wished to live with a local student but instead lived with another American

* Food:

Campus had several food options, but the ones closest to the dorms were low quality.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt that I had to reach out to local students rather than meet them naturally through events or classes

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no experience with healthcare

* Safety:

As long as a student is vigilant and keeps a close eye on their belongings, Hong Kong was safe

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Otherwise I never would have met several of my close friends

Finances

* 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)

Depending on where you ate or whether you made meals for yourself, you could have a very different budget

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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? 300 level Mandarin Course
How many hours per day did you use the 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

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The people
  • The City
  • The Culture
* What could be improved?
  • Classes
  • food
  • roommate choosing process
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That I would not be able to have a local roommate

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.