Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Hong Kong Shenanigans Past Review

By (Human Biology, University of California - Merced) - abroad from 01/11/2012 to 11/26/2012 with

University of Hong Kong / HKU: Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Everything was worthwhile! I definitely learned how to be more flexible with my studies, and i met so many different people! Usually, I met with friends that tend to be either co-workers or classmates. However, studying abroad, I met a HUGE variety of people of different backgrounds and of different majors.

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.

Professors were fascinating, intriguing, and generally very enthusiastic of their field. However, examination was very different from what I was used to as a science major.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

In general, very helpful. However, there are times were individuals could have been a little more friendly. Sometimes there were issues with understanding initial questions, and a lot of miscommunication appeared to have occured.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Kinda hard to rate housing--In general, I was very happy with my situation, although it was tough to determine the quality because there were many different housing options, and each housing section was so vastly different that it was difficult to determine quality.

* Food:

Enough to get through the day.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I requested a blood test, and service is really fast, although doctors and physicians were generally not as friendly as what I'm used to. Otherwise, I have no complaints.

* Safety:

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

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)

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~30-40 USD/week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Be aware of conversion values and figure out how to accurately and quickly convert!!! This will help you keep track of expenses and how much you'll allow yourself to spend!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Food
  • Drinks
  • Culture
* What could be improved?
  • Examination format awareness
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Examinations require memorizing a whole entire textbook or two. I'm very used to taking in material, trying to figure stuff out, and that memorization is a complete sin in my science courses. On the other hand, HKU requires both memorization and figuring out the textbook info. This was a huge disadvantage to me, because I am not a fan of memorization, and will only memorize concepts when I must.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!