Exchange Questions- Hong Kong

[statestreet]

I was thinking about doing a student exchnage for my final semester to Hong Kong. Does anyone have any experiences to share if they have travelled/lived/studied there? From what I can tell the food there is relatively cheap, but how affordable is housing? Also, can someone with English as a first language get by relatively easily without knowing Chinese (other than basic phrases)?

Just looking for some basic information before I get too involved, cheers.

[junot111]

Yes you can get by with only English. That's why I think it might be one of the best places for an English-speaking exchange student to go, because of the lack of trouble you'll have with language barriers

but beyond that I can't really comment on the cost of living. Only other thing I can say is that during my short time there I saw many visible minorities(relative to Asia/HK) there, probably a lot of tourists but also a lot that seemed like exchange students.

[raymondh]

Being placed there would be the best experience of your life. You will learn invaluable skills including a second language which will be amazing on your resume. You will experience culture shock, but its like that everywhere. Just do some quick research on the country and how the culture is like. Have fun :)

[Nazey]

Would it be wise to go on your final semester?

Im saying this because when you go on exchange and come back to your home university it takes a while for the credits to be transferred to your home university. Sometimes times it takes months , this may delay your graduation. They warn upcoming students that its not encouraged to apply in the last year of your degree..its rather recommended to do exchanges in your third year.

But exchange to hong kong is great. Heard great things.

[thunderchunky]

I don't have any insight on HK specifically, but I also wanted to chime in that participating in an exchange is a fantastic opportunity. My semester abroad was the best thing about my university studies. As Nazey said, be aware that it might delay your official graduation if you do it in your last term. However, I would say that it's worth it despite this. The experience is invaluable. You will make friends from all over the world and learn a lot about yourself. Everyone should do it.

[eiad77]

My friend went to the University of Hong Kong (I think it was this one) and lived in the dorms there. It was in 2006 but he said it was pretty cheap. I went to Hong Kong in 2008 and the food was pretty cheap. It's not true that everyone speaks English. For example, when I was trying to talk to bus drivers a lot of them didn't speak English. I've been to a few Asian countries and there is a relatively high level of English in Hong Kong but it's not like Singapore where 95% of people speak English fairly well.

[packardbell]

you would see how slow canada is compared to hong kong.
i learnt more in hong kong within a few months that i did in canada in a year. lol!!

[happyivy2012]

I think the studying environment in HK is quite good.

[Nakuruin]

I was thinking about doing a student exchnage for my final semester to Hong Kong. Does anyone have any experiences to share if they have travelled/lived/studied there? From what I can tell the food there is relatively cheap, but how affordable is housing? Also, can someone with English as a first language get by relatively easily without knowing Chinese (other than basic phrases)?

Just looking for some basic information before I get too involved, cheers.

IIRC, some of the dorms only cost $1000CAD for a year which is DIRT CHEAP for accommodations in HK. That's cheaper than residence here (costs $6k at UTSG!!!). Food is not an issue because it's way cheaper to eat out there that most people do not eat breakfast or lunch at home, and they only eat at home if they have a family.

Which one are you planning to apply to? The universities in HK are all in very different areas so whether you can get by on English will depend. On campus, i think most students will have a proficient level of English since they use English as the language of instruction. At HKUST, i noticed there were a lot of "expats" studying there because their english was quite fluent so i don't think there are many locals at HKUST.

HKUST has a nice campus though, right near the water and wide open space! You couldn't ask for more from HK which is known for its high population density.

p.s i didn't go on an exchange but my cousin and her husband are profs at two different HK unis.

[Spoon-]

I actually just returned from my exchange at HKUST. Honestly... best 4 months ever.

The dorms are like $1000CAD (might've been lower) for 4 months and they're pretty good/clean.
Even if you can't speak Cantonese you can still easily get by there. Chances are there's going to be another exchange who can speak Cantonese and he can maybe introduce you to more of the local food but honestly even if you can't speak it, you can easily order food, hop in a taxi, etc. All the students spoke English (some had accents) but you'll probably spend most of your time with other exchanges, which of course will be fluent in English. You will have TONS of fun traveling around Hong Kong and to other countries with other exchange students.

Are you on pass/fail or do your marks get transfer over? Because one thing to keep in mind is that it's not absolute grading over there. Your grade is calculated based on what you got and what the class average was. IMO, I thought it was harder to get high grades over there.

[KTCY]

I was also at HKUST for exchange a few years ago. I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was the most amazing experience and one that you'll remember forever, I'm sure. I don't know which university you're planning to apply to but UST is indeed gorgeous!

I think Spoon- and others have covered most of your questions already. I'll just add that student residences are, in fact, very affordable in HK. UST was around $700 CAD for us back then and we were staying at the newest hall. Most of the rooms were shared though, usually with another exchange student.

I think why it may be hard to get high grades over there is that you'll be very busy travelling around SE Asia and enjoying HK. It's very easy to get distracted from studying. Plus the locals were quite hardcore! It is possible to do well though so don't feel discouraged.

If you're interested, I should still have my exchange report. I read quite a few of these before my exchange and it helped a lot. I can send you a copy if you'd like, just PM me.