[SFU OLC Experience] Making Wise Choices for My Academic Journey in Hong Kong

Program:

Study Abroad › Exchange

Location:

Hong Kong

Experience Faculty

Beedie School of Business

This report illustrates my life and time at HKU and how wonderful the experience was.

Experience Details

Semester

Spring

Year

2023

Introduction + Preparation

Location Research

The first step to having a good exchange experience is picking a good university in a good country. I found that I enjoyed my exchange experience in Hong Kong more because it was a first-world country, so the living conditions were generally better.

Financial Preparation

In terms of finances, you have to do research into how much money to bring and consider if you should apply for student loans. Hong Kong was basically just as expensive as Vancouver and was a bit more of a cash-based society, so I definitely had to bring some cash and my credit cards to ensure I can eat and shop comfortably.

Packing

In terms of packing, I specifically just packed for what I expected the weather to be. Since my exchange was in Hong Kong, I knew to bring more t-shirts and shorts as the weather is generally hotter and more humid. Furthermore, bringing stuff like protein powder is highly recommended as it can get quite pricey abroad.

Travel and Transportation

With traveling and transportation, I already knew I did not have to worry about that too much as I did research into how to get around. Most Asian countries will have advanced subway systems, and Hong Kong was no different. The MTR (aka metro) was convenient and can basically bring you to the doorstep of anywhere in Hong Kong.

On arrival, taking a taxi to your dorm is probably the most convenient although it might be a little bit pricey. You can also take the MTR, but if you have a ton of luggage, you might as well just pay for a taxi.

During my Experience

Accommodation and Living

Living in a dorm was amazing. You will most likely have a roommate and the floor community and general dorm community are so welcoming and friendly. You will definitely meet lifelong friends while you live in your accommodations. You should do accommodation research though! Some of the accommodations I have seen look like prison cells and are just unlivable. I was quite lucky to have done a ton of research on where to live so I avoided all the poor choices. Definitely will recommend Chi Sun College in Student Village III if you decide to go to HK!

Reflection & Tips

Reflection

I highly recommend exchange. Going out of your comfort zone and exploring the world opens up so many new doors and perspectives that you would not expect. I made many European friends from Ireland, England, Scotland, France, and more. Being in such an international environment gave me a whole new perspective of the world. Furthermore, going abroad was a good reason to escape Vancouver because the city just lacked any form of excitement. I was able to experience the world, travel around Asia during the major breaks, and form new friendships with people around the world.

Connection to Academic Studies or Career Goals

Picking a top 25 global university also ensured that my education expectations were met and the comprehensive amount of courses offered allowed me to stay on track for graduation. When picking courses, I generally picked courses that would transfer back as core classes that are specific to my BBA degree.

Advice for Future Students

What I wish I knew before going on exchange was how to better prepare for the overall experience. For example, bringing more cash to a cash-based society, packing less clothes in order to save up more space to bring gifts home, and doing more course research to see which courses were available (for example, some courses were offered in the fall semester, but not in the spring semester).

My advice and tips for other students are as follows:

1. Pick a good country and a good university. Going abroad is indeed very fun, but choose wisely in where you want to go. If you can only speak English, it might be better to go to an English speaking country or at least a country where it’s a duo language. Furthermore, pick a good university. It’s a “flex” to be able to attend a top 25 university in the world and because of that, you’ll be surrounded with more individuals that actually care about their academic and professional careers. If you are surrounded by other like minded, intelligent people, you will only have a better experience overall.

2. Opt for dorming. You will make so many new friends and will live with people from around the world. You will go out with each other, eat together, and pretty much be around each other for the entirety of your exchange period. You will never feel alone. Just remember to choose your accommodations wisely!

3. Do everything! Do everything and anything that even remotely piques your interests. You will probably never have another experience like this, so travel, eat, and party as much as you can. Furthermore, do not worry about your finances! If you have financial troubles to begin with, you should probably not be going abroad. Do not worry about the money aspect, just be willing to spend to experience new things.

4. Be extroverted. Make new friends and just enjoy the new people you meet. Everyone brings something to the table in terms of beliefs, values, and experiences. You will meet lifelong friends during this experience.

Tags:

International