Hong Kong: Life on steroids Past Review
By Vincent L (MICS, Fordham University) for
Syracuse University: Hong Kong - Syracuse University in Hong Kong
Many. I'm now open to considering a career abroad whereas before I wasn't as certain of such a possibility.
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. |
It seemed easier since they wanted study abroad students to have more time to immerse themselves in the host culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I would have given them a higher rating but they didn't empathize sufficiently with the students and there were also communication problems plus we were supposed to go to Thailand during the 2 week seminar but apparently that was canceled. For spending ~$30k for one semester, the program signed up for trips irrelevant to the courses we would later undertake in the semester and had a limited number of social events. Examples such as the ones mentioned earlier made me feel as if they weren't doing enough with the money that I had paid them. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Yes, we had to buy some cookware but some basics were provided as well. The beds were hard so we also had to purchase mattress pads. |
| * Food: |
I love chinese food so it was heaven for me since everything was so cheap. Other people who weren't as fortunate had to splurge 10-20 bucks every meal on American/western restaurants. Vegan food was very easy to find in our area. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Any trips arranged by YOURSELF and your friends will always be more memorable than those arranged by the school. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Decently safe. Just don't be THAT guy/girl. Meds were pretty cheap. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 usd between me and my two roomies |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Pack more money for beijing and singapore. Malaysia sucks. If you plan to travel more later on, be sure to always haggle and prepare to have an emergency fund as you'll probably spend more than you anticipate since everything's so cheap in ASEAN. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | N.A |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Everyone. Yes. Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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 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? | If you like urban settings well balanced with nature and diverse stratums of food culture and finances, Hong Kong's the place to be. |
