Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Hong Kong is the bomb! Past Review

By (University of Texas - El Paso / UTEP) - abroad from 05/13/2018 to 05/20/2018 with

University of Texas El Paso: China - MBA Doing Business in China, Hosted by the Asia Institute

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned of China's culture, which I think is beautiful. Guanxi is something I learned in this program and I've been incorporating it into my life.

Review Photos

University of Texas El Paso: China - MBA Doing Business in China, Hosted by the Asia Institute Photo University of Texas El Paso: China - MBA Doing Business in China, Hosted by the Asia Institute Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I received significant exposure to businesses in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, as well as the business and cultural differences between the two cities.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Our hosts were very kind and patient with all the students. They were very knowledgeable and organized.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The hotels were very clean and neat.

* Food:

Dumplings are not my favorite food, but other than that, all the food I got to try was great! Not what I expected from China.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It was not difficult for me to adapt to the differences in China, including its toilets, or having a meal with tea. It was definitely almost opposite to the culture I'm used to, but I loved it for that.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

There were no safety concerns in Hong Kong.

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

The program really opened my mind to see how business is done in Asia versus the United States. How people live is also very different. I learned to value what we're given in the US, as it is not the same in China.

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)

Hong Kong is not a very cheap city, so I would recommend taking a bit more money than the student's budget.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 500
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? My tip to save as much money as you can before a study abroad program is to prevent yourself from buying that $2 or $3 coffee, it will add up quickly. Also, don't buy all those clothes you think you "need" to wear.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Beginner

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The exposure
  • The hosts
  • The professor
* What could be improved?
  • The cultural tours
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Just how China looked. I had always been curious about how people behave and how the cities are.

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 Urbanite
A 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

BUSN 3305
Course Department: Business
Instructor: Zuobao Wei
Instruction Language: English
Comments: My study abroad experience was more of corporate and cultural visits. However, I learned a lot about China as it is my professor's home country and we got to create a project and journals.
Credit Transfer Issues: No, I did not have any issues.