Tufts Exchange at HKU: Can I go back now? Past Review
By Rebecca F (Political Science, Economics, Tufts University) for
Tufts Programs Abroad: Tufts in Hong Kong
I got to understand who I am and what kind of people I can be in small groups with. I also traveled on my own a few times, and learned that I can withstand almost anything.
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. |
Most of the local professors were not up to US standard - just mumbled at the class, or read from notes. When foreign students were in groups in classes (pretty common), they tended to dominate the discussion, not out of any desire to, but because the local students didn't really know how to have discussion, which has more to do with the HK system than the students' ability. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Vera was great at helping us get what we needed - not too much hand-holding, only enough to understand the Chinese bureaucracies. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved living with a local student - we talked a lot and although we were from VERY different backgrounds, I think we became good friends. |
| * Food: |
Eating in Hong Kong (if you're open to local restaurants) can be amazing AND cheap |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program didn't do a great job of giving us the tools to really make good friends outside the Tufts program/exchange student community. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I used the HKU healthcare system and was satisfied. I was concerned about health issues, but more in places I traveled to, not HK itself. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | As part of the Tufts program, we were given a food allowance of $20 US a day, which is an obscenely high amount to eat in HK (we went to the grocery store and cooked many meals, or ate in the very cheap student restaurants) so I was able to save most of that money for personal expenses and travel. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Hong Kong can be expensive - at European levels - if you only have expat experiences. If not? It's incredibly cheap. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | N/A |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Language was required, which was useful in getting to know other exchange students, as well as something to talk about with local roommates/locals. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I tried to meet and get to know a lot of people - local students, foreign exchange students, and other Americans. That was the best part. |
