Hi there girlie!
Okay, so like I said I have a couple questions for you regarding studying abroad at HKU. First of all, how different is it living and going to school there vs. just being there for vacation? Do you notice an obvious difference in lifestyle, time management, etc? Do you still have a lot of time to go out, explore the city, and have fun? Or do you spend a lot of time studying? Are classes difficult compared to American classes? Does it require a lot of studying and homework? Or do you only have like 1 exam at the end of the semester? What is the campus environment like? Are students really involved with clubs? Did you get involved with clubs? Is there a lot of activities on campus? Or do most students not care/have no school pride? Do they have sports teams? LOL What it like living in CUHK? How are the dorms? The eating facilities/dining halls? The amenities like the gym/the washing machine/the bathrooms? Is the campus big? Or is it relatively small and easy to navigate? How long does it take you to get to class in the morning? Okay, those are all of the questions that I can think of right now. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer these! I can’t wait to hear back from you!
– Esther
Hey Esther!
First off, I am not at HKU. I am at CUHK. I have friends at HKU, so I could probably ask them these questions, but if you want I answer the questions using my CUHK experience.
Sidenote: I have a blog. (kind of) vivianstravelblog.tumblr.com You can check it out. It’s not much, but yeah…
The last and only time I vacationed in Hong Kong was when I was 10 years old… Anyways, one things most exchange students notice is that it is more competitive here. If you take classes with local students be prepare for a high curve. In addition, Hong Kong kids like to sleep late. Also, depending if you do a pass/fail program or a program that will affect your GPA, some people will actually be students while others will travel all around Asia. Canadian programs are usually pass/fail, so I know these two Canadian who have traveled practically every weekend.
My program requires that I take five classes, so I am a bit busy. However, I made it so that I only have classes Monday through Thursday. So, I definitely try to have fun on the weekends. Note that this all can get pretty tiring, but when you are on a semester program and you realize that two months have already passed; well, the mentality becomes do everything and screw sleep and school especially school. hehehe
Class difficulty is very dependent on your major. However, most Hong Kong students are very competitive and driven in their studies. Therefore, the curve is high. Personally, I do not have much homework, and I have been to lazy to study, but I am suffering the side effects since I just took three midterms and I feel utterly not confident.
After suffering through their hardcore last year of high school trying to into a university, Hong Kong students are really down to go crazy and create in addition to participating in a lot of events. This in turn creates amazing school spirit. Students are very involved here.
Exchange students can participate in the sports teams, but they usually prefer year students over semester from what I heard from my exchange friends that tried out.
Well, I see that you said CUHK in this question. So, ignore the top part… There are a bunch of canteens here each college (9) has one. In addition to the three located on the main campus. It is made to be cheaper than eating outside which is nice, but it won’t be the best food ever. There are two dorms with meal plans, but I would not suggest it. There is a specific time to eat, and who wants that. There are gyms, washing machines, and bathrooms in the dorms. However, the gym’s equipment is super old.
CUHK is a huge campus. We are on a mountain. The scenery is beautiful, but not the bugs. hehehe There are five bus lines that can take you to the different parts of campus. The buses are pretty efficient unless there is a long line because space is limited.
It was fun answering your questions. If you have anymore, send them my way.