All good things must come to an end, and this wonderful semester is no exception. However, it will always lives in my mind as one of the best 4 months I've ever had.
Below are my tips and reflection of this unforgettable semester.
Freeman Scholarship
First of, I would like to sincerely thanks the Mr. Freeman and Mrs.Freeman for the wonderful scholarship, and the helpful faculties in Shidler College of Business for organizing the scholarship. If it wasn't for the scholarship, I do not think this semester would be possible. The money from the scholarship help me fund a large portion of my Fall 2012 exchange. I encourage you apply for the scholarship, there is an international website of Freeman Scholarship which you can apply straight to or you can head up to your academic advisers.
Academic
1. Expect to be different
Hong Kong education system is unlike the US education system. The general differences are more group works , more memorization but at the same time , less individual homework. You should ask your local classmates of what to expect throughout the semester, as well as the instructors. The instructors in Hong Kong is very helpful and are willing to help you figure out a standard guideline.
2. Time Management
It is a semester abroad , which includes intensive academic studying, however, you should time manage so you will be able to travel around, see different sights and sample different foods in Hong Kong. Time management is a vital skill for you to truly enjoy the semester.
You should try to divide your week into study days and break days. With the combination of intensive study and sightseeing , it will be a great semester.
3. Expect less transparency in grading
The grading system is somewhat different than in the US. In UH Manoa , whenever you get an assignment handed back, there are mistakes and correction from the instructor saying what went wrong and perhaps some suggestion in improving your writing/skills in the future. In Hong Kong , students do not expect any suggestions from the professor after each assignment but rather , to figure out by themselves what went wrong in the assignment. It is somewhat good for self-study but not when you cannot figure out what went wrong with your assignment. In addition, after every quiz/examination, you do not get your paper back , what you will get is simply a grade.
4. Don't expect it will be easy
Some classes are not very challenging , while another may be impossible to pass if you don't spend enough time to study. As stated , the culture in City University of Hong Kong is a lot of memorization, you will need to study and memorize each chapters in order to pass the quiz/exams for a certain classes.
5. Do take either Mandarin/Cantonese class
Since you're in Hong Kong , I would recommend you to take Cantonese class , or even Mandarin class. You will be able to learn so much culture from knowing the language. Chinese is a beautiful language which has so much meaning behind it. Beside , it would be a great practice if you're learning Cantonese in Hong Kong!
Traveling
1. Do apply for your visa before hand
This goes especially for China, where it is so much cheaper and easier if you start applying it in the States. You get multiple entries visa to China for $130 in America, while applying for visa in Hong Kong would be the same price but you will only get single or double entries.
Here are some countries around Hong Kong you may want to visit and their visa policies if you have a valid US passport, for other passport , please refer to your embassy website:
- China : Yes, you need a visa.
- Macao: No
- Taiwan: No
- Korea: No
- Japan: No
- Vietnam: Yes , you can easily apply for it in Hong Kong for a single entry
- Laos: Yes , same as above
- Cambodia: Yes, same as above
- Thailand: No
- The Philippines: No
- Malaysia: No
- Singapore: No
2. Watch your surrounding
Do be careful when you travel abroad. Check your local consulate whether it is safe to travel to a certain countries. It is not the US anymore , and you are subjected to the local country national laws.
3. Familiarize with local currency
If you are planning to travel around Asia , do get familiarize with the currency. After a few countries , you will get messed up with different exchange rates.
4. Groupon.hk
If you know of Groupon website in the US , the groupon site for HK provides excellent discount to some regions around Hong Kong , especially China and Macau. Do check it before you're planning a trip for Macau, it could save you a around 20-40 USD.
5. Watch your luggage weight
During your travel or on the way home , do watch your luggage weight as airliners are very strict about carryon size and weights.
Food
1. Do try local cuisines
You should try out most local cuisines if you're comfortable even if they're a bit 'exotic'. It is what traveling is all about , trying different exotic food and see different things.
2. Watch your diet
If you cook your own food , do watch your diet to ensure you have enough nutrients. If you're eating out most of the time , ordering a few vegetable dishes every meals is recommended to keep yourself healthy
Health
1. Do see the doctor if you're sick
It is covered under the CityU health insurance , so do check out the doctor if you're sick.
2. Shots before travel
You should check the destination country whether you need certain shots before arriving. A quick visit to your local consulate will bring up the list of suspected countries.
3. Keep some emergency medicines
For those late night headache and nausea, you should keep some medicine in your room to relieve those uncomfortable aches.
Reflection
It was an amazing semester, one that I would never forget. I've met amazing friends and people that I will be keeping in touch for a long time , if not lifelong friends. I've seen so much stuffs and the people , which in turns enhance my world knowledge. I believe in order to be a world citizen, one must experience first hand the local cultures and different cultures around the world. One should understands and be acceptance of other cultures. I've learn so much in one semester, things that cannot be taught in a classroom setting , it is a life lesson that I will never forget.
Hong Kong has been an unforgettable semester, it was like a dream. I hope you will have as much fun as I did during my stay. As always , if you have any questions at all , please email me at howiengn@gmail.com and I would be more than happy to answer your questions.
Enjoy your wonderful semester abroad.
