Hong Kong – My Exchange at PolyU
Reaching my last few days in Hong Kong, as cliché as it is to say that my exchange program was a life-changing experience, it was so much more than words can describe.
Ever since my first semester at UTS, I’ve always been interested in going on exchange but was held back by my many fears such as being independent and not having been overseas before, the language barrier due to my poor level of Cantonese and the financial side of it. Fast forward to the second year of my degree, I decided that I would give it a shot of applying for exchange after having attended exchange sessions and learning about government loans and scholarships.
After a year’s long application process, I received my acceptance to attend the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is very similar to UTS and their campus is quite easy to navigate around. It is such a great university that provides students with the support they need. They have a buddy system where exchange students are paired with a local student and are picked up from the airport, which I found really useful as I was a first time traveller. PolyU also organise activities for students to learn more about the Chinese culture through weekend trips to Mainland China and interactive sessions such as tea brewing, language classes and dumpling making.
Coming to Hong Kong, I had quite a few surprises such as my fear of having a language barrier, did not exist as everyone speaks English; nights out begin from Wednesdays-Saturday nights; groups of people gather outside 7/11 stores in LKF to drink; the many hiking trails and beautiful beaches.
Life in Hong Kong is so a lot more fast paced and there is never a moment of boredom as there is so much to do! Here is a list of places that I have visited, accompanied by images:
- Hiking: Victoria Peak, Dragon’s Back, Lion Rock
- Beaches: Deep Wave Bay, Big Wave Beach, Stanley Beach
- Night outs: Horse Racing, Wan Chai, Lan Kwai Fong (LKF)
- Walks by the Harbour
There are plenty more things to do in Hong Kong such as visiting temples and markets!
What I love about Hong Kong is the Chinese culture and being able to learn about it through being involved in activities; the diversity of cultures; endless list of things to do and adventures; and the location of Hong Kong, which makes it very convenient to travel to other Asian countries at very affordable prices!
If you are someone who is thinking about going on exchange, don’t think too much – JUST DO IT!
Sindy Khuu, 12000461, FASS
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