Jasmine's Exchange to University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong
My name is Jasmine and I studied abroad at The University of Hong Kong in Semester 2, 2018. At Murdoch University, I study Cognitive Neuroscience and Health Psychology; Social and Developmental Psychology.
The key factors for myself choosing to study at The University of Hong Kong were:
When I was selecting my exchange university, I factored in its closeness to Australia and my interests: culture and travel. I wanted to immerse in a culture that is similar but also different to my own, learn a new language, and be able to travel to neighboring countries where I can learn more of its history. And being a student in HKU, and then an intern for a school, I was able to achieve that.
A little about The University of Hong Kong, classes, the teaching system and contact hours...
The
University of Hong Kong is massive. I think it took me 2 weeks to remember
where my classes were held, although I still managed to get lost because I would
think one route would lead me to my destination. I remember two of my tutorials
being held in the same building in different floors and since they have the
same layout, I always manage to enter the wrong room. Signs didn’t really help
me since the buildings are shaped weirdly and have multiple floors. They also
have a lot of stairs. The library was better than Murdoch’s – it’s actually
silent. In HKU, I took 4
units: Foundations of Neuroscience, Biological Bases of Psychological Issues,
Psychopathology, and Chinese I. Most of the people I know did 5 units plus
other extracurricular activities, which I don’t know how they managed! The teaching
system was similar to Australia’s so it felt like I was back in Murdoch, but
with less stressful assessments – I think I wrote less essays but more group
work here. Lectures lasted between two and three hours with one-hour tutorials.
My favourite class was Chinese as it was interactive, and the teacher made learning
the language fun. I was also lucky to have a dormmate who shared BioBases with
me, where we struggled to familiarise the neural networks together. Oh, and I
was also part of the netball club until I busted my left knee, so I only got to
spend half a semester with the team.
A little about the city I lived in, Hong Kong...
Getting around Hong Kong is super easy! Everything
is extremely close to train stations and HK is pretty small. I basically just
exit some MTR station, walk around the area for a bit then find myself in the
next district. I loved getting on the trams the most (or dindins as locals call
it) though. MTRs are underground while trams are in the open, so you can enjoy
the view of HK’s tall buildings and the busyness of the streets. It’s also fun watching the transition of the
buildings between the different districts. If I want to get away from
everything, I often walk to the pier or travel to the New Territories where
it’s mostly green. My favourite place is Central Pier. It’s so
vibrant at night from the many buildings behind it, which light up during the
Symphony of Lights show. They have a massive park where people can sit around
while admiring Tsim Sha Tsui’s view and a promenade where I like walking at
night because it’s quieter.
The best parts of my experience...
The best parts of this exchange are the friends I made and the food. I’ve made so many new friends during this exchange, some of whom I hang out with every week, and whom I do food trips around HK mostly! And HK never runs out of food options. There’s this app called OpenRice and it lists down all the restaurants in the area you are in – and it’s always a difficult task to narrow down our options. My favourite will always be the local restaurants that sell noodles and HOTPOT AND DIM SUM!!! If you’re in HK, it’s a must to try out Tim Ho Wan’s baked pork buns <3 and any hotpot place is a good place to start, especially on a cold winter night. I also enjoyed going on short hikes with my new friends and getting lost because it’s part of the adventure. I like travelling on my own sometimes though, taking my time as I peruse HK’s historic sites and museums or the parks.
Some challenges I faced and how I dealt with them...
A little about my student accommodation...
A week before I flew to HK, I found and arranged an accommodation outside of campus since I didn’t get in the halls. I stayed in Sai Ying Pun, which is one station away from HKU or a short 15-minute walk from university. I shared the place with 9 other girls, who were international and local students. It was small, but it had everything I needed for a short 4 months stay. We also had individual study desks and a bookshelf which I appreciated. If given another chance, I’d arrange my own place because I liked the privacy of it.
A little about how I funded my Exchange experience...
I was lucky enough to receive the New Colombo Mobility Plan to cover majority of my exchange and internship. I also owe a lot to the people behind the Discover Your Potential scholarship, which I have been a recipient for the past three years, for providing me as well! So thank you NCMP and DYP for helping me during this semester’s exchange; and of course Murdoch Uni for giving me the opportunity to go.
A little about my internship...
I
went on a 6-week internship under the Academic Internship Council (AIC), who
helped me find a non-government organisation to work for after my exchange. I worked
as an international delegate/ mentor in a Catholic school for girls (between
14-19 years old) with the goal of improving their oral and/or written English
skills. I was co-mentoring with another girl from the USA who was in a 3-month
program under AIC. We mainly organised after-lunch activities for the girls,
helped create interactive worksheet that delves into the values of movie
characters, and conducted one-on-one lessons with senior students to help with
their English school-based assessments (SBA). The girls taught us some
Cantonese phrases so there was a language exchange happening. I loved spending
time with my girls – chatting during lunch to learn about the things they want,
getting invited to their class because they wanted to spend more time with us,
their willingness to teach us their language, and their actively seeking for us
during break in the library. Cliché as it may sound, these students really
taught me how the smallest encouragement can make one’s day.
Some places I visited included...
My advice to you would be...
To anyone still considering going on exchange: GO! It’s honestly one of the best, if not the best, experiences you’ll afford in your university life. If you’re worried about funding, there are scholarships available and the government’s support that may assist you. If it’s homesickness, don’t worry~ once you’re in your host country, it’s difficult to think beyond your experience in the present! Also, do a lot of research about the country/city and create a bucket list of things you wish to do so you don’t regret missing out on anything (I bought a travel guide of Hong Kong to prepare me).
- Jasmine studied abroad at The University of Hong Kong
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