Hong Kong: Definitely Worth It Past Review
By Joanie W (IR and Asian Studies, Tufts University) for
Tufts Programs Abroad: Tufts in Hong Kong
It was definitely a worthwhile experience. The program gives you the opportunity to really explore Hong Kong and parts of China. HKU itself was not that impressive, but the location was amazing. Being in Hong Kong also gave me a new perspective on what it means to be Asian and American in an Asian country. It takes some getting used to, but that definitely did not negatively affect my time there.
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. |
Teaching methods were usually lectures, not too much student engagement unless the teacher was foreign or foreign trained. There was a huge emphasis on a curve system of grading in which only a certain proportion of students can get A's, B's, C's, etc. Classes varied dramatically in how interesting or engaging the professor was and the actual content. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program size was perfect: only 13 students so we all got to know each other very well. Our program coordinator was great, she was always accessible by phone and met with us throughout the semester just the right amount of times. She was also able to give us advice and information on almost everything and successfully planned trips and orientation. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The actual dorms were very dingy and took a while to get used to. For a highly ranked university, it was surprising that they still had facilities that looked like they had never been renovated. I didn't buy anything to settle in, i mostly ate out nearby because food there is so cheap. Safety was never an issue, though we had to take a bus every morning to class. I just wish it was a little closer to campus. |
| * Food: |
Local food in HK is so good, definitely need to go out and look for your own little places. Cafeteria food is not bad, but sometimes you don't get what you thought you ordered.... |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Trips during orientation around HK was great because we got to know the island and went to a lot of places we probably normally wouldn't have had the time to go to. Arranged trips to Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen were amazing and so much fun. Trips organized between the students to Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Macau, and Vietnam were also amazing as traveling in Asia is pretty cheap overall. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
HK was very safe, never felt unsafe at any point during the semester. |
| 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? | Each month we were given a $600 USD stipend, which was usually enough to cover for all food and fun expenses. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Most of my spendings were covered by the stipend. I had to pay for traveling myself, about $150-$200 per plane ticket, but because I went to less developed countries, food and shopping in those countries were much cheaper than in HK. On some trips, the stipend was also enough to cover for food and shopping. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
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? | Definitely take the chance to travel to other countries nearby. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Any Chinese course |
| Course Department: | Chinese |
| Instructor: | Any |
| Instruction Language: | Chinese/English |
| Comments: | If you've taken any Chinese whatsoever at Tufts (up to Chinese 3 or 4) DO NOT bother taking any Chinese classes at HKU. The higher level Chinese courses are all taught in Cantonese, and the ones offered in English are not good at all. There was no homework, barely any tests, and one "presentation" that most kids probably did the day before. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Didn't count for anything b/c the level was so low |
| Course Name/Rating: |
China and Japan |
| Course Department: | JAPN2014 |
| Instructor: | Victor Teo |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This was a great class, professor was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and had really interesting stories and side notes to tell. His lecture style would consist of a student facilitated presentation and discussion, then during Q&A, if student presenters could not answer questions, he would. I actually wish he lectured more because he clearly knows a lot about the topic and is a valuable source of knowledge in the field. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Yes, only that there is no direct equivalent to the course at Tufts. |
