Hong Kong is amazing and I can't wait to go back! Past Review
By Hazel O'Neil (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 08/29/2016 to 12/16/2016 with
University of Texas at Austin: Chinese University of Hong Kong
Traveling and learning about a culture and landscape that is totally unique, meeting nice people from around the world.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Intense courses, I learned a lot about interesting subjects that I could have only taken in Hong Kong (archaeology of Hong Kong, a very in depth history of modern Southeast Asia course). I was less satisfied with the offerings available for my major (RTF) because production courses were banned to me. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The international office was very helpful and provided a comprehensive orientation and offered many activities for international students throughout the semester. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was a good deal. My building was under construction for a few months, but when that cleared I had an amazing view. |
| * Food: |
I didn't like the dining hall food very much but my flat had a limited kitchen and it was easy to go and get food off campus, which was delicious. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Taking a language class really helped me immerse myself in the local culture. Hong Kong is a very friendly and accessible city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
CUHK is in a unique part of Hong Kong which I had never seen before (I lived on the main island for a year in high school which is why I chose the program originally), the university was wonderful, and I have a much deeper appreciation for the city than before. |
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) |
everything is in theory cheap, but Hong Kong is a Cody and so it's hard not to spend money on transportation (student metro cards were invaluable though) and food. It's definitely doable to live cheaply in Hong Kong though. I was traveling a lot. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $130 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Student octopus card, eat at cheap restaurants and grocery shop rather than going out to fancy meals all the time. Hiking is a fun and free activity, as are museums. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| 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? |
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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? | About other students from UT who were also going to CUHK. There were several McCombs students who I would have wanted to meet. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA 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. |
