Best experience of my entire life! Past Review
By Emma Gardephe (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 01/03/2017 to 05/27/2017 with
University of Texas at Austin: Chinese University of Hong Kong
There is so much to gain from this experience. First a sense of independence. Though you're living in an unfamiliar area it is incredibly easy to get around Hong Kong and learn as much about the culture as possible. Trust yourself and motivate yourself to try new things and meet people from different backgrounds and experiences.
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. |
Most classes offer big group projects or exams and will not have small quizzes or short homework assignments. With that being said, in order to do well in class you have to do well on the few, big assignments/tests you have in class. All of my teachers were interested in my abroad experience and many offered me advice for traveling, etc. My class schedule was from Monday to Wednesday which offered time for exploring and traveling. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There was an orientation for all of the abroad students, as well as campus tours and a survival language course for the basics on cantonese. The exchange program definitely has a presence on campus which is really nice. Throughout the semester the abroad office offers day trips and cultural activities. Go on the trip to the Big Buddha! It's so worth it. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in I-House 3 which is in a great location and offers completely adequate dorms. Girls on one floor and boys are on another. Each floor offers a kitchen and the international house has a very pleasant rooftop. I-house 3 has a completely different layout then I-house 1 and 2. These international halls are more apartment style. My only tip is that the staff in I-house 3 cannot speak english well so sometimes it is hard to communicate with them if there is an issue. The staff are very nice and will try their best to understand you and may take out a translating app. |
| * Food: |
It's all about finding the better places to eat on campus. Good canteens may be further away from you than the bad ones. Some canteens will offer better western options than others. Also, the canteens can have weird hours and will close early so keep that in mind. The grocery store is very helpful! Keep some snacks and food in your dorm room or kitchen! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
As I said earlier, the exchange program definitely has a presence on campus. Also, CUHK offers classes in english and cantonese so expect to meet plenty of local students in your class. In general, most local students leave campus on the weekends. It may not feel that easy to get to know the students at CUHK but I promise I made plenty of friends from Hong Kong. CUHK also offers a buddy program that matches you with a local student. What I will say is that it is incredibly easy to get around Hong Kong with public transportation. Anyone can master the transportation and explore all of Hong Kong and so nothing should prevent you from having a grasp of the local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The health center on campus is extremely organized and efficient. You can go there and receive antibiotics for free. One of my friends sprained his knee and went to the hospital and got an x-ray and antibiotics for free. In general I believe health care in Hong Kong is very good. |
| * Safety: |
Hong Kong is an incredibly safe city. I never once felt unsafe in any area or specific place in the city. The campus also is incredibly isolated and feels extraordinarily safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This was an absolutely life-changing experience. Hong Kong is the best place to study abroad and I would recommend it to anyone. You are offered a gateway to Asia and the chance to live in one of the best cities in the world. In thirty minutes you can either be camping on the beach or walking the streets of Central in downtown Hong Kong. The international presence is unlike anywhere else and you will never get bored. There are endless parts of Hong Kong to explore and amazing people to meet along the journey. |
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) |
Eating on campus is cheap! Meals can be as cheap as $4 or $6! Additionally, getting the student octopus card cuts the price of any ride on the MTR in half. That is a huge benefit. With this being said, Hong Kong is an expensive city. Western food will always be more expensive than local style food. Western brands will have nearly the same prices as in America. Be prepared to set money aside for traveling!! |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Shatin is two metro stops away and has a couple of grocery stores that are a little cheaper than the campus grocery store. Try eating on campus most of the week. Check out all the happy-hour deals on food and drinks in the city! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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? | I knew so little going into this program and enjoyed every bit of figuring it out as I went along. There are endless opportunities in Hong Kong and an environment full of incredible people. Make every day count in Hong Kong because I guarantee this will be the best five months of your life. |
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. |
